Austrian, Salzburg, circa 1420-1430

Overall the condition of the sculpture is good, with some wear and minor dirt to the surface consistent with age. At least two of the spikes of the crown have been reattached, and one is slightly loose. One of the spikes of the crown on the proper left side at the back appears to be lost. There are a few further minor losses, notably to the bottom edge at the front, the top of the twig of the apple, and to the Virgin's cascading drapes on her proper right side near the bottom. A section at the back of the Virgin's head on the proper right side, and another section around the Virgin's proper right shoulder, hand and drapery, are carved separately and joints are slightly visible, in particular at the back. There is minor stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material, notably to the top of the Virgin's head. Minor evidence of past worming is visible in areas, including the Virgin's shoulders, at the top of her head, and at the back. The present gilding and polychromy of the sculpture are almost certainly of a later date. It is possible that the late paintwork conceals some reattachments, such as at the Child's proper left arm. There is wear to the polychromy and gilding, including craquelure and some flaking. There is particular rubbing to the gilding at the high points, revealing the white ground. There are also areas of loss to the gilding of the crown. The later wood base is in good condition with some general dirt and wear. There is some stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material and there are a few naturally occurring knots in the wood.
"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."

Schöne Madonnen, or Beautiful Madonnas, are among the most recognisable and sought-after works of art from a distinctive artistic movement that emerged in Europe around 1400. Throughout the continent, artists departed from the generally more expressive style of the 14th century and introduced a more refined language. It focused on decorative effects which were intended to evoke a fairy-tale environment for the viewer. Graceful silhouettes, a serene charm, and a voluminous drapery style characterised by sinuous cascading folds became the leitmotivs of the style, as exemplified in this enchanting Virgin and Child. 

It was the House of Luxemburg, the ruling family of Bohemia, that gave rise to the prototypes for the Schöne Madonnen: the statues of the Virgin and Child from Krumlau, Pilzen and Altenmarkt. Their grace was achieved through a set of stylistic traits that would come to characterise all the Schöne Madonnen and influenced sculpture throughout Europe. The Virgin was represented with a pronounced contrapposto supporting a usually very lively Child on her hip with both hands.  His position counterbalances the sway of his mother. Swathes of drapery suspended from one or both arms were given volume and lightness by arranging them in zig-zag folds. Lastly, both the Virgin and the Child have an expression and physiognomy with a somewhat grave sweetness, lending to the figures the noble air for which the Beautiful Madonnas have become so well known.

The present Virgin and Child exhibits the characteristic features of the Bohemian prototypes while adding a particularly high level of human interaction. Both Virgin and Child gaze at the viewer, the dynamically positioned Christ Child alert and open-mouthed as if speaking, extending His left hand in what seems to be a gesture of blessing. His right touches the orb presented by the Virgin, a variant of a feature that appears frequently in Schöne Madonnen. However the Virgin's youthful features and the short broadness of Her form locate Her not in Bohemia but in the area around Salzburg. This Prince-archbishopric of the Holy Roman Empire eagerly absorbed the exciting new style from nearby Bohemia, yet imbued it with a heavy opulence.

The present Schöne Madonna compares well with several Austrian examples. The relaxed folds of drapery around the Virgin's proper right arm relate to one of the earliest Madonnas from the Salzburg school, that in Grossgmain (Legner, op. cit., no. 43). A slightly later Madonna in Salzburg, the so-called Maria Säul of circa 1520 (Legner, op. cit., no. 47) exhibits the same S-curve and positioning of the head, as well as a similar outline of the proper right knee underneath the drapery. Compare also the limewood Madonna from Ranoldsberg, dated 1435-1440 (Grossmann, op. cit., no. 55). Particularly close parallels for the present Virgin are found not in a Madonna but in a figure of St Agnes formerly in the Gustav Rau collection, which was sold in these rooms on 2 July 2013 (see also Guillot de Suduiraut, op. cit., no. 4), catalogued as Salzburg, circa 1520. Note, in particular, the narrow, heavy-lidded eyes, and corresponding arrangement of the drapery.

RELATED LITERATURE
D. Grossmann, Schöne Madonnen: 1350-1450, exh. cat. Salzburger Domkapitel, Salzburg, 1965; A. Legner, Spätgotik in Salzburg: Skulptur und Kunstgewerbe 1400-1530, exh. cat. Neues Haus, Salzburg, 1976, pp. 59, 61; S. Guillot de Suduiraut (ed.), Sculptures allemandes de la fin du Moyen Age dans les collections publiques françaises 1400-1530, exh. cat. Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1991; G. Schmidt, 'The Beautiful Style', B. Drake Boehm and J. Fajt (eds.), Prague. The Crown of Bohemia 1347-1437, exh. cat. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and Prague Castle, New Haven and London, 2005, pp. 105-111

The present lot is offered with a Radiocarbon dating measurement report (ref. no. RCD-8694) prepared by J. Walker of RCD Lockinge, which states that the wood dates between 1290 and 1403 (95% confidence interval).