101
Castillian School. Mid 18th century.
1/5
Description
Castillian School. Mid 18th century.
"Saint Christopher and Child"
Carved, gilded and polychrome wooden sculpture.
81 x 33 x 17 cm.
The fantastic sculpture of St. Christopher presented here has a double interest, and that is that to the remarkable quality of the piece must be added the scarcity of sculptural representations of the saint, much more frequent in painting, and more specifically in medieval mural painting. There are very few sculptural images of this legendary saint, but if we go back to the 18th century, which is when this piece was dated, we are talking about the fact that they are practically non-existent.
Saint Christopher was one of the most popular medieval saints due to the apotropaic power that the medieval religious mentality conferred on him, since it was considered that he prevented anyone who invoked him from sudden death and from the dangers that travelers could encounter on the roads, which at that time were quite exposed to any mischief. Thus, the preventive power that St. Christopher was believed to have in the aforementioned fields would require that the effigies of the saint be of large dimensions and that they be in sight, being arranged almost always in front of the entrance of the temple, the place where we think the altar that contained this portentous work would have been placed.
The sculpture presents the saint according to his traditional iconography and during the best known episode of his hagiography.Thus, St. Christopher, a mature character of colossal stature -the Golden Legend suggests that he was twelve cubits tall- appears carrying a child on his shoulders to help him wade through a riverbed. The supernatural weight of this Child, who turns out to be Christ, is so great that he has to help himself with an enormous staff to be able to fulfill his mission and cross the waters.This episode is what gave Christopher his name: Christophoros, the Christ-bearer. Christophoros is represented as a stocky man, dressed in an open tunic that reveals his legs, arms and part of the torso, allowing the sculptor to show his skills as an anatomist, conceiving it based on realistic morbid forms. The tunic, held by a belt, forms numerous bullones, with the fabrics interwoven and stacked, are folds of low protrusion and curved profiles that facet its surface.
The rounded head shows a face perfectly framed by hair and beard, the latter with well-defined locks.
The face shows a supine effort, with the mouth half-open, and the eyes directed towards the Infant Jesus.The effort is also evident in the way he holds the cane and in the fact that he walks half hunched over under the Infant's weight.The latter makes his identity clear by holding in his left hand the orb, symbol of his power over the world.With his right hand he seems to encourage Cristobal.His naked anatomy is only veiled by a small purity cloth that covers his private parts. Her head is tilted to one side and her hair is very disheveled and made up of curved locks. The composition is solid, balanced and harmonious.
Taking into account the technical characteristics of the work, it seems clear that it was executed by a good master of the Castilian school of the mid-eighteenth century, highlighting his talent in showing a naturalistic representation of the anatomy of the saint, which could be recreated due to the fact that the tunic is gathered, and the delicacy and exquisiteness with which he has carved his head.
We thank Mr. Javier Baladrón, doctor in History of Art, for the identification and cataloguing of this work.
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Castillian School. Mid 18th century.
"Saint Christopher and Child"
Carved, gilded and polychrome wooden sculpture.
81 x 33 x 17 cm.
The fantastic sculpture of St. Christopher presented here has a double interest, and that is that to the remarkable quality of the piece must be added the scarcity of sculptural representations of the saint, much more frequent in painting, and more specifically in medieval mural painting. There are very few sculptural images of this legendary saint, but if we go back to the 18th century, which is when this piece was dated, we are talking about the fact that they are practically non-existent.
Saint Christopher was one of the most popular medieval saints due to the apotropaic power that the medieval religious mentality conferred on him, since it was considered that he prevented anyone who invoked him from sudden death and from the dangers that travelers could encounter on the roads, which at that time were quite exposed to any mischief. Thus, the preventive power that St. Christopher was believed to have in the aforementioned fields would require that the effigies of the saint be of large dimensions and that they be in sight, being arranged almost always in front of the entrance of the temple, the place where we think the altar that contained this portentous work would have been placed.
The sculpture presents the saint according to his traditional iconography and during the best known episode of his hagiography.Thus, St. Christopher, a mature character of colossal stature -the Golden Legend suggests that he was twelve cubits tall- appears carrying a child on his shoulders to help him wade through a riverbed. The supernatural weight of this Child, who turns out to be Christ, is so great that he has to help himself with an enormous staff to be able to fulfill his mission and cross the waters.This episode is what gave Christopher his name: Christophoros, the Christ-bearer. Christophoros is represented as a stocky man, dressed in an open tunic that reveals his legs, arms and part of the torso, allowing the sculptor to show his skills as an anatomist, conceiving it based on realistic morbid forms. The tunic, held by a belt, forms numerous bullones, with the fabrics interwoven and stacked, are folds of low protrusion and curved profiles that facet its surface.
The rounded head shows a face perfectly framed by hair and beard, the latter with well-defined locks.
The face shows a supine effort, with the mouth half-open, and the eyes directed towards the Infant Jesus.The effort is also evident in the way he holds the cane and in the fact that he walks half hunched over under the Infant's weight.The latter makes his identity clear by holding in his left hand the orb, symbol of his power over the world.With his right hand he seems to encourage Cristobal.His naked anatomy is only veiled by a small purity cloth that covers his private parts. Her head is tilted to one side and her hair is very disheveled and made up of curved locks. The composition is solid, balanced and harmonious.
Taking into account the technical characteristics of the work, it seems clear that it was executed by a good master of the Castilian school of the mid-eighteenth century, highlighting his talent in showing a naturalistic representation of the anatomy of the saint, which could be recreated due to the fact that the tunic is gathered, and the delicacy and exquisiteness with which he has carved his head.
We thank Mr. Javier Baladrón, doctor in History of Art, for the identification and cataloguing of this work.
The origins of an Antiquarian · Passion for sculpture
Sale Date(s)
Lots: 57
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Barcelona
08006
Spain
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The purchase price includes the delivery of the lots in the venue of the auction. Transporting to other destinations is at the own risk of the client. The customer must contact "LST", to give the corresponding instructions for such transporting. "LST" is not responsible for the packaging or any accident incurred during transportation.
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