Attributed to Gervais I Delabarre or Gervais de... Lot 711

Attributed to Gervais I Delabarre or Gervais de La Barre (circa 1560/1570-1640) Virgin of Pity circa 1620 Polychromed terra cotta H. 31.8 cm and terrace 9.8 x 15.4 cm on a marble base dim. 25 x 25 cm Condition : Minor accidents and missing parts (notably Christ's left little finger, left toe), old restorations to the left arm above the elbow, Christ's left leg, the Virgin's right toe), minor polychromatic accidents. Provenance: private collection Related works: -Gervais Delabarre, Vierge de Pitié, polychrome terracotta, Poitiers, Église Sainte-Radegonde; -Gervais Delabarre, Le Grand Sépulcre, terracotta group, Le Mans, Cathédrale Saint-Julien; -Charles Hoyau, Vierge de Douleur, 1633, terracotta, Le Mans, Cathédrale Saint-Julien. Related literature: - Pierre Rambaud, "Les sculpteurs poitevins au XVIIe siècle", in Congrès archéologique de France, 1904, 70, pp. 342-360; - René Crozet, "Le sculpteur Gervais de la Barre en Poitou", in Bulletins de la Société des antiquaires de l'Ouest, Des 2e et 3. trimestres de 1946, 'TOME XIV DE LA 3e SÉRIE, vol 14, pp.111-114 Lorraine Mailho-Daboussi, "Une sculpture de Charles Hoyau", in Revue de l'Art, 2003, n°139, pp.67-70 Geneviève Bresc-Bautier (dir.), Belles et inconnues. Sculptures en terre cuite des ateliers du Maine, cat. exp. Paris, Musée du Louvre, February 6-May 27, 2002), Paris, RMN, 2002 ; p. -Geneviève Bresc-Bautier, Joël Perrin, "Charles Hoyau, sculpteur du Mans", in Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire de l'Art français, 1991, pp. 37-64; -Hervé Gransart et alii, Terre et ciel : sculpture en terre cuite du Maine, cat. exp, Yvré-l'Évêque (France), Abbaye de l'Épau, June 28-November 09, 2003, p.114, pp.128-129; -François de La Moureyre, Joël Perrin, Geneviève Bresc-Bautier, "Mieux vaut un vrai Delabarre qu'un faux Sarazin", in Bulletin de la Société d'histoire de l'Art français, 1991, pp. 65- 90, Despite its modest size, this private devotional work depicting the Virgin of Pity exudes a monumental sensitivity. The Virgin holds her sacrificed son so close to her heart that the two bodies seem to merge in a single sorrow. The skilful, complex composition, in which the limbs of each of the protagonists are projected from the center and respond to each other, builds a strong three-dimensionality and invites the viewer to look at the terracotta from all sides and angles. Christ's body, seated on his mother's lap, is presented from the front, held in place by Mary's long, slender hands. The heads tilted in opposite directions, the mother's inward gaze with its delicately hemmed eyes expressing restrained pain, Christ's sleepy expression, the play of light and shadow created by the supple, sensual musculature of the mortal body and the moving folds of the Virgin's garments - all these details invite deep meditation on the theme of Christ's deploration. This theme of the Virgin of Sorrows holding the dead Christ, which emerged in the late Middle Ages to respond to the need to humanize God through his suffering body, was later widely taken up by the Counter-Reformation. Terracotta workshops in Mance seized on this fundamental subject of Catholic doctrine to produce either monumental works to be placed in niches or on altars, or small-scale terracottas for private devotion. Among the most famous and brilliant artists of this School, Charles Hoyau distinguished himself by executing a large number of Virgins of Pity, whose compositions were taken up by his followers (notably the Piétas of the former Fontevraud Abbey and the Vaulandry chapel). Our little Vierge de Pitié (Virgin of Pity) is reminiscent of the beautiful Vierge de douleur (Virgin of Sorrow) that adorned the top of the door of the Sacré Coeur chapel in Le Mans Cathedral. The Virgin is seated, her body twisted, a double-pleated veil shading her forehead, her long right foot emerging from subtly rendered, heavy garments. Until recently, it was unclear whether the work was by Gervais Delabarre, who carried out the first campaign of the Jubé's decoration in 1607, or by Charles Hoyau, who participated in the second campaign around 1630. Restoration of the work has revealed the date 1633 and the signature, confirming Charles Hoyau's authorship. The strong stylistic similarity between the two artists often makes it difficult to attribute works to one or the other of the most talented artists of the Manche School of the early 17th century. However, it is to Gervais Delabarre that our work should be attributed, as the composition is so similar to Delabarre's own.