Altar Bust of Saint James the Greater, Linden Wood, Lower Silesia, Turn of the 15th/16th Century.
5000,00 zł
This Late Gothic altar bust depicting Saint James the Greater (the Apostle) was created at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, approximately between 1490 and 1510. It represents the mature guild craftsmanship associated with the Lower Silesia region, with a particular emphasis on the workshop circle active in Wrocław or Świdnica. The object’s flat-cut, raw reverse, bearing clear traces of medieval tools such as an adze or a profiling chisel, unequivocally confirms the sculpture’s original purpose for mounting in an altar cabinet or predella.
Height: 32 cm
Width: 24 cm
Depth: 16.5 cm
Weight: 1.99 kg
1 in stock
The attribution of this sculpture to Lower Silesian guild workshops, operating under the strong influence of the Wrocław master Jacob Beinhart, is confirmed by a unique set of formal and stylistic features [cf. niezlasztuka.net]. The saint's face, with its deep, melancholic expression, is characterized by a specific incision of the eyelids, formed by simple, sharp chisel cuts creating an almond shape, which is a characteristic hallmark of Wrocław woodcarving at the turn of the centuries. Also distinctive to this region is the ornamental arrangement of the beard, divided into compact, tubular strands that curl at the ends into regular, spiral volutes, representing a simplified adaptation of the Nuremberg style. Another workshop argument is the purely artisanal, angular anatomy of the right hand with transverse joint incisions, which, unlike the expressive works from Lesser Poland, prioritized the functionality of grip for a movable, now lost, pilgrim's staff. The entire justification concludes with the specific, high, and rolled shape of the hat's upturned brim, which in the iconography of the turn of the century dominated the fashion exclusively in the areas of Silesia, Bohemia, and southern Germany.
| Weight | 1,99 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 32 × 24 × 16,5 cm |
| Type |
Sculpture |
| Form |
Altar Bust |
| Materiał |
Gilding ,Lime wood ,Polychrome |
| Kolorystyka |
Blue ,Brown ,Flesh ,Gold ,Green ,Red |
| Technika |
Carving ,Gilding ,Polychrome |
| Czas powstania |
15th/16th Century |
| Era |
Late Middle Ages |
| Kraj pochodzenia |
Lower Silesia ,Poland |
| Autor |
Unknown |
| State of preservation |
Very good. The blue tunic and green cloak show natural abrasions revealing the chalk ground, and the hat bears faded traces of former gilding. The back and bottom of the bust have deep shrinkage cracks and a dense network of holes from past woodworm activity, hence the low weight of the object. The index finger is missing from the right hand, and the remaining fingers (except the thumb) have chipped tips. |
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