Pair of Wall Carvings, circa 1800 . Depicting the Virgin and Child, and a Female Saint

Wood

This pair of carved wooden reliefs, created around 1800, is a beautiful example of devotional folk art. The oval-shaped reliefs are set within a lush, ornate frame adorned with carved roses and leaves, finished with a rich gilding that contrasts with the pale blue and green of the background. The left relief depicts the Virgin and Child, a classic and tender theme in religious art. The right relief shows a seated female saint, possibly St. Anne or St. Theresa, in a contemplative pose. The figures are rendered with a powerful sense of form and movement, and the work as a whole is a testament to the enduring tradition of religious art in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Carved and polychrome wood with gilding, H 32 cm