Jan Borman I. or II. Circle of, Masterly sculpture of Anna Selbdritt

Jan Borman I. or II.

Circle of

Masterly sculpture of Anna Selbdritt

Southern Netherlands/Brabant/Brussels

Around 1500

Carved oak wood

Height 39 cm, width 24 cm, depth 15 cm



This museum-quality sculpture of Anna Selbdritt is a representation of St. Anna, the mother of Mary, the Virgin Mary, and the Jesus child. Anna is depicted here on a large throne chair, looking down on her daughter and grandson. Mary sits at the foot of the throne and supports the child on her lap, who is trying to sit up, playfully bending his knees. With his right hand he reaches for the rosary, which Anna holds in her right hand. This creates an intimate, harmonious overall composition in pyramidal form through the gazes as well as the gestures.



Anna wears a headscarf, indicating her status as a married woman, while Mary's long hair flows openly down her back, marking her as a virgin. The figures are depicted in the fashion of the time; the knotted belt at Anna's waist and the open footwear of the two women are particularly striking. The complexly draped folds are typical of the Dutch Late Gothic, due to their angular, sharp-edged manner. The imaginative, stylised shaping of the robes, which are voluminous on the one hand and clinging to the bodies on the other, shows the high skill of the carver. The stylised hair of Mary and the small volute-shaped curls of the child are further outstanding features of this masterly figure. The elongated physiognomy of the faces with rounded forms as well as deeply notched eyes and mouth are also characteristics of this region.



This type of carving is comparable to the signed and dated Saint George Altarpiece by Jan Borman I and II from 1493, today in the Brussels Art Museum. Jan Borman I was the founder of the famous Brabant dynasty of sculptors, who probably worked on this altar together with his son. However, the monumental carving was never polychromed by a painter, although this has only recently been established by laboratory analysis. The wood-faced sculpture of the Lamentation of Arenberg from around 1470-80 (Detroit Institute of Arts, inv. no. 61.164) can also serve as a striking comparative example of the complexly pleated drapery. The composition in angular linearity is particularly impressive; furthermore, the lifelike facial features have pronounced lids with almond-shaped eyes, straight noses, and small mouths as well as lush locks of hair. The sculptor's extraordinary virtuosity is particularly evident in the fine carving, which reveals ever new details when inspected closely.