South Tyrol, circa 1470-1480

L. Kirch, Cologne;
Dr. A.S., the Netherlands;
his sale, Koninklijke Kunstzaal Kleykamp, The Hague, Collection importante, tableaux et sculptures des XVe, XVIe et XVIIe siècles, appartenant à un amateur, 10 June 1924, lot 58 (as Middle Rhine, circa 1440);
with Kunsthandel Jacques Goudstikker, Amsterdam (inv. no. 61);
acquired by involuntary purchase by Hermann Goering, July 1940;
Sotheby's London, 17 April 1980, lot 104 (as Bavarian, circa 1490)

Deutsches Historisches Museum - Kunstsammlung Hermann Göring. Drei weibliche heilige, (accessed 5 October 2013)

Overall the condition of the wood is good with wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. The group is carved from three sections of wood. The joints are concealed with linen on the reverse. There are losses and flaking to the polychromy throughout and there are large areas with later paint. There is some recent flaking exposing a light gesso ground. There is some naturally occurring stable splitting consistent with material, including a split along the proper right side of the face of the Mary on the left. The proper right hand of the Virgin is replaced. There are four metal strips screwed into the reverse for stability and there are six metal loops screwed into the reverse of the Virgin with a wire for mounting. The group is set on a later wood base. The fabric lined wood plinth has dirt and wear throughout, and some of the fabric is slightly loose.
"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.
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A near life-size version of the composition of the present group survives in the St. Moritzen Church in Sand in Taufers near Bolzano in South Tyrol. There the group is presented in the round accompanied by a figure of Christ carrying the Cross (see Müller, op.cit., no. 76). They are the only two survivors of a large and theatrical ensemble representing the Passion of the Christ. The voluminous conception and finished reverse of the present carving suggest it too was part of such a scene. The three figures, identifiable as the Virgin being supported by Mary of Clopas and Mary Magdalen, would have stood at the base of Christ on the Cross or a Deposition. Stylistically our group compares well to a relief of the Dormition of the Virgin from the Ludwig collection in Aachen from Brixen dated to 1470-1480 (Grimme, op.cit., no. 246). The bunched up drapery at the base of the present group, and the swirls with which the pipe folds terminate, compare well to the mantle of the Apostle reading in the foreground and the cloth on which the Virgin rests in the Aachen relief.

The present sculpture has a tumultuous history. In 1924 it passed through the saleroom of the Royal Dutch art dealer Kleykamp in the Hague during the auction of a stunning collection of paintings and sculpture of an unnamed private collector. It was purchased by the Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, who operated one of the best known galleries in Europe from Amsterdam in the early 20^th century. The threat of a German occupation forced Goudstikker to abandon his business and take his family to safety. In May 1940 he narrowly escaped the German invasion and sailed for England. Tragically, Goudstikker fell in the hold of the boat and died from his injuries. Meanwhile the art at the gallery, which was in the custody of his employees and included the present group, was forcibly procured for Hermann Goering’s personal collection by Aloys Miendl and shipped to Germany. All that remained after the War was the stock book that Goudstikker carried on him at the time of his accident. From it the lost art is being recovered little by little today.

RELATED LITERATURE
E.G. Grimme, Europäische Bildwerke vom Mittelalter zum Barock, cat. Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum Aachen, Cologne, 1977, pp. 123 and 235, no. 246; E.G. Grimme, Deutsche Madonnen, Cologne, 1978, p. 114, no. 30; T. Müller, Gotische Skulptur in Tirol, Bozen/ Vienna, 1976, pp. 23 and 433, no. 76