Virgin and Child
Statuette
ca. 1770-1787 (made)
ca. 1770-1787 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This terracotta is of a woman and child, almost certainly the Virgin and Child. It has very lively modelling and tooling; the incisions made with the stylus are clearly visible.
It is most likely to be a preparatory model for a larger work by the sculptor. It has been attributed to Jean-Guillaume Moitte, a French sculptor and draughtsman who worked in Paris, and it has been specifically and convincingly suggested that this is the model for a stucco figure of the Virgin and Child by Moitte in Senlis Cathedral. This was completed in 1787, providing a terminus ante quem for our terracotta.
On display in the Gilbert Galleries is a design by Moitte for a gilded silver basin, along with the basin which was made by Henri Auguste 1789-90 from Moitte's design. This is a good example of Moitte's work as a designer for silver- and goldsmiths, a significant aspect of his work.
It is most likely to be a preparatory model for a larger work by the sculptor. It has been attributed to Jean-Guillaume Moitte, a French sculptor and draughtsman who worked in Paris, and it has been specifically and convincingly suggested that this is the model for a stucco figure of the Virgin and Child by Moitte in Senlis Cathedral. This was completed in 1787, providing a terminus ante quem for our terracotta.
On display in the Gilbert Galleries is a design by Moitte for a gilded silver basin, along with the basin which was made by Henri Auguste 1789-90 from Moitte's design. This is a good example of Moitte's work as a designer for silver- and goldsmiths, a significant aspect of his work.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Virgin and Child (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Terracotta |
| Brief description | Statuette, terracotta, the Virgin and Child, attributed to Jean Guillaume Moitte, France, ca. 1770-1787 |
| Physical description | The woman is heavily draped, faces half-left, and holds an infant over her left hip. The infant's head and left arm missing. Its left foot is placed on top of a pedestal which is at the left side of the woman; the pedestal rests on top of a mutilated figure. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Unique |
| Credit line | Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh, FSA |
| Object history | Dr Gisela Gramaccini of Freiburg attributed this terracotta to Moitte and suggested that it might be the model for the stucco Virgin and Child in Senlis Cathedral which was completed by Moitte in 1787, providing a terminus ante quem for our terracotta. |
| Production | Attributed to Moitte by Dr Gisela Gramaccini |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This terracotta is of a woman and child, almost certainly the Virgin and Child. It has very lively modelling and tooling; the incisions made with the stylus are clearly visible. It is most likely to be a preparatory model for a larger work by the sculptor. It has been attributed to Jean-Guillaume Moitte, a French sculptor and draughtsman who worked in Paris, and it has been specifically and convincingly suggested that this is the model for a stucco figure of the Virgin and Child by Moitte in Senlis Cathedral. This was completed in 1787, providing a terminus ante quem for our terracotta. On display in the Gilbert Galleries is a design by Moitte for a gilded silver basin, along with the basin which was made by Henri Auguste 1789-90 from Moitte's design. This is a good example of Moitte's work as a designer for silver- and goldsmiths, a significant aspect of his work. |
| Bibliographic reference | Gramaccini, Gisela, Jean-Guillaume Moitte, Leben und Werk, Berlin (Akademie Verlag), 1993 reviewed by Scherf, Guilhem, in Burlington Magazine Vol 136, No 1092 (March 1994), pp.182-183 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.17-1950 |
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| Record created | April 29, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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