Death
Statuette
ca. 1670 (made)
ca. 1670 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This is a limewood sculpture, representing Death, made in Bavaria in about 1670. This skeleton-figure, a remembrance of death (memento mori) was a subject frequently represented in small-scale sculptures, which were displayed in cabinets of curiosities from the sixteenth century onward. The virtuoso carving of the wood was also characteristic of such pieces.
The techniques used in carving in wood and stone were fundamentally the same. First the sculptor carved the rough shape of the piece, a process known as 'blocking out'. Then, he would work the surface with knives or chisels and abrasives. The figure was generally held horizontally at a workbench and attached to cylindrical shafts, so the sculptor could turn the piece as he carved. Small-scale pieces were generally carved at a workbench.
Before the 15th century people would have considered an unpainted sculpture to be unfinished. But around 1460 wood-carvers in northern Europe began to leave their work deliberately undecorated, as with the skilfully carved figure here. It is not certain why they did this.
The techniques used in carving in wood and stone were fundamentally the same. First the sculptor carved the rough shape of the piece, a process known as 'blocking out'. Then, he would work the surface with knives or chisels and abrasives. The figure was generally held horizontally at a workbench and attached to cylindrical shafts, so the sculptor could turn the piece as he carved. Small-scale pieces were generally carved at a workbench.
Before the 15th century people would have considered an unpainted sculpture to be unfinished. But around 1460 wood-carvers in northern Europe began to leave their work deliberately undecorated, as with the skilfully carved figure here. It is not certain why they did this.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Death (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Limewood |
Brief description | Statuette, limewood, of Death, German (Bavarian), ca. 1670 |
Physical description | Limewood statuette of a skeleton-figure holding a bow and arrows, representing Death. |
Dimensions |
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Object history | Bought in 1870. |
Historical context | This skeleton-figure, a remembrance of death (memento mori) was a subject frequently represented in small-scale sculptures, which were displayed in cabinets of curiosities from the sixteenth century onward. The virtuoso carving of the wood was also characteristic of such pieces. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This is a limewood sculpture, representing Death, made in Bavaria in about 1670. This skeleton-figure, a remembrance of death (memento mori) was a subject frequently represented in small-scale sculptures, which were displayed in cabinets of curiosities from the sixteenth century onward. The virtuoso carving of the wood was also characteristic of such pieces. The techniques used in carving in wood and stone were fundamentally the same. First the sculptor carved the rough shape of the piece, a process known as 'blocking out'. Then, he would work the surface with knives or chisels and abrasives. The figure was generally held horizontally at a workbench and attached to cylindrical shafts, so the sculptor could turn the piece as he carved. Small-scale pieces were generally carved at a workbench. Before the 15th century people would have considered an unpainted sculpture to be unfinished. But around 1460 wood-carvers in northern Europe began to leave their work deliberately undecorated, as with the skilfully carved figure here. It is not certain why they did this. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | 299-1870 |
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Record created | December 30, 2003 |
Record URL |
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