St Augustine (of Hippo)
Statue
ca. 1750-ca. 1760 (made)
ca. 1750-ca. 1760 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This statuette represents Saint Augustine of Hippo and is made in Germany in the circle of the sculptor Johann Baptist Straub.
This bust or half-length figure - originally a full-length figure - probably formed part of an altarpiece together with the three other Church Fathers, Sts Ambrose, Jerome and Gregory the Great. The elongation and colour scheme are typical of mid eighteenth-century Bavarian sculpture. It is painted with successive layers of white lead-based mixtures of paint in order to imitate marble, which was fashionable at the time, but not readily available in countries such as Germany or Belgium, or simply too expensive.
The sculptor Straub (1704-1784) was an important German Rococo sculptor, who grew up within a family of sculptors, his father and brothers being sculptors as well. His nephew was Franz Xaver Messerschmidt.
This bust or half-length figure - originally a full-length figure - probably formed part of an altarpiece together with the three other Church Fathers, Sts Ambrose, Jerome and Gregory the Great. The elongation and colour scheme are typical of mid eighteenth-century Bavarian sculpture. It is painted with successive layers of white lead-based mixtures of paint in order to imitate marble, which was fashionable at the time, but not readily available in countries such as Germany or Belgium, or simply too expensive.
The sculptor Straub (1704-1784) was an important German Rococo sculptor, who grew up within a family of sculptors, his father and brothers being sculptors as well. His nephew was Franz Xaver Messerschmidt.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | St Augustine (of Hippo) (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted and gilt limewood |
| Brief description | Statue, limewood partly painted and gilded, St Augustine (of Hippo), circle of Johann Baptist Straub, German (Bavaria), ca. 1750-1760 |
| Physical description | Half-length figure (bust) looking to the left, and wearing ecclesiastical robes, fastened together with gilt clasp and cross, and mitre. The left forearm is detachable and holds a flaming heart; the thumb and index finger are missing from the right hand. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Given by Dr. W. L. Hildburgh, F. S. A., 1953. Historical significance: The elongation and colour scheme are typical of mid eighteenth-century Bavarian sculpture. |
| Historical context | The statuette probably formed part of an altarpiece together with the three other Church Fathers, Sts Ambrose, Jerome and Gregory the Great. It is now a bust or half-length figure, but originally was a full-length figure. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This statuette represents Saint Augustine of Hippo and is made in Germany in the circle of the sculptor Johann Baptist Straub. This bust or half-length figure - originally a full-length figure - probably formed part of an altarpiece together with the three other Church Fathers, Sts Ambrose, Jerome and Gregory the Great. The elongation and colour scheme are typical of mid eighteenth-century Bavarian sculpture. It is painted with successive layers of white lead-based mixtures of paint in order to imitate marble, which was fashionable at the time, but not readily available in countries such as Germany or Belgium, or simply too expensive. The sculptor Straub (1704-1784) was an important German Rococo sculptor, who grew up within a family of sculptors, his father and brothers being sculptors as well. His nephew was Franz Xaver Messerschmidt. |
| Bibliographic reference | Trusted, Marjorie, ed. The Making of Sculpture. The Materials and Techniques of European Sculpture. London: 2007, p. 130, pl. 238 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.2-1953 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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