Offered by Galerie Thierry Matranga
Our sculpture, the Virgin and Child, is distinguished by a quiet, almost contemplative grace, conveyed through the fluidity of the modeling and the restraint of the gestures. The slender silhouette, the drapery animated by delicate folds, and the gentle expression of the face create a tender presence, characteristic of the workshops of Le Mans around 1580, where the Late Gothic tradition merged with a more intimate Renaissance sensibility.
The ample veil, the knotted belt, and the delicate manner in which the Virgin's hand supports the Child, despite the loss of the Child's head, reveal a sculptural approach attentive to emotion as much as to form. The work thus retains a rare devotional elegance, imbued with the provincial grace that lends such charm to the terracotta sculptures produced in the Le Mans region during the late 16th century.
As was customary, our sculpture consists of two sections joined at the waist. An almond-shaped vent hole is present on the reverse. Numerous traces of gesso, which originally served as the ground for the polychromy, remain visible in various areas.
Provenance: Chapel of the Château de la Rochère, Mulsanne.
Height: 96 cm.
