Alabaster relief of the Virgin and child with angels, Span 16th century

An alabaster relief of the Virgin and child with angels.

Attributed to Gregorio Pardo (Burgos, circa 1513-1552).

Spanish, 16th century.

The relief measures 33 x 22.5cm and 43 x 32cm including its frame.

The alabaster relief depicts the Virgin and infant Christ, beneath them are the heads of three seraphim, two further seraphim can be seen in the top left and right hand corners. The alabaster relief is highlighted with traces of gilt and the background is painted black. The later frame is decorated in black and gilt.

The present relief is linked to several other alabaster depictions of the Virgin and Child attributed to a closely connected group of artists working in Spain, predominantly Burgos, during the 16th century. All share many compositional and stylistic similarities, showing the Christ Child tenderly reaching up to touch his mother’s face and the Virgin’s veil billowing dramatically behind her head. The first of the group is housed at the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv. no. 153-1879) and attributed to Diego de Siloé (c.1495-1563) (Debaene, loc. cit.). Another is in the Metropolitan Museum, dated to 1520-30 and is described as after a model by de Siloé or his close collaborator Felipe Vigarny (or Bigarny, c. 1475-1542). However, it is a work attributed to Virgarny’s son, Gregorio Pardo (1513-1552), that offers the best comparison with the present lot (see Coppel, op. cit. p.42-61). As in our relief, seraphim have been added to the composition and strong parallels can be drawn between the carving of their faces in both works in addition to those of Christ and the Virgin.

References:

R. Coppel, From Father to Son: Two Alabaster Reliefs of the Madonna and Child by Felipe Bigarny and Gregorio Pardo, Jaime Eguiguren Studies, III, Argentina, 2018.

M. Debaene, ed., Alabaster Sculpture in Europe 1300-1650, London and Turnhout, 2022, pp. 230-231, no. 88.