Circle of Hans Leinberger (1475/80-1531) German, Bavaria, circa 1520-1530

art market, Germany;
Sotheby's London, 8 December 1994, lot 50;
private collection, Belgium

Overall the condition of the sculpture is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is wear to the polychromy throughout, including some flaking. It is possible that the polychromy could have been refreshed in areas. There is some flaking of the polychromy at the Virgin's face. In one or two areas, notably in the Virgin's hair, the paint has chipped showing the gesso ground. Some small areas of wear to the folds of the drapery, including to the blue sleeve falling from the Virgin's proper left arm, appear to be slightly restored. There is some minor stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material, mostly visible at the back. There is a more prominent split running down the proper right side at the back. There is a small loss to Christ's proper right thumb. There is a hole to Christ's head, probably for a lost halo.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Hans Leinberger was amongst the most influential wood sculptors of his generation. As the court sculptor of Duke Ludwig X of Bavaria in Landshut he inspired followers throughout the Danube region. The present statue compares closely to the work of Leinberger and his workshop. The relief of the Nativity in the Gnadenthal monastery in Ingolstadt illustrated by Guillot de Suduirot offers comparable facial types and a similar Christ Child (op.cit., p. 47). The rippling drapery and concentric folds are similar to two carvings of the Virgin and Child in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum (inv. nos. 24/311 and 19/140). Leinberger's style lends a dazzling but naturalistic quality to the present figure. Schindler's characterisation of Leinberger's Virgin and Child in St. Martin's church, Munich sums up the effect best: "she towers over the hall like a ruler over the fertile and blessed farmland, enraptured but still down-to-earth, queenlike, and universal. Her face is not beautiful in the traditional sense, not girly like that of the Schöne Madonna ... it is taken from a real-life Lower Bavarian peasant woman. The swinging saucer-folds fall over the slightly rounded body, swell and flutters, as if gripped by the wind." (op.cit.)

RELATED LITERATURE
T. Müller, Die Bildwerke in Holz, Ton, und Stein von der Mitte des XV. bis gegen Mitte des XVI. Jahrhunderts, cat. Bayerischen Nationalmuseums, Munich, 1959, pp. 207-208 and 219-220, nos. 208 and 219; H. Schindler, Große Bayerische Kunstgeschichte. Neuzeit bis an die Schwelle des 20. Jahrhunderts, 1963, vol.  II, p. 22; S. Guillot de Suduirot, Sculptures allemandes de la fin du Moyen Age dans les collections publiques françaises 1400-1530, exh. cat. Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1991, p. 47