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Description: | The Virgin in a dark blue mantle with a translucent veil over her head holds the Christ child to her exposed left breast. The naked child has fallen asleep. The bearded figure of Joseph stands behind Mary's left shoulder. The figures are in a landscape and there are clouds in the blue sky. Hills with trees and some buildings can be seen over Mary's right shoulder.
Virag 20/12/2004, Between 1984 and 1985, a research assistant, Dr. Brendan Cassidy, was employed by Nottingham Castle Museum to research and write a catalogue of the foreign oil paintings in their collection. The catalogue never materialised, but drafts and notes relating to Cassidy's research can be found in the Artist Files and in the Archive at the museum. All references to Cassidy relate to these documents.
The representation of the Virgin suckling the Christ child is known as the "Virgo lactans" or "Maria lactans" and is the most ancient type of Virgin and Child.
NCM 1910-57 was restored in 1986 (following Cassidy's departure) by Jesse Bruton Picture Restoration, Wolverhampton. The restoration involved removing old varnish and overpainting and treating the panel for wood worm.
It was discovered that previous restoration had shortened Joseph's head by half an inch and that the fingers on the left hand of the Child had been painted over.
The support of NCM 1910-57 was found to be oak panel consisting of two pieces joined vertically with a thin chalk priming. The paint surface was crazed with age cracks and had suffered some vandalism in the past. Deep deep scoring marks were found across the faces of the figures and the breast of Virgin which had been caused by a sharp instrument. Cassidy had commented on some "unusual hatching marks on the virgin's eyes, nose, lips and chin" prior to restoration c.1984.
On the front:
The vertical join noted in the 1986 conservation report is still visible and re-touching can be seen along its length.
On the reverse:
The worm damage is evident. There is a margin of about 1.5cm around the panel that has been pared down, so that the edges of the panel are thinner than the rest of it.
The join running down the length of the panel can be seen from the back and appears to be widest at the lower half of the panel.
1. Label with red edges with very faint ink: "54196" or "54" "96"
Virag 20/12/2004, Collection of William Graham M.P. (1817-1885); by marriage to Kenneth Augustus Muir Mackenzie from 1874: on loan to Nottingham Castle Museum (then Midland Counties Art Museum) from 1879; Given by Sir Kenneth Muir Mackenzie to Nottingham Castle Museum, 10/05/1910
Accession number: NCM 1910-57 | Subjects: | religion (christian) saints costume (women's) childhood figures | Temporal: | [1500-1550] | Source: | Nottingham City Museums and Galleries | Creator: | born HOLLAND/Anvers | Identifier: | http://media.culturegrid.org.uk/mediaLib... | Go to resource |
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