Ecole allemande du XV° siècle - Lot 61

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Lot n° 61
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15000 - 20000 EUR
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Result : 42 840EUR
Ecole allemande du XV° siècle - Lot 61
Ecole allemande du XV° siècle Dormition of the Virgin Polychrome carved wood H 80, L 95 cm A similar work can be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The Dormition of the Virgin, the death of Mary, is a theme that is very rarely represented because in fact it is not mentioned in the Bible but in The Golden Legend of James of Voragine. In fact the Gospels certainly refer to the Assumption of the Virgin but not to her death. In this book we learn that at the death of Mary, the disciples of Christ were miraculously gathered around her. This Dormition took place during the International Gothic period (1400-1530) and in particular around the first half of the 15th century. Sculpture in this period is characterized by a softness of lines, a highly stylized representation of the draperies and a soft expression of the faces. All these characteristics can be found in our bas-relief, particularly in the standing figure dressed in black to the right of the composition. Moreover, in the first half of the 15th century, Marian iconography and devotion developed. This idea of Marian devotion can be seen in the eyes of the various protagonists. The different disciples all look towards the Virgin, which encourages us, the spectator, to take an interest in Mary, the subject of the bas-relief. She, on the other hand, looks at us, spectator and disciples, proof that she is not dead but alive. Thus the artist wanted to integrate the spectator into the scene as if he were present at the very moment of the Virgin's death, making him his disciple.
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