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Lot Essay
The present group of the Virgin and Child, supported by an architectural base with late gothic tracery, is closely related to a large number of reliquary statues where the base was used to house a relic associated with the saint depicted above it (see Fritz, op. cit., nos. 727, 729, 750, 751, 805 and 806). However, in this instance the fact that there is no enclosed space to contain a relic suggests that the group was intended purely for private devotion, probably in a private chapel.
Characteristics such as the plump face of the Virgin with her small pointed chin, the long parallel ringlets of hair running down the back and over the shoulders, as well as the distinctive crinkling of the drapery all point to the influence of the engravings of Albrecht Dürer in the years around 1495-1510 (see Frankfurt, op. cit., figs. 14 and 33 for two examples). The widespread distribution of these engravings makes it difficult to pinpoint an exact location for the creation of the present group. However, the high quality of the workmanship, particularly evident in the depiction of the hair and in the figure of the Christ Child, suggest that it probably originated in one of the major metal-working centres of South Germany.
A metal analysis report on the present group by Prof. Dr. E.-L. Richter (18 March 2012) states that 'the high silver content and the high figures of gold and lead are entirely consistent with a medieval provenance'.
The present work is being offered for sale pursuant to an agreement between the consignor and the heirs of a Dutch collection. This resolves any dispute over ownership of the work and title will pass to the buyer.
Characteristics such as the plump face of the Virgin with her small pointed chin, the long parallel ringlets of hair running down the back and over the shoulders, as well as the distinctive crinkling of the drapery all point to the influence of the engravings of Albrecht Dürer in the years around 1495-1510 (see Frankfurt, op. cit., figs. 14 and 33 for two examples). The widespread distribution of these engravings makes it difficult to pinpoint an exact location for the creation of the present group. However, the high quality of the workmanship, particularly evident in the depiction of the hair and in the figure of the Christ Child, suggest that it probably originated in one of the major metal-working centres of South Germany.
A metal analysis report on the present group by Prof. Dr. E.-L. Richter (18 March 2012) states that 'the high silver content and the high figures of gold and lead are entirely consistent with a medieval provenance'.
The present work is being offered for sale pursuant to an agreement between the consignor and the heirs of a Dutch collection. This resolves any dispute over ownership of the work and title will pass to the buyer.