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Not currently on display at the V&A

St Matthew

Statuette
1370-80 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This carved oak figure represents St Matthew, seated with his right hand raised and his left hand resting on a closed book. Once thought to be English, this figure more closely parallels sculptures produced in the valley of the River Meuse, in present day Belgium. Originally it would have formed part of an altarpiece and would have been fully painted.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleSt Matthew (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Oak
Brief description
Statuette (one of a group of six), St Matthew, carved oak, Liège, ca. 1370-1380
Physical description
Figure, carved oak, representing St. Matthew, seated, his right hand raised and his left hand resting on a closed book.
Dimensions
  • Height: 31.8cm
  • Width: 16.5cm
  • Depth: 11.8cm
Credit line
Given by W. Maskell, Esq.
Object history
Given by Mr W. Maskell; formerly in the collection of A.W.N. Pugin.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This carved oak figure represents St Matthew, seated with his right hand raised and his left hand resting on a closed book. Once thought to be English, this figure more closely parallels sculptures produced in the valley of the River Meuse, in present day Belgium. Originally it would have formed part of an altarpiece and would have been fully painted.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • List of Objects in the Art Division South Kensington Museum acquired during the Year 1889. Arranged according to the dates of acquisition, with appendix and indices. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1890. pp. 42
  • Prior and Gardner. An account of Medieval Figure-Sculpture in England. Cambridge. 1912. pp. 524. fig. 414
  • Williamson, Paul and Evelyn, P. Northern Gothic Sculpture 1200-1450. London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1988 p.110, 117
  • Trusted, Marjorie. The Making of Sculpture. The materials and techniques of European Sculpture. London. 2007. pp.131. pl. 242
Collection
Accession number
415-1889

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Record createdOctober 27, 2008
Record URL
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