The altarpiece was originally made for the collegiate church at Lirey, near Troyes. The donor, who kneels in the robes at the foot of the Cross in the central panel , was Jean Huyard l' Aine (d.1541): his coat of arms appears in the spandrel between the two arches on the left panel, while a variant, quartered with other arms is shown on the right-hand side.
The donor was qualified as a lawyer and became canon of the church of St Peter and Paul in Troyes some time after 1487 and in 1504 he was elected Dean of the chapter of Lirey. The church in Lirey was consecrated in 1526. This retable probably decorated the high altar, was ready by then. No documentary information about the commission or the sculptor is known.
The style of the altarpiece is transitional between the late Gothic and Renaissance forms which is typical for the altarpieces in limestone produced in Troyes and are to be found in the regions of the Champagne and Aube. The scenes of the Flagellation, the Betrayal of Christ, Christ carrying the cross and Christ presented to the people are based on Albrecht Dürer's engravings of the Small and Large Passion of 1511 and 1512 respectively.
Physical description
The altarpiece is divided into six principal scenes, with numerous smaller episodes from the Passion of Christ taking place in the backgrounds to the lower register. The Annunciation of the Virgin is shown in the upper half of the central section, while the Passion of Christ unfolds unfolds from left to right with the scenes of the Flagellation, the Carrying the cross, the Crucifixion, the entombment and the Resurrection. Behind these scenes are the more diminutive Betrayal, the Mocking of Christ, the Crowning with Thorns, Christ presented to the people (Ecce Homo), the Deposition, the Descent into Limbo, The Three Maries at the Sepulchre, Christ appearing to St Mary Magdalene (Noli me tangere) and Christ appearing to the Three Maries. The architectural surround is also densely crowded with small figures and complementary scenes.
Place of Origin
Troyes, France (made)
Date
ca. 1525 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Limestone, painted and gilded
Dimensions
Weight: 307 kg left hand panel (Flagellation), Weight: 713 kg centre panel, Weight: 302 kg right hand panel (Depostion), Height: 190 cm whole object, Width: 280.5 cm, Depth: 37.6 cm
Object history note
The altarpiece was originally made for the collegiate church at Lirey, near Troyes. The donor, who kneels in the robes at the foot of the Cross in the central panel , was Jean Huyard l' Aine (d.1541): his coat of arms appears in the spandrel between the two arches on the left panel, while a variant, quartered with other arms is shown on the right-hand side.
Historical significance: The style of the Lirey altarpiece is transitional between the late Gothic and Renaissance forms which is typical for the altarpieces in limestone produced in Troyes are to be found in the regions of the Champagne and Aube. The scenes of the Flagellation, the Betrayal of Christ, Christ carrying the cross and Christ presented to the people are based on Albrecht Dürer's engravings of the Small and Large Passion of 1511 and 1512 respectively.
Historical context note
The donor was qualified as a lawyer and became canon of the church of St Peter and Paul in Troyes some time after 1487 and in 1504 he was elected Dean of the chapter of Lirey. The church in Lirey was consecrated in 1526. This retable probably decorated the high altar, was ready by then. No documentary information about the commission or the sculptor is known.
Descriptive line
Altarpiece depicting the Annunciation and Passion of Christ, limestone, France, about 1525
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
European Sculpture at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Ed. by P. Williamson. London, 1996, p. 101.
Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1857. In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 1.
Beaulieu, M. and Beyer V. Dictionnaire des sculpteurs français du Moyen Age. Paris, 1992, p. 99.
Materials
Limestone
Techniques
Painted; Gilded; Carved
Subjects depicted
Jesus Christ
Categories
Religion
Collection code
SCP
