Head, limestone, of a male, from Therouanne Cathedral, France, ca. 1230- ca. 1240

The head is bearded and has wavy hair, parted in the middle and flowing back from the face to reveal the ear lobes. The heavy eyebrows overshadow the eyes which have been realistically carved. The mouth is slightly open and drill marks are still visible between the lips; it is unclear whether the intention was to indicate the teeth. The nose is broken, and a large portion of the beard is missing. The sculpture is generally weathered. Slight traces of pink paint remain, and there is no reason to doubt that these are original.

Purchased with the assistance of funds from the Bequest of dr W.L. Hildburgh F.S.A and the Associates of the V&A

As described above, this is one of five heads discovered in the wall of a building in Rue Saint-Croix in St Omer (Pas-de-Calais) in 1923. All five seem to have been bought by
the dealer and collector René Gimpel in 1925. These were taken to America via Belgium and London. At some point, the V&A's head became separated from the rest of the group, which were eventually sold to various American museums. The V&A head came into the possession of an English collector in about 1964, when it was bought in Stamford, England.

Historical significance: Sculpted portals were a major feature of French gothic churches. Doorways were flanked by groups of jamb figures, forming a complex programme of saints, patrons and scenes. This is a rare example in the Museum's collections of such a figure. It also gives a good idea of the ways in which the gothic sculpture of the Isle de France was quickly taken up and developed in Northern France. It is of particular interest that this thirteenth century sculpture was still valued by the monks of nearby Saint Omer in the sixteenth century, when they obtained special permission to salvage it from Thérouanne.

The problem of the original position of the heads (once joined to bodies) and the other sculpture surviving from the cathedral of Thérouanne is yet to be solved. W. Sauerländer and Wixom argued on the basis of an unreliable sixteenth century drawing of the church that the figures would have been placed high above the gable of the South Transept. However, Williamson has shown that the South Transept portal was known as 'le grand portal', an area known to have been decorated with sculpture only in 1276-86. Williamson argued that the sculpture is much more likely to have come from the West Portal, which would have consisted of jamb figures to each side of the door (comprising the five surviving heads), with a Last Judgement tympanum above (the tympanum now in the church of St Omer). The V&A's head may well have represented Christ, which would have meant that it would be placed on the central column which divided the main doorway. The overall effect probably resembled the arrangement still in place at the church of Saint-Eliphe, Rampillon.

This head is one of a group of five discovered in the wall of a house in rue Saint-Croix in St Omer, in January 1923. The monks of St Omer are documented as having transferred sculpture from the cathedral of Thérouanne when that church was destroyed by Charles V of Spain after his unsuccessful siege of Metz, in 1553. The similarities of the five heads with other sculpture now in the cathedral of St Omer, which is known to be from Thérouanne makes it most likely that the five heads were also part of this salvaged group.

The date has been assigned on stylistic grounds.

This is one of five heads discovered in the wall of a building in Rue Saint-Croix in St Omer (Pas-de-Calais) in 1923. The monks of St Omer transferred sculpture from the cathedral of Thérouanne when that church was destroyed by Charles V of Spain in 1553. The five heads were probably part of this salvaged group.

This head is likely to have come from the West Portal of the Cathedral, which would have consisted of figures to each side of the door (comprising the five surviving heads), with a Last Judgement tympanum above. The V&A's head may well have represented Christ, and would have been placed on the central column which divided the main doorway.

A.25-1979