Galerie Heinemann, Wiesbaden

General surface abrasions and small losses. Some worming, particularly in drapery of Virgin. Age cracks. Some drapery along proper right side of Saint Anne is lacking as are both of the Child's arms. Lower arm of Virgin and some locks of her hair also lacking. Minor restoration to surface, with some worm holes filled. Surface applied with ochre-colored pigment. Stable and well-carved.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

RELATED LITERATURE

Sainte Anne trinitaire : une œuvre de l'atelier du Maître de Rabenden, Musée d'Unterlinden, 20 octobre 1990-20 janvier 1991, Colmar, 1990 (exh. cat.)
J. Rohmeder, Der Meister des Hochaltars in Rabenden, Munich, 1971

The sculptor known as the Master of Rabenden is so-called for an altarpiece in a small church in the town of Rabenden near Munich.  Although his identity and the location of his workshop are unknown, the body of work in his distinctive style reveals a highly skilled carver probably working in Bavaria, active in the first decades of the 16^th century.  T♊he number of Saint Anne groups in this oeuvre testifies to the popularity of the subject at that time.

With broad, curved passages of drapery, punctuated by condensed, creased folds, the present piece is comparable to several such groups by the Master and his workshop.  Most striking are the comparisons to a Saint Anne group sold at Lempertz in Cologne which was previously in the collection of Benno Geleon Engel (see Kunsthaus Lempertz, Cologne, 1953 and 1963, p. 50, fig. 24), and one in the musée d'Unterlinden in Colmar (Colmar op.cit.).  This group is also closely related to a seated figure of Saint James in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum in Munich (Rohmeder op. cit.).