Italian, Lombard, late 15th century

A hairline fissure to the middle left side running into the middle of the kneeling male donor. There are damages and losses to all the faces, notably to the nose and mouths of both donor figures who have also sustained losses to their arms There are old damages to the Virgin's nose and right eye, and right hand. There are damages to the Christ child's head, proper left arm, right leg and groin. There are further smaller damages to His left leg and right foot. There are several small damages and abrasions overall, notably around the outer edge of the relief with remains of plaster where the relief may have been mounted into a frame in the past. Some minor surface dirt and natural grey veining to the marble notably to the background. The overall impression of the relief is coherent with an attractive composition.The Virgin's dress and veil as well as the donors' draperies are particularly beautiful.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The last decades of the 15th century were a fertile period for art in Lombardy and sculpture in particular. Artists gravitated to busy building sites, such as the Duomo in Milan and the Certosa di Pavia for work. Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (1447-1527) was among the leading Lombard sculptors whose idiosyncratic style of carving, including his brittle, bunched and stylized drapery and the placement of his protagonists in shallow interior spaces, defined the art of the region.
Compare a relief of the Madonna and Child with the kneeling figure of Pier Candido Decembrio, all set within similar interior space with garlands suspended from the walls, on the humanist's Decembrio's tomb in Sant' Ambrogio, Milan

RELATED LITERATURE
Janice Shell and  Liana Castelfranchi, Giovanni Antonio Amadeo. Scultura e Architettura del suo tempo....., Milan, 1993, fig. 14;
Miari T. Fiorio and Graziano A. Vergani (eds.), La scultura al museo d'arte antica del Castello Sforzesco a Milano, Milan, 2010