Virgin and Child

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Virgin and Child. Scheemaekers, Peeter I (Flemish, 1652-1714). Pale orange-pink terracotta, modelled in the round except for a vertical area at the back which permits it to be attached to a wall or stand. The reverse is hollowed out behind the clouds. The graceful Madonna is seated on a bank of clouds with two winged cherub's heads emerging on her left and one on her right. Her right foot is extended slightly and rests on a serpent with a fruit in its mouth, above the crescent moon. She looks tenderly downwards towards the Christ Child who stands on clouds beside her, and places her right arm protectively behind him. Her left hand rests on her left knee. The lightly draped Christ Child stands on his left leg with his right bent at the knee and slightly raised. He holds out his left hand towards his mother, and has his right arm raised and bent at the elbow. Terracotta, hand-modelled in the round at the top, and in high relief on the lower part. Height (whole) 70 cm, width (whole) 49.5 cm, circa 1702. Notes: Model for the larger wooden carving in the church of St Martin's in Heers (Limburg), commissioned by the Duchess of Arenberg in 1702, and documented in the archives of the church. The presence of the serpent and crescent moon is a reference to Revelations 12.1.
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Image height: 1365 pixels
Image width: 1024 pixels
Filesize: 129.40kB

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