The workshop derives its name from the Benedictine monastery of Monestir de Sant Joan de les Abadesses, a major religious and artistic centre in medieval Girona. The designation does not refer to a single master, but to a coherent group of sculptors working primarily in alabaster and united by shared stylistic characteristics and Italianate influences circulating in the Crown of Aragon during the early Trecento. Among the few documented artists connected with this milieu is Bernat Saulet, active between 1341 and 1344, whose commissions provide an essential chronological framework for the group.

Carved in luminous Girona alabaster and preserving important traces of original polychromy, the sculpture exemplifies the aesthetic renewal of Marian imagery in the fourteenth century. The Virgin stands in a subtle hanchement, her gently curved posture lending rhythm and grace. She offers a pear to the Christ Child, an attribute symbolising redemption and divine love. The Child accepts the fruit while holding a book, emblem of Sacred Scripture and Divine Wisdom.

The sculptor’s technical mastery is evident in the sophisticated treatment of drapery. Deep, volumetric folds alternate with flatter, delicately modelled planes, producing a refined interplay of light and shadow. The mantle, originally painted in blue and enriched with gilded decoration, contrasts with the red interior lining and the softly rendered flesh tones. The reverse is fully carved, confirming that the work was conceived for placement in a prominent liturgical or devotional context.

Scholarly recognition of the sculpture dates back to 1932, when the historian Agustí Duran i Sanpere associated it with the Sant Joan workshop. Its distinguished provenance further enhances its importance. By 1931 it was in the collection of the painter and antiquarian Oleguer Junyent, before passing shortly thereafter to the eminent collector Lluís Plandiura, whose holdings contributed significantly to the formation of major public collections, notably the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya.

Within the corpus traditionally grouped under the Sant Joan denomination, this Virgin and Child occupies a particularly distinguished position. It shares typological features with related Marian sculptures from the Girona region, including the hexagonal base with heraldic shields and the Child’s raised knee. Yet it stands out for the softness of its modelling, the delicacy of the hands, and the serene expressiveness of the Virgin’s face. The harmonious proportions and subtle naturalism reveal a refined synthesis of French Gothic elegance and emerging Italian influence.

Both devotional image and sculptural masterpiece, this work constitutes a rare testament to the artistic vitality of medieval Girona and to the enduring legacy of the Sant Joan de les Abadesses tradition.