French, Lorraine, possibly Metz, mid-14th century

Overall the condition of the wood is good with wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. Remnants of polychromy remain at the base, shoes, torsos, hands, feet and faces. The latter have areas of overpainting. There is some stable naturally occurring splitting including on the reverse. The proper right side was carved separately and joined with iron strips on the reverse and underside. There is a small insert at the Virgin's collar on her right. There are some losses including the crown, a section to the right of Her head, the cross on Christ's apple, the lily and two sections at the front edge of the base. There is an area of restoration under the Virgin's proper right foot. There is a metal ring and a hole to the edge of the base and two metal strips to the reverse for mounting.
"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."

Of the many 14th-century Lorraine statues catalogued in the great reference book on the subject by Schmoll (op.cit.), less than ten are carved from wood and fewer still approach the quality of the present Madonna. Equally rare is the beauty of the Virgin's cloak. Ordinarily Virgins from the Lorraine have an exposed tunic tightened at the waist with a belt in stead of the rich cascading drapery seen here. This Virgin subtly combines the naturalism and stateliness of statues like the life-size Virgin and Child in the Parish church of Ramerumpt in the Aube region (see Schmoll, op.cit., no. 38) and the innovations brought about by the Schöne Stil that emanated from Prague at the start of the century. Schmoll observes that this tendency was particularly current in Metz around 1365. (op.cit., p. 694)

RELATED LITERATURE
J. A. Schmoll gen. Eisenwerth, Die lothringische Skulptur des 14. Jahrhunderts, Peterberg, 2005, pp. 92-93, 694, 734, nos. 38 and 517