SWABIAN MASTER OF THE XV CENTURY 'Gothic carved figure of a standing Madonna with the Child Jesus'

SWABIAN MASTER OF THE XV CENTURY 'Gothic carved figure of a standing Madonna with the Child Jesus'
Swabia, c. 1480, carved and painted hardwood, flattened on the back, standing robed figure, figure in a bent posture, the folds of the robe cascading down under Mary's right arm, the folds of the dress pulling downwards, dress and cloak resting on a carved base, the emphatically oval face with a high forehead, attentively open eyes and small mouth, framed by wavy hair falling over the shoulders on both sides, finely undercut and sharply carved, the child sitting upright in her arms, knees drawn up, holding an apple in her right hand and bread in her left, offering it to the viewer, the face equally finely modelled, with a slight smile and framing short curls, H: approx. 100 cm. Rest and partially replaced.
The unusual carved figure shows stylistic features of Swabian carving art, the large crescent moon below the hem of the robe is remarkable, the narrow crescent points downwards and arches over the male face turned towards the ground, the crescent moon is the symbol of the apocalyptic woman, a figure from the Revelation of John 12:1-18, which has often referred to Mary since the 12th century. The figure shows all the essential characteristics of the Gothic style, such as the stepped cascading folds of the robe, the finely crafted, graceful face of the Madonna or the expressive face of the child; the hands of the mother and child are also worked to a high standard.
The Madonna was presented to Bayerischer Rundfunk for the event 'Kunst und Krempel' on 19 February 1999 in Bamberg. The experts Dr Hans P. Trenschel, Director of the Mainfränkisches Museum-Würzburg, and Edmund Löwe, an expert from Munich, dated the figure to around 1480 from the Swabian region and estimated it at DM 35,000 to DM 40,000.
Heinz Schiestl (1867-1940), the first-born and named after his father, is considered the restorer of the Madonna and, like his brothers, learnt in his father's workshop, which he took over after his apprenticeship. While his brothers devoted themselves more to painting and graphic art, Heinz Schiestl specialised in applied art sculptures, altars and other church furnishings, Stations of the Cross and room furnishings with carved furniture, chandeliers and stained glass windows.