Attributed to the Master of the Utrecht Stone Head of a Woman Netherlandish, Utrecht, circa 1530

Auktionshaus Hugo Ruef, Munich, 1969;
Kunsthaus Lempertz, Cologne, 5 December 1998, lot 1199;
private collection, Belgium

H. Jung, 'Rätsel um eine niederrheinische Plastik', in Niederrheinische Blätter 27, 1972, pp. 12-13;
D. Preising and M. Rief (eds.), Mittelalterliche Bildwerke aus Utrecht: 1430-1530, exh. cat. Museum Catharijnenconvent, Utrecht and Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum, Aachen, Stuttgart, 2012, p. 289

Overall the condition of the wood is good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is minor stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material, including to the woman's face and to the edge of the terrasse. There are several small holes, including to both faces, probably due to past worming, which have for the most part been filled with wax. There is minor wax residue in other areas such as the well. There is particular evidence of past worming at the back. There are a few very minor chips and losses, including to the tip of Christ's nose and to the bottom edge at the front.
"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 group relates to a near-identical, but larger, group of the same subject in the Church of St Martini in Zyfflich (Preising and Rief, op. cit., pp. 288-289, no. 57). The Zyfflich example has been attributed to the Master of the Utrecht Stone Head of a Woman, an anonymous sculptor presumed to have led a workshop whose style is united by distinctive facial types including an egg-shaped head, a high forehead, and broad features. The existence of two near-identical compositions from this period is rare; both groups have undergone a dendrochronological analysis, confirming a medieval origin of the wood in each case (ibid., p. 289).