Bohemian, Prague, circa 1400-1420

with Herbert Maximilian Sigismund Ritter, Munich, 1970s;
and thence by family descent

Given the age of the sculpture the condition of the wood is generally good with dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is flaking to the original polychromy throughout. There are some small losses to the wood in areas, notably around the base and bottom of the drapery, edges of the drapery, and at Christ's legs, hands and orb. There is stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material, and there is a small knot in the bottom proper left side of the drapery. The Virgin may once have had a crown. There are a few original wood inserts, such as at the fold of drapery running across the Virgin's belly.
"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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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 present Beautiful Madonna: 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 contrapposto supporting an often 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 with a somewhat grave sweetness, lending the figures the noble air for which the Beautiful Madonnas have become so well known.

RELATED LITERATURE
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