"The Virgin Mary" and "Saint John". Pair of carved... Lot n° 4

Saint John measurements: 72 x 19 x 11 cm. Virgin Mary measurements: 69 x 16 x 9 cm. These two curious and naive sculptures of the Virgin and Saint John come from a primitive Gothic Calvary from which, unfortunately, the central figure of the group has not been preserved, which, naturally, would have been the crucified Christ. The importance of the latter, who really was the main figure that was worshipped in church, meant that on many occasions the effigies of the Virgin Mary and Saint John were removed from the sacred space, and even sold, or in extreme cases, were buried or locked away because they no longer served the congregation due to their state of preservation or a change of fashions. Both characters are depicted in a standing position and show highly schematic anatomical treatment, in addition to a remarkable stiffness and rigidity, as if the sculptor was not able, or did not want, to let any of the limbs take up space. The Virgin Mary would have been placed to the right of the Crucified Christ, a place reserved for the most important characters. She wears a very long reddish tunic, which reaches her feet, girded by belt, a part of which falls down vertically. Above it is a mantle that covers her entire back and that seems to act also as a veil since it covers her head. Under the mantle there seems to be a white headdress that frames her face. Our Lady expresses her deep sorrow by clasping her hands in front of her belly, which could be interpreted as a prayer, perhaps in remembrance of her motherhood and the loss of her Son. For his part, St. John, the Beloved Disciple, would have been placed to the left of the lost Christ, according to iconography already established by Byzantine art. He wears a yellowish tunic with a circular neckline that covers his body completely except for his feet, which are visible, although they are quite deteriorated. The sight of his bare feet is an indicator of his status as an apostle. Above he wears a blue mantle that covers his back and crosses him diagonally at the front. The saint expresses his sorrow by bringing his right hand to the cheek on the same side. In his left hand, arranged horizontally over his waist, he holds a book, which must be the Gospel he wrote. As usual, the saint is beardless. The hair is conceived as a cap  with  hardly any individualization of the locks.  The heads of both characters are oval and have rather inexpressive facial features which have been enhanced by polychroming. Both sculptures have been repolychromed. They would have been made perhaps at the end of the thirteenth century or at the beginning of the fourteenth, and would have been the work of a local artisan Castilian workshop, and therefore distinct from the great sculptural production centers of the period. We would like to thank Dr, Javier Baladrón, PhD in History of Art, for the identification and cataloguing of this lot.