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Iko & J. Schmutzer (design), Madonna and Child with her eyes closed (1), 1924-1925, teak, 96 x 53 x 47 cm, private collection of the Schmutzer family.

This example is virtually identical to the enthroned Madonna and Child in the Steyl Mission Museum, except that the Christ Child in this version is not holding a globe. This corresponds to photo number 9 of the Madonna in Schmutzer’s chapter on Europeanism or Catholicism. In it, Jos Schmutzer also refers to “an attempt at a Madonna and Child.” Moreover, this Madonna has closed eyes, and correspondence with his sister revealed that Jos Schmutzer did not consider this entirely successful. This is therefore an earlier version of the statue now in the Steyl Mission Museum. This statue can therefore be seen as a later adaptation and improvement of an original design. Source: Schmutzer, Ten Berge, Maas, Europeanisme of katholicisme, 76