Not currently on display at the V&A

Figure

17th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Sicily (made)

This statuette representing the Virgin and Child was probably made in the 17th century Sicily. This statuette is a reduced copy of the much venerated statue of the Virgin and Child in the church of the Annunziata at Trapani, which seems to derive from a lost prototype by Nino Pisano. The base of this statuette can hardly have been carved before the seventeenth century, and since the material and surface decoration of the figure and the base are uniform, the whole work is likely to be of later date than the 16th century. The stemma, which shows five flowers surmounted by a saw or sickle, is perhaps a debased variant of the arms of Trapani.


Object details

Category
Sculpture
Object type
Figure
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Group
  • Base
Materials and techniques
Alabaster
Carving
Brief description
Figure in alabastar, the Virgin and Child. Sicilian, 17th century.
Physical description
Statuette in alabaster. The Virgin is represented frontally standing in full-length with the Child on her left arm. He leans forward with right hand on her breast and head upturned. He wears a tunic with short sleeves, and his legs are swathed in a fold of clock. There are traces of blue paint, and both the Virgin's dress and that of the Child are decorated with gold patterning. The hair of both figures is gilt. On an elaborate octagonal base with pierced scrolls enclosing a circular medallion with a stemma in the form of an irregular castellated structure. The base and figure are separately carved.
Dimensions
  • Height: 66.4cm
Subject depicted
Virgin and Child
Summary
This statuette representing the Virgin and Child was probably made in the 17th century Sicily. This statuette is a reduced copy of the much venerated statue of the Virgin and Child in the church of the Annunziata at Trapani, which seems to derive from a lost prototype by Nino Pisano. The base of this statuette can hardly have been carved before the seventeenth century, and since the material and surface decoration of the figure and the base are uniform, the whole work is likely to be of later date than the 16th century. The stemma, which shows five flowers surmounted by a saw or sickle, is perhaps a debased variant of the arms of Trapani.
Bibliographic references
  • Bottoms, Edward. The royal architectural museum in the light of new documentary evidence. Journal of the History of Collections. vol. 19. no. 1. 2007. pp. 133, 139. notes. 226, 227.
  • Maclagan, Eric and Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture. London, 1932. p. 125.
  • Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: HMSO, 1964. cat. no. 676. fig. no. 670.
  • Kruft, Hanno-Walter. Die Madonna von Trapani und ihre Kopien. Mitteilungen des Kunsthistorischen Institutes in Florenz. XXIV, 1986. p. 12. fig. 15.
  • Mata, María Angela Franco. Tres copias de la "Madonna di Traapani" en el Museo "Camón Aznar." Boletin del Museo e Instituto Camón Aznar. 24. 1986. p. 12. fig. 15.
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.7-1921

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O349043/figure-unknown/
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