Madonna and Child on the Ball

A monumental full-length sculpture carved from wood depicts Virgin Mary on a ball; her left foot is put forward and leans on a cloud. The master very thoroughly showed the faces of the Virgin Mary and little Jesus, conveying their emotions and mood. The idealised image of the Virgin Mary is characterised by plump cheeks outlined by contours, a delicately protruding rounded chin, a high and even forehead turning into a straight nose with a smooth surface, and low-set long arches of eyebrows. The expressive eyes of the saintly woman are framed by the eyelids and directed upwards with a slight thoughtfulness. Madonna's head is covered with a veil that gently wraps her shoulders and falls down with dynamic folds. Virgin Mary is wearing a long tunic that leaves only her feet in sandals open. The robes are modelled by dynamic lines, which, intersecting, form large abstract smooth planes. Virgin Mary carefully holds the little Christ, who has a book in his left hand and his right hand is raised in a blessing gesture. Jesus' round face with bulging plump pink cheeks and a small, well-defined chin has something in common with the image of Baroque putti. The child's body is covered with a long tunic, modelled by clear ribbed lines of draperies that fit tight to the figure, outlining its curves. There is a slight asymmetry on the faces of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. The rather realistic image of the Madonna and Child is imbued with maternal tenderness with slight notes of anxiety for the child's fate.

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery