French, Champagne, first quarter 16th century

Sotheby's London, 10 March 1983, lot 42
on loan to Museum Schnütgen, Cologne, September 2009 to December 2012

Overall the condition is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are a number of losses, including: to Anne's proper left thumb and to the stylus; to the edges of her headdress; one to the bottom of the major fold near the feet; to her proper right foot; and to much of the proper right side of the base. There are smaller chips and losses, including to the edges of the drapery and to the tip of the Virgin's nose. There are some restorations, including some to the edges of Anne's headdress, to the end of Anne's nose, and to the top left corner of the book. There is wear to the polychromy throughout. There are losses to the back of the base. There is a hole to the back of St. Anne.
"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."

The present portrait of St. Anne teaching her daughter to read comes from a long tradition of representations of the Education of the Virgin, a particularly popular theme in the sixteenth century. The image demonstrates the diligence and virtue of young Mary as she listens to her mother. Embedded in the subject is the ideal of transmitting culture and wisdom from one generation to the next. The Virgin’s future responsibility as mother and educator of Christ is an important association. With its combination of dignity and genre detail, this stone sculpture successfully balances divine piety with human character.

The present work compares closely with stone sculptures dated to the turn of the sixteenth century from Champagne in the North East of France. As recorded by Leroy, the iconography of the Education was popular in Champagne (op. cit., pp. 59-64). The strong vertical figure, almond-shaped face and serious expression of St. Anne, compare to figures of the same scene in the Church of Saint-Croix in Mesnil-Selières from the sixteenth century and from the Church of Saint-Pierre in Bar-sur-Aube, from the fifteenth century, both illustrated in Leroy (op. cit., pp. 61 and 64). The latter Virgin, though older in date than the present sculpture, shares the same heavy eyelids and distinct thin brows. Forsyth has noted the tendency in eastern France to represent less joyful figures (op. cit., p. 176). It is also worth noting the common representation in Champagne sculptures of a maturer Mary who reaches the waist of her mother in height (see Leroy op. cit., pp. 60 and 62-64).

Though more modestly decorated than most sculptures from Troyes in the Champagne region, the present sculpture compares with Troyes figures as illustrated in Avery for the band around Mary’s head and the long, striated curls falling down her back (op. cit., nos. 2-5 and 8-9). St. Anne’s drapery, bunched up to one side, also has affinities with other figures from Northeastern France, such as the representation of St. Syre, dating to the end of the fifteenth century, illustrated in Boccador (op. cit. p. 154).

RELATED LITERATURE
P.E. Leroy, Sculptures en Champagne au XVIe siècle, Dijon, 2009, pp. 59-64; J. Boccador, Statuaire médiévale en France de 1400 à 1530, Zoug, 1974; C. Avery, Sculpture from Troyes in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1974, pp. 64-65 and 68-69; W. H. Forsyth, ‘The Virgin and Child in French fourteenth century sculpture. A method of classification’, The art bulletin, September 1957, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 171-182