St John of God thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

St John of God

Bust
ca. 1650-1700 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Granada (City) (made)

Because this piece is open at the back, the structure of the sculpture can be studied, in particular the way the glass eyes have been inserted. These are small globes of glass fixed in with wax. The surface of the terracotta appears never to have been painted , and this combined with the inserted glass eyes is strange; it may imply that the piece is unfinished. St John of God (1495-1550) was born in Portugal, but went to Andalusia in the 1530ies having served in the Spanish army as a young man. He was to settle in Granada.


Object details

Categories
Access_to_Images 2003
Christianity
Sculpture
Portraits
Religion
Object type
Bust
TitleSt John of God (popular title)
Materials and techniques
Terracotta with glass eyes
Terracotta
Glass
Wax
Brief description
Bust, terracotta with glass eyes, St John of God, Granada, about 1650-1700
Physical description
Terracotta head with glass eyes of a young man with a troubled expression.
Dimensions
  • Height: 16.5cm
  • Width: 12.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
'Dr MORERA' (owner's mark; Inside.; written; pencil; Unknown; possibly 19th century)
Object history
Because this piece is open at the back, the structure of the sculpture can be studied, in particular the way the glass eyes have been inserted. These are small globes of glass fixed in with wax. The surface of the terracotta appears never to have been painted , and this combined with the inserted glass eyes is strange; it may imply that the piece is unfinished. St John of God (1495-1550) was born in Portugal, but went to Andalusia in the 1530ies having served in the Spanish army as a young man. He was to settle in Granada.
Bought by John Charles Robinson from Baur in Paris for £4.
Subject depicted
John of God (Saint)
Summary
Because this piece is open at the back, the structure of the sculpture can be studied, in particular the way the glass eyes have been inserted. These are small globes of glass fixed in with wax. The surface of the terracotta appears never to have been painted , and this combined with the inserted glass eyes is strange; it may imply that the piece is unfinished. St John of God (1495-1550) was born in Portugal, but went to Andalusia in the 1530ies having served in the Spanish army as a young man. He was to settle in Granada.
Bibliographic references
  • Trusted, M. Spanish sculpture : catalogue of the post-medieval Spanish sculpture in wood, terracotta, alabaster, marble, stone, lead and jet in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996, pp.101-102, cat. no. 45.
  • Riaño, Juan F. Classified and descriptive catalogue of the art objects of Spanish production in the South Kensington Museum. "(First edition)" London : Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1872, p.2.
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1864 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. 38
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
176-1864

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Record createdDecember 17, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O87489/st-john-of-god-bust-unknown/
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