3 - Possibly Castillian School. Gothic. Early 14th century.

Possibly Castillian School. Gothic. Early 14th century. "Madonna and Child. Sedes Sapientiae" Carved wooden sculpture. 89,5 x 40 x 27 cm. We present an interesting Gothic example of the Virgin and Child, carved in wood and currently lacking its polychromy. This circumstance does not diminish its value, as it allows the tool marks and technical methods employed by the sculptor to be appreciated more clearly. The image is carved exclusively on the front, displaying a composition characterised by its frontality, while the reverse features a hollow that may have been made to reduce its weight. These characteristics suggest that the group was conceived to be placed on an altar. Mary is depicted seated on a low throne, without a carved backrest and with very simple lateral supports. Her attitude is solemn, marked by a certain rigidity and hieratic quality. With her right hand, carved so that it barely projects from the sculptural block, she holds the Child by the back, establishing physical contact between the two figures, while raising her left hand to display a fruit held between her fingertips. Although it is not possible to identify it with certainty, it may be an apple, a common attribute in these representations due to its salvific significance, as it alludes to Mary as the New Eve and symbolises her victory over sin. The Virgin has short proportions, with an oval head, prominent chin, slight double chin and expressionless face. Her facial features are schematic and barely raised in relief, including the nose, which is broad and flat, while her mouth is closed and her lips are tightly pressed together. Her attire consists of a fine tunic fitted to the torso, with a rounded neckline decorated with a band of stylised vegetal motifs, and a mantle that covers her head, descends down her back and partially wraps around her arms and completely envelops her legs, concealing her feet. The folds of the mantle fall vertically and run parallel to one another in the lower section, with pronounced relief and rounded contours. Where they meet the ground, they break and form more compact, angular volumes. A metal band remains across her forehead, encircling her head, which may have served to hold a crown that is now missing. In contrast to Mary's rigidity, the Child's posture introduces greater dynamism into the composition, as he is seated on his Mother's right knee, with his body turned and positioned in profile relative to the viewer. With his right hand, he appears to touch his Mother's breast, thereby establishing physical contact that reinforces the bond between them. He has a rounded head covered with short, compact hair worked in the form of a close fitting cap, while his facial features resemble those of his Mother, although they are distinguished by his slightly open mouth and plump cheeks, characteristic of depictions of children. He wears only a cloth covering his private parts, whose straight folds, rendered in shallow relief, cling to the body and follow its anatomy. Overall, the sculpture combines the frontality and hieratic quality of the Virgin with the greater dynamism of the Child. Its formal characteristics, particularly the simplification of the facial features and hair, as well as the geometrically stylised treatment of the drapery folds, make it possible to date this sculptural group to the fourteenth century, perhaps its early decades, and to associate it with a local Castilian workshop that retains certain archaic features. We would like to thank Dr Javier Baladrón, PhD in Art History, for identifying and cataloguing this work. Provenance: - Private collection. Torroella de Montgrí, Girona, Spain.