Not currently on display at the V&A

Bust

early 20th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This Gothic-style bust of an angel or female saint is a forgery, purchased by the museum as an example of what a forgery might constitute. Parisian workshops of the early 20th century were famous for their restorations, but also produced many complete forgeries, often with a private collector specifically in mind. By the early 20th century, the market for Gothic sculpture had greatly expanded, and so many dealers were driven to criminal acts in order to fulfil this increased demand.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Stone
Brief description
Stone bust of a female saint in a fake-Gothic style, French, probably early 20th century.
Physical description
Williamson, Paul and Evelyn, P. Northern Gothic Sculpture 1200-1450. London, 1988, pp. 22, fig. 14
Object history
This Gothic-style bust of an angel or female saint is a forgery, purchased by the museum as an example of what a forgery might constitute. Parisian workshops of the early 20th century were famous for their restorations, but also produced many complete forgeries, often with a private collector specifically in mind. By the early 20th century, the market for Gothic sculpture had greatly expanded, and so many dealers were driven to criminal acts in order to fulfil this increased demand.
Production
probably early 20th century, forgery.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This Gothic-style bust of an angel or female saint is a forgery, purchased by the museum as an example of what a forgery might constitute. Parisian workshops of the early 20th century were famous for their restorations, but also produced many complete forgeries, often with a private collector specifically in mind. By the early 20th century, the market for Gothic sculpture had greatly expanded, and so many dealers were driven to criminal acts in order to fulfil this increased demand.
Bibliographic reference
Williamson, Paul and Evelyn, P. Northern Gothic Sculpture 1200-1450. London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1988 p.22, fig.14
Collection
Accession number
A.8-1950

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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