Late Gothic Oak Sculpture of a Winged Figure with Child and Dragon

This finely carved Late Gothic oak sculpture depicts a winged figure holding a child, standing above a winged dragon writhing at the base. The sculptor has paid close attention to the linear folds of the drapery, the softly modelled faces, and the symbolic confrontation beneath the figure’s feet.
The iconography has traditionally been described as that of an angel, yet the presence of the child and the dragon invites alternative interpretations. In medieval art, the combination of a holy figure trampling a dragon is a well-established symbol of triumph over evil. The figure could therefore represent an allegorical angel carrying the redeemed soul (the child), or more plausibly, a variant on the Virgin and Child, where the Virgin is shown in active triumph over Satan. Such imagery recalls the Woman of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation (12:1–6), described as a woman clothed with the sun and pursued by the dragon.
The survival of the dragon at the base enriches the theological reading of this piece, situating it within the visual culture of the early 16th century in the Netherlands, where sculptors frequently blended devotional iconography with apocalyptic themes. Comparable Netherlandish oak figures of the same period, often produced for altarpieces, demonstrate a similar combination of delicate modelling and vigorous symbolic narrative.