Sculpture, Virgen con el Niño - 27 cm - Wood

HEIGHT: 27 CM.

Devotional, full-round sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus in her arms, a work in the French school, dateable by typology and treatment, from the 18th century. The Virgin is shown standing, clothed in a tunic and mantle with broad folds, supporting the Child on her left arm; both figures retain a serene and approachable character, typical of Baroque religious imagery.

The piece is particularly interesting because it remains unfinished or in an early stage of execution. The carved wood is largely bare, without the preparation, polychromy, or gilding that usually completed religious images intended for liturgical use. The impressions of the gouge and the carving planes in the garments are evident, while the faces, hair, and some areas of the Child receive a more defined modeling.

In Baroque imagery, after wood carving, layers of glue and gypsum are applied to even out the support; then the polychromy of flesh tones and garments would be added, and, when appropriate, gilding and damascening. This piece preserves documentary interest by allowing observation of the sculpture before these final finishing stages.

Condition. It presents missing elements and visible damages: partial loss of one hand or arm of the Virgin, small losses at the edges of the garments and the base, cracks or openings of the support, chips, dirt, stains, general wear, and possible signs of old interventions. It does not retain original visible polychromy. The photographs are an essential part of the description and clearly reflect the sculpture’s real state.

Piece indicated for collectors of ancient religious sculpture, Baroque sacred art, Spanish imagery, and restorers interested in a historic carving for study, conservation, or professional restoration.