Lot 23
  • 23

SPANISH, PROBABLY VALLADOLID, 13TH CENTURY | Virgin and Child

Estimate
35,000 - 50,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Virgin and Child
  • gilt and polychromed walnut
  • 88cm., 34 5/8 in. 
  • Spanish, probably Valladolid, 13th century

Condition

Considering the age of the group and the material, the condition is good overall. There is dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The polychromy and gilding is probably largely of later date: this is typical of Spanish religious sculptures which served functional purposes in churches and were often repainted over the years. Consistent with the material there is minor stable splitting to the wood, including down both sides of the Virgin's face and through Christ's drapery at his legs. The finials of the Virgin's crown appear to be original; there are some small losses, in particular to the front and back finials. The front finial of Christ's crown is carved separately, it may be original. There is minor non-active worming, particularly at the Virgin's feet and there are some (relatively minor) resultant losses to the wood. The worming is particularly visible to the underside. There is a larger loss to the throne on the proper left side due to worming. There is a knot in the wood at the back of the Virgin's head with a small lacuna. There is a later wood strut at the bottom of the sculpture at the back.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Sculptures of the Virgin and Child were some of the most popular motifs in Spanish wood sculpture of the Romanesque and Gothic periods. The enthroned type, including the present lot, was most common in the 13th and 14th centuries. Ara Gil (op. cit., figs. 29-30, pp. 131-138) defines several typological series of enthroned Madonnas, where the second type show the Virgin and Child with the Child perching on His Mother's left knee - a move away from the earlier type, where the Christ Child was positioned at the very centre of His mother's lap. The pose of both the Virgin and Child is slightly stiff, and differs from the third group, which starts showing tendencies towards depicting the Child in a more naturalistic, 'child-like' manner, lying down in the Virgin's lap. Although the Virgin is more commonly depicted with a raised proper right hand, holding an object such as a sceptre or an apple, a variety in poses can be observed in the type - see, for instance, Ara Gil, pl. LVII, and a Madonna and Child, sold at Sotheby's New York, 1 June 1991, lot 1. The latter also shows similar layering in the drapery, the long, straight hair and the straight linear folds at the Virgin's torso. The crown of the present lot shows three-lobed prongs on top of a broad band, which, although it rarely survives in the examples Ara Gil has published, is included in her drawing of the 'ideal version' of the type 2 virgin (op. cit. fig. 30). The present Virgin and Child was probably carved in Valladolid towards the end of the 13th century, and is particularly exceptional due to its remarkable condition.  RELATED LITERATURE
C. J. Ara Gil, Escultura Gotica en Valladolid y su Provincia, Valladolid, 1977; X. Company, I. Puig, J. Tarragona, Museu Diocesà de Lleida, Catàleg, Exposició Pulchra, Centenari de la creació del Museu, 1893-1993, exh. cat., Lleida, 1993, 120-129; M. Bolanos (ed.) Museo Nacional Colegio de San Gregorio (España), Madrid, 2009, no. 2

A Radiocarbon dating measurement report prepared by RCD Lockinge states that the wood dates between AD 1025-1059 AD or AD 1065-1155 (95% confidence interval).