Mary is a key figure in Christianity. She appears here several times. People in Bruges were very devoted to Mary, or Our Lady.
This figure of Mary, a beautifully carved wooden statue, is reading. The Angel Gabriel is about to startle her and announce that she is to be the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. Mary became the much loved and very human mother of all believers. They turn to her to seek comfort, or to ask her to put in a good word for them with Christ and God.
This statue is part of an absolute masterpiece: a large, prestigious Utrecht reredos. Reredos, which feature dozens of figures, stood behind an altar and were of course found in churches in Bruges as well. They gave worshippers a focal point while attending mass. Many reredos were commissioned by brotherhoods for their church altar, such as this Utrecht showstopper. Only fragments from this masterpiece remain, and they became dispersed. This statuette is one of those fragments. A lot of art from Bruges' churches was also lost during, among other things, the Iconoclastic Fury.
Everything medieval people did, they did to earn their place in heaven. Mary could help in this endeavour. We take a look inside the Church of Our Lady a little later on.