Terracotta attributed to Walter Pompe (1703-1777), depicting a Madonna

18th-century terracotta, attributed to Walter Pompe, depicting the Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist embracing Christ and resting upon his lamb.

Walter Pompe (22 November 1703 – 6 February 1777) was an 18th-century sculptor from the southern regions of the former Low Countries. In 1722, at the age of 19, he trained as a sculptor under Michiel van der Voort in Antwerp. In 1725, he created a sublime Pietà after a model by Andries de Nole, already revealing a remarkable level of talent. In 1728, he was admitted to the Guild of Saint Luke, a renowned Antwerp confraternity of artists and craftsmen. The following year, he became a ‘master sculptor.’ This Madonna is remarkable for the expression of tenderness evident in her face and for her profound humanity.