Statuary, Sculpture - Black Virgin Of Puy-en-velay - Popular Art - Auvergne

End of the 19th century - Beginning of the 20th century Auvergne, France Here is a Black Virgin from Puy-en-Velay, carved in a dark and warm wood, emanating all the raw poetry of Auvergne folk art from the end of the 19th century. This statue, far from classical canons and rigid academicism, is part of a sincere rural tradition where faith and the hand of the craftsman merge into a single sculpted prayer. The Virgin, draped in a solemn robe, is crowned with a simple but majestic diadem. Her head, slightly inclined, seems to observe her Child with a gaze that is both tender and serious. The Child Jesus, for his part, has a singular presence: a chubby, almost burlesque face, where childish curves mingle with an expression of premature wisdom, almost that of a jovial little old man. This fascinating ambiguity, this delicate contrast, adds a remarkable intensity to the whole. The crown that crowns the Virgin, just like the one discreetly placed on the Child's head, is both naïve and symbolic. It tells another story: that of the sacred that mixes with the everyday, of the divine that is embodied in the rustic wood worked by modest but inspired hands. Under this apparent simplicity, each detail tells a story: the stylized folds of the dress, the hesitant but affectionate curves of the maternal face, and above all, this chubby Little King, almost mischievous, but already bearing the weight of a celestial royalty. This Virgin is a gentle enigma, a frozen prayer, a sculpture that whispers in the ear of the one who knows how to listen. We can easily imagine this statue once enthroned on a modest Auvergne fireplace, bathed in the flickering light of a candle, under the tender gaze of successive generations. Condition: • Beautiful old patina, warm and lively • Central crack visible, but stable, adding to the charm of antiquity Dimensions: Height: 26 cm ALL DELIVERIES ARE MADE BY DHL EXPRESS ONLY.