Austrian, Salzburg, circa 1420-1430

private collection, Vienna
Galerie A. Mehringer, Munich

The crown and Christ's proper right arm and foot are replaced (they are detachable). The grey base is modern. The folds of the Virgin's headdress on the proper right side are also replaced and there are restorations to the corners of the drapery falling on the ground on the viewer's left side. The back compartment panel is probably a replacement. Much of the polychromy appears refreshed, including a loss at the nose. There seem to be filled areas underneath the paint. There is stable splitting consistent with material. There are a few more prominent splits, including one running from the Virgin's neck to her right bosom and one at her right shoulder blade. There are losses to the bottom edges of the sculpture. There is non-active worming.
"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."

Schöne Madonnen, or Beautiful Madonnas, are among the most recognisable and sought-after works of art from a distinctive artistic movement that emerged around 1400 in Europe. Throughout the continent, artists departed from the generally more expressive style of the 14^th century and introduced a more refined language. It focused on decorative effects, which were meant to evoke a fairy-tale environment for the onlooker. Graceful silhouettes, a calm charm and, famously, a voluminous drapery style characterised by sinuous cascading folds became the leitmotivs of the style, as exemplified in this exceptionally large Virgin and Child from the Rau collection. Today this phenomenon is referred to as the International Gothic, a term coined by Otto Pächt in 1962 (op.cit., p. 53).

At the cradle of the International Gothic stood the House of Luxembourg, the ruling family of Bohemia. In the second half of the 14^th century it employed the architect Peter Parler from Cologne and a group of manuscript illuminators who would introduce many of the style’s distinctive traits. During the early stages, images of the Virgin in particular were laden with a supernatural grace, which was distinctly human at the same time. This coincided with the fresh resurgence of the Marian cult in which new texts celebrated Mary’s physical beauty as a reflection of her spiritual beauty (Guillot de Suduiraut, op.cit., pp. 27-28).

This environment also gave rise to the prototypes for the Beautiful Madonnas: the statues of the Virgin and Child from Krumlau, Plzeň and Altenmarkt. Their grace was achieved through a set of stylistic traits that would come to characterise all the Schöne Madonnen and influenced sculpture as far afield as London, Paris, Avignon and Barcelona. The Virgin was represented with a pronounced contraposto supporting a usually very lively Child on Her hip with both hands.  His position counterbalances the sway of his mother. Swathes of drapery suspended from one or both arms were given volume and lightness by arranging them in zig-zag folds. Lastly, both the Virgin and the Child have an expression and physiognomy with a somewhat grave sweetness, lending to the figures the noble air for which the Beautiful Madonnas have become so well known.

Of the three prototypes, the limestone statue in the Church of St. Bartholomew in Plzeň relates most closely to the present Madonna. It shares its generous proportioning of the Child and the way in which the swing of the virgin’s hip is balanced by drapery hanging from her proper right arm. The Rau Madonna is, however, more likely to stem from the Salzburg School. This Prince-archbishopsric of the Holy Roman Empire sought to establish a different artistic and religious character after it became independent of Bavaria, faced the Black Death and expelled non-Christians in quick succession during the years around 1400. It therefore eagerly absorbed the exciting new style from nearby Bohemia. Guillot de Suduiraut (op.cit., p. 28) points out that even though the courtly elegance and refined beauty of the Prague style came to characterise the art from the Austrian city, a regional variety soon took shape. Beautiful Madonnas from Salzburg are more opulent than their counterparts from Bohemia, due to the more portly body type and more voluminous drapery. Equally distinguishing traits are the more juvenile facial features of both the Virgin and the Child. Compare for example the Colli Madonna in the Liebighaus, Frankfurt (inv. no. 1066).

RELATED LITERATURE
O. Pächt, Europäische Kunst um 1400. Achte Ausstellung unter den Auspizien der Europarates, exh. cat. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, 1962, p. 53; E. G. Grimme, Deutsche Madonnen, Cologne, 1966, p. 108, no. 20; K. Woisetschläger, Gotik in der Steiermark, exh. cat. Stift St. Lambrecht, Graz, 1978, pp. 228-29, 233-34 and 236-37, nos. 194, 199 and 203; M. Maek-Gérard, Nachantike grossplastische Bildwerke. III. Die deutschsprächigen Länder ca. 1380-1530/40, cat. Liebighaus-Museum alter Plastik, Melsungen, 1985, no. 126; S. Guillot de Suduiraut (ed.), Sculptures allemandes de la fin du Moyen Age dans les collections publiques françaises 1400-1530, exh. cat. Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1991, pp. 27-30, 50-51, 55-58; G. Schmidt, ‘The Beautiful Style’, B. Drake Boehm and J. Fajt (eds.), Prague. The Crown of Bohemia 1347-1437, exh. cat. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and Prague Castle, New Haven/ London, 2005, pp. 105-111