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Early 19th Century French Wooden Sculpture of a Young Child

Description
The gentle features and tender detail of this antique wooden sculpture of a young child remain fresh despite the marks of time. Made in France in the early 1800s, this piece would have likely formed part of a religious scene – it is possible that it represents the holy child. In any case, the sculptor’s eye for observation gives this piece a marvelous life-likeness. The folds of the chubby legs and the dimpled curve of the stomach appear appealingly soft; rosy pink accents on the lips, cheeks, ears and knees lend a breath of vital warmth. The aged patina which the painted surface has acquired over the centuries only serves to heighten the sculpture’s air of enigma: a baby, eternally young, impervious to time.