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Panel - St Paul

St Paul

  • Object:

    Panel

  • Place of origin:

    England, Great Britain (made)

  • Date:

    15th century (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Carved, painted and gilt alabaster

  • Credit Line:

    Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA

  • Museum number:

    A.133-1946

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

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St Paul stands with a book in his right hand and a sword in his left.

Saints are the heroes and heroines of Christian faith. In the 14th and 15th centuries, they were a popular subject for alabaster carvings. Religious themes penetrated private life, so devotional images of saints were sculpted not only for church interiors, but also for individuals to contemplate within the privacy of their homes.

Physical description

The saint has a bifid beard and wears a cloak draped from his left shoulder over a gown. He holds a falchion, pointing downwards, in his left hand, and a closed book in his right. The binding on the spine of the book is carved.

The handle of the falchion is missing. The surface of the book is damaged. The top corners of the panel are missing. Faint traces of gilding remain on the saint's hair and beard and red on the folds of his cloak. There are two holes in the back of the panel plugged with lead.

Place of Origin

England, Great Britain (made)

Date

15th century (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Carved, painted and gilt alabaster

Dimensions

Height: 42.2 cm, Width: 13.3 cm

Object history note

Acquired by Dr W. L. Hildburgh in Vienna. On loan from him since 1926. Given by Dr Hildburgh in 1946.

Descriptive line

Alabaster panel depicting St Paul. English, 15th century.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Cheetham, Francis. English Medieval Alabasters. Oxford: Phaidon-Christie's Limited, 1984. p. 137 (cat. 66), ill. ISBN 0-7148-8014-0

Materials

Paint; Gilt; Alabaster

Techniques

Painting; Carving; Gilding

Subjects depicted

Book; Cloak; Paul (Saint); Falchion

Categories

Sculpture; Religion; Christianity

Collection code

SCP

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Qr_O70606
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