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Not currently on display at the V&A

St John of the Cross

Statuette
ca. 1730 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This statuette representing St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) wearing a Carmelite habit was made in Spain, in about 1730. The statuette is paired with the statuette of St Teresa of Avila (A. 84-1923). St Teresa of Avila was a Discalced Carmelite, whose mythical writings where hugely influential. St Teresa together with St John, a poet and mystic, founded the order of the Discalced Carmelite friars. She was canonized in 1622, while St John was canonized over a century later in 1726. Both became revered Spanish saints; they were friends and companions, and together active in the reform of the Carmelite Order in the 1560s. Both figures are likely to have been made in ca. 1730, in a slightly retardataire style, recalling the seventeenth century. The drapery is particularly finely carved.


Object details

Category
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Statuette
  • Plinth
TitleSt John of the Cross (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Ivory with wood dowels
Brief description
Statuette, ivory, St John of the Cross, Spanish, ca. 1730
Physical description
Statuette of St John of the Cross in ivory. The head is missing. He is shown wearing a Carmelite habit, resting his weight on his left leg, his right leg bent behind him. His left hand is raised and he holds a book in his right hand and wears a rosary with a small skull and cross at his waist. The separate, dowelled ivory base is adorned with a cherubim bordered by scrolls.
Dimensions
  • Whole height: 25.9cm
  • Figuer alone height: 20.5cm
Object history
Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh F.S.A. in 1923; acquired by the donor in Córdoba in 1921.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This statuette representing St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) wearing a Carmelite habit was made in Spain, in about 1730. The statuette is paired with the statuette of St Teresa of Avila (A. 84-1923). St Teresa of Avila was a Discalced Carmelite, whose mythical writings where hugely influential. St Teresa together with St John, a poet and mystic, founded the order of the Discalced Carmelite friars. She was canonized in 1622, while St John was canonized over a century later in 1726. Both became revered Spanish saints; they were friends and companions, and together active in the reform of the Carmelite Order in the 1560s. Both figures are likely to have been made in ca. 1730, in a slightly retardataire style, recalling the seventeenth century. The drapery is particularly finely carved.
Associated object
A.84-1923 (Ensemble)
Bibliographic references
  • Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory. London: Published under the Authority of the Board of Education, 1927-1929. Part II. p. 110.
  • Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, cat. no. 339, pp. 343, 4
Collection
Accession number
A.85-1923

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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