Spanish school; late fifteenth century. "Virgin and Child".

About Auction

Live

DECORATIVE ARTS XV-XIX

By Setdart Auction House

Jul 13, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-07-13 07:00:00 2021-07-13 07:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : DECORATIVE ARTS XV-XIX https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/decorative-arts-xv-xix-7201
Setdart Auction House sofia@setdart.com

View Full Catalog (134)

• Lot Description
  Spanish school; late fifteenth century. "Virgin and Child". Carved wood, polychromed and gilded. It presents faults in the hands, loss of polychrome and xylophagous damages. It has elements of the seventeenth century. Measures: 55 x 25 x 17 cm. The Virgin standing with the Child in her arms is a theme that has its origin in the Gothic period, and comes directly from the Byzantine Odigitria. Its name means "She who shows the way", the divine way, and hence, in Byzantium, and also in the West at first, she points to the Child with her right hand. As we see here, with the advance of naturalism at the end of the Gothic and already in the Renaissance, this symbolism will be replaced by a more human relationship between mother and Child, and we will see representations like this one, in which the Virgin and Child, although not yet looking at each other, are represented as a mother holding her little son in her arms. On the other hand, at first, the representation of the Virgin standing with the Child in her arms was placed in the mullions, forming part of the architecture, like most Gothic sculpture. However, it must have enjoyed great success among the faithful, so that from the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries they began to be made in small format, free-standing and in different materials. It will be then when they begin to be not Odigitrian Virgins, but more maternal representations. At first they were made mainly in France, and from there they were exported to the rest of Europe; the models would become classics, repeated over and over again. In this case we see reflected this devotional evolution, which tries to show the faithful the maternal filial relationship existing between the two protagonists. Both look at each other and the child seems to be lulled in the mother's arms, although this gesture is not clearly defined by the current faults of the carving. Regarding the aesthetics of the piece, it should be noted that the work retains characteristics of the Gothic, such as the use of angular folds, or the dispersion of the mantle with the crown, however, the posture of both the Virgin and Child, show some dynamism that connects directly with aesthetic precepts that will be developed in later times.
• Shipping Info

  • In-house shipping available. Please inquire at admin@setdart.com.

• Buyer's Premium
  • 22.00 %