Netherlandish, probably Antwerp circa 1600

Delbeke Collection Antwerp

J.Lavalleye, Kunst in België, Romaansch-Gothiek-Renaisance-Barok, Antwerp, 1947, illustrated fig.153

The overall condition of this finely carved Virgin is good with scratches and minor chips consistent with age. . The head of Christ has been reattached but is original and the fingers of His left hand are missing . Tips to the finials of the crown missing as is visible in the phtograph and there is a scratch on the front side. The bottom left and right corners have been chipped.
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This exceptionally rare and charming group is characterized by the exaggeratedly nervous ripples of drapery which are intricately carved with deep undercutting in the Virgin's sleeves. This attention to detail is seen also in the fine carving of the hands with tapering fingers which tenderly hold the naked infant Christ in her arms. The author of the present alabaster shows complete mastery over his mottled material. The agitated carving of the drapery dips in and out of the layers of the soft stone to reveal its many tones whilst the faces and skin of the two figures are carefully polished to give the impression of a more uniform hue. This heightens the contrasts as the excited drapery is counteracted by the soft still pose and serene physiognomy of the Virgin. The figure is carved fully in the round, with the Virgin's veil falling across her back in folds to reveal the contours of her shoulders beneath.

This iconic image of the Virgin and Child marks a transitional phase in the Netherlandish Renaissance. The drapery is becoming less restrained but is still interpreted with precision. It recalls the work of Jacques Dubrœucq (circa 1500/10-1584), the master of Giambologna, who is best known for his rood screen formerly at Sainte-Waudru in Mons. Compare the treatment to the heads of Charity and her children in the church of Saint Waudru of 1543-4 with those of the Virgin and Child.  The drapery however can be more closely compared to the figures of the Angel and Virgin of the Annunciation of 1545 and the figure of Saint Bartholomew dating to 1572 both located in Sainte-Waudru.

RELATED LITERATURE
P.Philipott, D.Coeckelberghs, P.Loze & D.Vautier, L'Architecture religieuse et La Sculpture Baroques dans les Pays -Bas Meriodonaux et la Principauté de Liége 1600-1700, Sprimont 2003, fig.2 and 3; Jacques Du Brœucq, ex.cat. collegiale Sainte-Waudru a Mons, Mons, 1985, p.88