St Anthony the Abbot
Statue
ca. 1850 - ca. 1900 (made)
ca. 1850 - ca. 1900 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This statuette represents St. Anthony the Abbot and is made by an unknown artist in Germany in ca. 1850-1900.
The carver apparently imitated an earlier image of the same subject, and the figure was perhaps intended to form part of a Neo-Gothic altarpiece. However if so, it was removed from its context at a later date and attached to a supposedly older base, thereby leading to its being mistakenly considered a genuine earlier piece rather than a historizising work of art.
The carver apparently imitated an earlier image of the same subject, and the figure was perhaps intended to form part of a Neo-Gothic altarpiece. However if so, it was removed from its context at a later date and attached to a supposedly older base, thereby leading to its being mistakenly considered a genuine earlier piece rather than a historizising work of art.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | St Anthony the Abbot (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Glazed oak |
| Brief description | Statue, glazed oak, St Anthony the Abbot, Germany, ca. 1850-1900 |
| Physical description | The Saint stands frontally, dressed in the habit of the Antoine, wearing a hat and scapular. He holds a closed book in his left hand, and his right originally held an abbot's staff of which fragments remain. The flames at his feet, the devil as a dragon (wearing a collar with a ring), and a piglet standing on his hind legs represent the saint's attributes. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Purchased from Mrs Agnes Nicholl (together with A.97-1911 for £20). Historical significance: The carver apparently imitated an earlier image of the same subject, and the figure was perhaps intended to form part of a Neo-Gothic altarpiece. However if so, it was removed from its context at a later date and attached to a supposedly older base, thereby leading to its being mistakenly considered a genuine earlier piece rather than a historizising work of art. |
| Production | formerly thought to be from ca. 1500 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This statuette represents St. Anthony the Abbot and is made by an unknown artist in Germany in ca. 1850-1900. The carver apparently imitated an earlier image of the same subject, and the figure was perhaps intended to form part of a Neo-Gothic altarpiece. However if so, it was removed from its context at a later date and attached to a supposedly older base, thereby leading to its being mistakenly considered a genuine earlier piece rather than a historizising work of art. |
| Bibliographic reference | Jopek, Norbert. German Sculpture 1430-1540, A Catalogue of the Collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London, 2002, p. 157, cat.no. 75 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.96-1911 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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