Seebenstein Madonna

The sculpture was held as part of the collection of Prince Arnulf of Bavaria in his residence at Leopoldstein Castle in Styria, Austria. In 1907 it passed upon inheritance to his wife Princess Theresa of Liechtenstein, then to her nephew Franz Joseph II. The Madonna was acquired as part of a shopping spree of properties once owned by nobles through a sale on 2 November 1942. In 15 August 1945, the sculpture was inventoried at the end of World War II as part of an audit of Nehammer's holdings, as she was investigated for goods stolen from Jewish families. Nehammer saw full ownership of the sculpture after the death of Hamel, and the piece was passed thru descent to her grand-niece Christine Vopava Nehammer-Markus, who sold it to dealer Sam Fogg of London on 27 April 2023. The Yale University Art Gallery purchased the statue in 2025. == Description ==

The sculpture is rendered in limewood, a favored medium for Riemenschneider, who is known to keep his sculptures unpainted to show off the texture and natural colors of the wood. The Virgin Mary is depicted on a throne, adorned with flowing draperies, and the Christ Child is depicted reaching towards the Virgin with his right hand, as she supports the Child with her left hand, while gazing down. The back of the sculpture is hollowed out as to minimize cracking and splitting of the limewood. == References ==