Circle of the Master of Elsloo (active circa 1500-1530) Netherlandish, Limburg or Lower Rhine, circa 1480-1490

inscribed: Dr Helfer / ...rath. in ink on the reverse

Dr. A. Helfer, Düsseldorf-Benrath;
private collection, Germany;
private collection, Belgium;
Jan Pareyn S.A., Aarsel, by 1997;
acquired by the present owner in 2000

Overall the condition of the wood is good, with wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. The group is carved in two sections; a joint is visible in areas at the back. There is a metal bracket running horizontally across the back, holding the sections in place. There is wear to the polychromy, including areas of loss, including to the book, Anne's knees, a fold of her drapery at the abdomen, the Virgin's drapery at the abdomen, and Anne's drapery on the proper right side. Some of the polychromy may have been refreshed, including the flesh-tones of the arms and hands and the faces. Some slightly loose linen is visible on Anne's proper left breast. There is a hole to the top of Anne's head. There is some stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material, including slightly open splits to Anne's drapery above the knees, to a fold of drapery at the bottom of the Virgin's legs, and to the back, in particular to Anne's head. There are a few minor chips, including to the edge of the Virgin's mantle at the proper left side. There is some evidence of past worming, which is particularly visible at the back and around the bottom edge. The wood base was probably added later and bonded with plaster.
"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."

This engaging group representing Saint Anne teaching the Virgin to read can be included among the earlier works surrounding the so-called Master of Elsloo. Rather than being identified with a single artist, the Master of Elsloo is associated with a large workshop, or group of workshops, that was active during the late 15th and early 16th centuries in the Maas area and the Lower Rhine. The present group compares well to works from the Maasland, such as the Anne and the Virgin from Hoepertingen of circa 1520-1530 (Sint-Truiden, op. cit., vol. I, p. 126, no. 76), which mirrors the present figures' positioning and incorporates the same striking drapery motif around Anne’s knees. The general style of drapery, however, with straight vertical folds ending in cascades of v-shaped folds, is consistent with significantly earlier works, such as the Anna Selbdritt in the Kreismuseum Heinsberg dating to circa 1480, which has been given to the circle of the Lower-Rhine sculptor Arnt van Zwolle. One of the defining works by the Master of Elsloo, the Anna Selbdritt in Elsloo of circa 1500 (Sint-Truiden, op. cit., vol. II, p. 201) is clearly related to the present group, particularly in Saint Anne’s erudite and benevolent expression. The comparatively restrained drapery of the present work, on the other hand, is seen in other works attributed to the Elsloo and its surrounding workshops (see Sint-Truiden, op. cit., vol. I, pp. 114-15), highlighting the stylistic variation within their oeuvre.

RELATED LITERATURE
C. Ceulemans, R. Didier and J. Gerits, Laat-gotische beeldsnijkunst uit Limburg en grensland, exh. cat. Provinciaal museum voor religieuze kunst, Sint-Truiden, 1990