The Utrecht master Adriaen van Wesel (ca. 1417 - ca. 1490) is considered the most important late Gothic sculptor in the northern Netherlands. Only a dozen or so of his sculptures have survived the ages and can now be found in some of the most important museums in Central Europe, including the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Bode Museum in Berlin. Only fragments of the altarpiece that Adriaen van Wesel once created together with Hieronymus Bosch for the main church in s'Hertogenbosch are still known. This new acquisition probably also comes from another altarpiece, which has been lost.

The oak sculpture, whose original colorful painting and gilding have been lost, is an Anna Selbdritt, i.e. a depiction of the enthroned saint with her daughter Mary and her grandson, the infant Jesus. The pictorial theme became increasingly popular in the 15th century as Marian devotion grew and was often extended to include depictions of the Holy Family. Famous depictions of the Virgin Mary were created by Hans Memling, but also by Leonardo da Vinci.
The acquisition of this masterpiece, which was previously completely unknown to researchers, was jointly financed by the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung, the Kulturstiftung der Länder, the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation and the Aachener Museumsverein and is an excellent addition to the Aachen museum's rich collection of Lower Rhine and Dutch sculptures from the late Middle Ages.
Head of the collection Michael Rief recalls: "Seeing an unrecognized masterpiece for the first time is always an uplifting moment of happiness. I am delighted and sincerely grateful to our generous patrons that we were able to realize the acquisition after lengthy negotiations with the owner." Director Till-Holger Borchert adds: "I am impressed by how efficiently the foundations have cooperated with us here to make this enrichment of our museum possible."

Prof. Dr. Markus Hilgert, Secretary General of the Kulturstiftung der Länder, which funded the acquisition with 30,000 euros, comments: "It is a great stroke of luck that this rare late Gothic sculpture, which has not yet been catalogued in terms of art history, is now available to the public and to scholars. In the context of the historical and cultural links between the Netherlands and the Lower Rhine region, the Suermondt-Ludwig Museum in the border city of Aachen seems to me to be the right place for it. The Kulturstiftung der Länder was therefore very happy to support this acquisition."

"A museum that no longer collects is dead! The Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation is not only supporting the acquisition of an important late Gothic sculpture by Adriaen van Wesel, which was discovered thanks to the museum's expertise, but is also supporting the commitment of the Aachener Museumsverein and the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation, which is associated with the museum. Our founder has given us the opportunity to bring such regionally initiated projects to a happy conclusion in an uncomplicated and generous manner," says a delighted Dr. Martin Hoernes, Secretary General of the Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation, one of the main sponsors of the new acquisition.

The work now acquired by the Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum comes from a private collection in Aachen that originally belonged to the upper middle classes.