Lot n° 181
Estimation :
3500 - 4000
EUR
Saint Anthony carved in polychrome limewood and gilding. - Lot 181
Saint Anthony carved in polychrome limewood and gilding.
Anthony stands wearing the heavy, hooded gown of the Antonine hospitable order, which returns to the front as an apron, in a deep, nervous pleat somewhat reminiscent of the work of the Master of Drapery Studies*.
In his left hand, he carries a book, probably the Antonite rule, and at his feet appears a pig, the saint's preferred attribute. The pig alludes both to the diabolical wild boar of the desert, which Antony domesticated and which became his most faithful companion, and to the pigs of his order, which were the only ones allowed to roam freely in the streets, wearing a bell. Here, the saint is depicted in the prime of life, his face an elongated oval, framed by his hair and beard, set in long, wavy locks chiseled into a hook. The features are strong, with a high forehead, straight nose and prominent cheekbones.
Swabian work from the early 16th century (missing right hand, old traces of woodworm, hollowed out on the reverse, this sculpture would have once adorned the shutters of an altarpiece).
Height: 54.5 cm
Bibliography
- D. Flühler Kreis, P. Wyer, Die Holzskulpturen des Mittelalters: Katalog der Sammlung des Schweizerischen Landesmuseums
Zürich, Zürich, Schweizerisches Landesmuseum, 2007, vol. 2, pp. 158-159.
- Nicolas de Leyde, 15th-century sculptor, p. 239, nos. 30 & 31.
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue