Lot n° 130
Estimation :
10000 - 15000
EUR
Madonna and Child, attributed to Jan Borman I or Jan Borman - Lot 130
Madonna and Child, attributed to Jan Borman I or Jan Borman II . Active between 1460 and 1520, Southern Netherlands, Brussels
Around 1500
Madonna and Child, oak hollowed out in the center, finely carved.
This delicate Marian representation is attributed to the Borman workshop, one of Brussels' most influential dynasties of sculptors at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. The Virgin's face, subtly modeled and imbued with a grave gentleness, bears a striking resemblance to that of Saint Mary Magdalene (inv. 2992) in the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels, a work generally attributed to Jan Borman II. This stylistic proximity reinforces the hypothesis that it was produced in this prestigious workshop.
The Virgin, with her slightly receding forehead and elongated face, is depicted with half-closed eyes, heavy eyelids that accentuate the interiority of her expression, and a thin, pinched mouth, giving the whole a spiritual intensity characteristic of late Gothic. Her finely chiseled hair frames the face with a realistic attention to detail. She is dressed in a V-necked cloak whose skilfully arranged folds are reminiscent of the soft, deeply carved draperies typical of late medieval Brussels sculpture.
In her left hand, with long, elegant fingers, she holds the Infant Jesus. The latter, though partially preserved, retains a remarkable liveliness: the toes still visible seem to be animated by a slight movement, accentuating the naturalness of the scene and the tenderness of the mother-child relationship.
The finesse of its execution, the subtlety of its expression and its stylistic kinship with other works in the Borman corpus make this sculpture a worthy addition to the output of this under-studied dynasty. It perfectly illustrates the transition from late Gothic to the beginnings of the Renaissance in the Southern Netherlands.
Worn and missing,
Height : 46 cm
Weight : 2 kilos400 grs
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