Workshop of Loy Hering (1484/1485-after 1554) Southern German, circa 1520-1560

inscribed with illegible graffiti

Henriette von Motesiczky, Vienna and from 1939 United Kingdom;
thence by descent to Marie-Louise von Motesiczky (1906-1996), United Kingdom, in 1978

The relief is a fragment from a larger composition, and as such there are losses to the edges all round, including to the larger kneeling figure's head, and particularly to the bottom edge at the centre. There are a few further more minor chips, notably at the high points, including the drapery, one horse's head, and one of the ruffs. There is minor dirt throughout, including some encrusted residue to the right edge, and minor specks of residue to one of the figures' dress. There is incised graffiti to the band between the figures and the decoration, consistent with former placement in a church or similar context. There is further minor surface wear, including some nicks and abrasions.
"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."

The fashion for stone memorial carvings in early 16th-century Germany led to a demand for sculptors specialising in this practise. Foremost among these was the prolific Eichstätt-based workshop of Loy Hering and his sons, which delivered throughout Germany and as far as Vienna. Typically carved in the fine-grained Solnhofen limestone, Hering’s epitaphs tended to assume the same general form, with figural relief carvings framed by ornate architectural frameworks. The present, rare fragment exemplifies this design with its depiction of praying women above what remains of an all’antica capital, as well as feathers emanating from fantastical helmets, which would have surmounted the donor’s arms. Compare Hering’s Epitaph of Erich I and his two wives of circa 1528 in the church of St Blasius in Münden (Smith, op. cit., fig. 101).

RELATED LITERATURE
J. C. Smith, German Sculpture of the Later Renaissance, c. 1520-1580: Art in an Age of Uncertainty, Princeton, 1994, pp. 139-142