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Title

Virgin and Child

Generic classification
Sculpture
Object
Sculpture
Date
ca. 1275-1315
Century
Last quarter of the 13th c.
Cultural context / style
Gothic
Dimensions
25 1/8 x 8 1/2 x 5 7/8
Material
Wood
Technique
Gilded, Gilded And Painted, Polychrome
Iconography / Theme
Virgen con el Niño
Provenance
Possible origin in the province of Burgos (Burgos, Spain)
Current location
The Hispanic Society of America (New York, United States)
Inventory Number in Current Collection
D79
Object history

The provenance of this sculpture is unknown, however, there is no doubt of its relationship with French Gothic art. According to Valdez and del Álamo (2016), this carving can be linked to the Castilian environment. For his part, Proske (1930) believes that there is a relationship between the deep folds of this sculpture and those found on the west façade of the cathedral of León (Williamson, 1995). However, parallels are also found with the sculptures in the cloister of the cathedral of Burgos, especially with the Annunciation (Andrés, 1989; Yarza, 1992; Williamson, 1995; Valdez and del Álamo, 2016). In the monastery of Santa María la Real de las Huelgas (Burgos) there is a Virgin that can also be related to this other piece. Therefore, if we attend to its characteristics it seems plausible to think that it comes from the province of Burgos. Regarding its dating, Proske (1930) dated it to the 14th century, however, Valdez and del Álamo (2016) consider it to be somewhat earlier due to the details of the clothing (Bernis, 1970).

We cannot specify when the piece left its original location, however, in the first quarter of the 20th century it was in the hands of Archer Milton Huntington, who deposited it at the Hispanic Society on July 5, 1932 (Valdez and del Álamo, 2016).

Description

The carving has suffered damage with the passage of time: the right hand of the Child Jesus has been lost, as well as the cross that crowns the orb. The nails on the upper part of the head of both figures indicate that they probably had a nimbus. For its part, the base of the sculpture has been joined to a new one and the deep cracks in the upper part have been filled with wax, probably during the restoration of 1970. In the 16th century, the carving was totally polychromed and the stew and gold leaf were added.

Regarding the piece, it represents the Virgin and the Child Jesus. Mary holds the Child with her left arm, while he looks at his mother, extends an orb and makes a sign of blessing. The carving is evidence of the influence of French sculpture in Castile.

* The relative location of dealers, antique shops, art galleries, and collectors leads us to the places where they were based or had one of their main headquarters. However, this does not always indicate that every artwork that passed through their hands was physically located there. In the case of antique dealers and art merchants, their business often extended across multiple territories; sometimes they would purchase items at their origin and send them directly to clients. Similarly, some collectors owned multiple residences, sometimes in different countries, where they housed their collections. It is often difficult to determine exactly where a specific piece was kept during its time in their possession. Consequently, the main location of the dealer or collector is indicated. These factors should be considered when interpreting the map. Refer to the object's history in each case.
Bibliography
  • ANDRÉS ORDAX, Salvador; MARTÍNEZ FRÍAS, José María; MORENO, María (1989): Castilla y León: Burgos, Palencia, Valladolid, Soria, Segovia y Ávila, vol. 9, en La España gótica, Encuentro, Madrid, pp. 33-35.
  • BERNIS, Carmen (1970): "La moda y las imágenes góticas de la Virgen: claves para su fechación", vol. 43, nº 170, Archivo Español de Arte, pp. 193-218.
  • GILMAN PROSKE, Beatrice (1930): Catalogue of sculpture (Sixteenth to eighteenth Centuries) in the Collection of the Hispanic Society of America. Nueva York, The Trustees of Hispanic Society of America, Nueva York, p. 69.
  • VALDEZ DEL ÁLAMO, Elizabeth y ÁLAMO MARTÍNEZ, Constancio de (2016): "Hispanic Society of America, New York", vol. III, en Gothic Sculpture in America: The Museums of New York and Pennsylvania, editado por Joan Holladay y Susan Ward, International Center of Medieval Art, Nueva York, pp. 104-106.
  • WILLIAMSON, Paul (1995): Gothic Sculpture 1140-1300, Yale University Press, New Haven, pp. 335-339.
  • YARZA LUACES, Joaquín (1992): Baja Edad Media: los siglos del gótico, vol. 4, en Introducción al arte español, Sílex, Madrid, p. 89.
Citation:

Isabel Escalera Fernández, "Virgin and Child" in Nostra et Mundi. Cultural Heritage from Castile and Leon around the world, Fundación Castilla y León, 2025. https://inventario.nostraetmundi.com/en/work/388

Virgin and Child

Holladay (2016): 105.

Holladay (2016): 105.

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