Netherlandish, probably Brussels, circa 1490

With Galerie Heinemann, Wiesbaden;

Private collection, South America;

By whom sold, Sotheby's, New York, 4 June 2009, lot 71;

Private collection, Canada;

By whom sold, Sotheby's, New York, 31 January 2019, lot 144;

Where acquired by the present owner

Impressive in size and expression, the present relief was originally placed in a monumental carved altarpiece, indicated by the relatively shallow depth of the relief and vertically stacked composition of the scene. The sculpture compares to a mid-15th century Brussels relief of the Deposition with similar measurements in the Museum Catharijneconvent, Utrecht (ABM bh312). Brussels, the cultural capital of Brabant, became a major centre for sculpture production in the Southern Netherlands, especially for carved oak altarpieces for local churches, as well as for export, as thoroughly illustrated by the publication of Kim Woods (op cit., 2007).

The elongated figures, the pronounced dress folds with angular ends, as well as the type and colour of the wood are all typical features of a 15th century Bruxellois wood carving. The present scene is dynamically composed, with a ladder protruding from the top of the scene, which would have led towards the crucifix. 

RELATED LITERATURE

K. Woods, Imported Images: Late Gothic Sculpture in England, c.1400-1550, Donnington, 2007; M. Van Vliederen, Hout- en steensculptuur van Museum Catharijneconvent ca. 1200-1600, Utrecht, 2004, p.89