Workshop of Adriaen van Wesel (circa 1417-circa 1490) Netherlandish, Utrecht, circa 1490

Gerard “Boy” Lommen, Borgloon

Overall the condition of the wood is good with some dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. A section of the Virgin's proper left elbow and drapery is lost, where there was probably a naturally occurring knot in the wood; there are two wood rods filling holes in this section. There are a few remnants of polychromy, including at the the Virgin's veil, the back, and the terrasse. There is stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material, in particular to the Virgin's head, the proper right side of her chest, and the back. A split across the Virgin's face and some of the splits to the top of her head have been filled. There are several minor losses and chips, including to the Virgin's proper right shoulder at the back, a fold of drapery by the Child's feet, the back, and the terrasse. A section at the front of the terrasse has been reattached. There are three holes to the front and sides of the terrasse. There is a hole to the top of the Virgin's head which may have supported an attribute. There are two small metal pins in the Virgin's forehead and headdress at the front. There are two metal hooks at the back. A flat section of wood is glued to the underside on the left to stabilise the sculpture for standing up.
"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."

Because of a series of disasters including three major bouts of the Iconoclastic Fury, late Gothic wood sculpture from Utrecht is exceedingly rare. The present Virgin and Child is a pivotal piece in the transition between the generation of the foremost sculptor from the city, Adriaen Van Wesel, and that of the next, led by the Master of the Utrecht Stone Head of a Woman. As can be seen by comparing Van Wesel’s statuettes in the Rijksmuseum, the Schütgen-Museum and the collection of Baron de Decker, his work is quoted in the conception and scale of the figures as well as the Virgin’s collar and cascading drapery around the legs (inv. nos N.M. 3888, A 783, and Adriaen van Wesel, op.cit., no. 21 respectively). The pronounced shoes and hands, rounded head and small eyes, however, anticipate the elaborate mannered work of sculptors active around 1520-1540. See, for example, the stone head of a female saint in the Museum Catharijneconvent from which the anonymous master takes his name and the Saint Dorothea in the Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum (inv. nos. ABM bs604 and SK605).

RELATED LITERATURE
W. Halsema-Kubes, G. Lemmens, and G. De Werd, Adriaen van Wesel. Een Utrechtse beeldhouwer uit de late middeleeuwen, exh. cat. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, The Hague, 1980, pp. 186-187, no. 55; M. Rief and D. Preising (eds.), Made in Utrecht. Mittelalterliche Bildwerke aus Utrecht 14430-1530, exh. cat. Museum Catharijneconvent, Utrecht and Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum, Aachen, Utrecht/ Aachen, 2012, pp. 278-279 and 290-291, nos. 53 and 58