The Virgin and Child on the Crescent Moon

The Virgin and Child on the Crescent Moon
Malines
Late Gothic | Late 15th Century | Ca. 1490/1500
Walnut | With original polychrome and gilding | Marked with the Malines three-bar Guild mark verso
H. 47 cm. W. 18,5 cm.

PROVENANCE
Private collection Mr and Mrs E. Zeberg, Boechout, Belgium;
With J. Zeberg Antiques NV, Antwerp, 1988, where acquired by;
Private collection, Antwerp

LITERATURE
Boccador, J. & Bresset, E. (1972). Statuaire médiévale de collection. Milan: Les Clefs du Temps, Vol. II, p. 150, ill. 153

REFERENCE LITERATURE
Guillot de Suduiraut, S. (2001). Sculptures brabançonnes du musée du Louvre. Bruxelles, Malines, Anvers, Xve-XVIe siècle. Paris: RNM, pp. 26, 30-32, 42, nr. 10;
Cayron, F. & Steyaert, D. (2019). Made in Malines. Les statuettes malinoises ou poupées de Malines de 1500-1540. Étude matérielle et typologique. Brussels: IRPA/KIK, pp. 26-27, 87-88, ill. 0.2b, ill. 2.61a-2.61f

EXPERTISE
With an expertise by Mrs J. Zeberg, Vice-president of the Chambre Royale des Antiquaires de Belgique, dd. 6 May 1988

CATALOGUE NOTE
As Boccador and Bresset (1972, p. 150) point out, the present sculpture, which is distinctly marked with the Malines three-bar Guild mark, is significantly less characteristic then the typical Malines Madonna-type and exceptional in its high quality. Where the round forehead and the almond shaped eyes are typical for Malines sculpture, the lower face is notably sharper. The plasticity of the present sculpture, with its the deeply carved, sharp breaking and voluminous folds displays stylistic influence from Brussels sculpture. The distinct physiognomy, the handling of the drapery and the position of the Christ Child is comparable to a Malines Virgin and Child which is kept in the collection of Musée du Louvre, Paris, (inv. nr. RF 1788; Guillot de Suduiraut, 2001, pp. 26, 30-32, 42). Cayron and Steyaert relate the Louve sculpture to a group of Malines sculptures possibly carved by the same hand or workshop. This groups is characterized by distinctive stylistic features, such as the particular treatment of the triangular shaped face – with a broad forehead and pointed chin – large eyes with bulging eyeballs and a small mouth with pinched corners (2019, pp. 87-88, ill. 2.61a-2.61f). Arguably the present sculpture relates to this group.