The Trinity
Statuette
ca. 1400 (made)
ca. 1400 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This alabaster statuette depicting the Trinity is made in England in ca. 1400.
The large figure of the Trinity shows God the Father, crowned and with a forked beard with carved eyelids. He is enthroned and wears a gown and a cloak with his hands presumably raised in blessing. Between his knees there is a cross bearing the bearded Christ, wearing the torse and a loincloth with his head inclined to the left. The Holy Spirit is not represented, although there is a small dowel hole at the top of the cross by which the Dove was probably attached.
The carving of alabaster, mostly quarried in Tutbury and Chellaston near Nottingham, took on industrial proportions in England between the middle of the 14th and the early 16th centuries. The market for altarpieces and smaller devotional images was a large one. It included not only religious foundations but also the merchant classes. Many hundreds of English alabasters were exported, some as far afield as Iceland and Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain.
Alabaster - a form of gypsum - is a comparatively soft material and is therefore easy to carve. It can also be polished. Its natural colour was especially useful for the representation of faces and flesh, which would normally remain unpainted.
The large figure of the Trinity shows God the Father, crowned and with a forked beard with carved eyelids. He is enthroned and wears a gown and a cloak with his hands presumably raised in blessing. Between his knees there is a cross bearing the bearded Christ, wearing the torse and a loincloth with his head inclined to the left. The Holy Spirit is not represented, although there is a small dowel hole at the top of the cross by which the Dove was probably attached.
The carving of alabaster, mostly quarried in Tutbury and Chellaston near Nottingham, took on industrial proportions in England between the middle of the 14th and the early 16th centuries. The market for altarpieces and smaller devotional images was a large one. It included not only religious foundations but also the merchant classes. Many hundreds of English alabasters were exported, some as far afield as Iceland and Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain.
Alabaster - a form of gypsum - is a comparatively soft material and is therefore easy to carve. It can also be polished. Its natural colour was especially useful for the representation of faces and flesh, which would normally remain unpainted.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Trinity (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Carved, painted and gilt alabaster |
| Brief description | Statuette, alabaster, depicting the Trinity, English, ca. 1400 |
| Physical description | The large figure of the Trinity shows God the Father, crowned and with a forked beard; his eyelids are carved. He is enthroned and wears a gown and a cloak, with his hands (missing) presumably raised in blessing. Between his knees is the cross bearing the bearded Christ, wearing the torse and a loincloth, his head inclined to the left. The Holy Spirit is not represented, although there is a small dowel hole at the top of the cross by which the Dove was probably attached. The hands of God the Father are missing. Traces of darkened green and red paint remain on the cross. There is red in the folds of God the Father's robes and on his crown. There are traces of green paint on the throne. Gilding remains on the hair and beard of God the Father and Christ. Traces of gesso squares remain on the cross. Almost the whole of the back of the figure has been scooped away. The bottom has been particularly cut away. There are no holes or plugs. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | French dealer's label states the figure was previously in the collections of Michelli and Saint-Germain. (Label; On the back of the figure.) |
| Credit line | Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA |
| Object history | Acquired by Dr W. L. Hildburgh in Paris. On loan from him since 1923. Given by Dr Hildburgh in 1946. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This alabaster statuette depicting the Trinity is made in England in ca. 1400. The large figure of the Trinity shows God the Father, crowned and with a forked beard with carved eyelids. He is enthroned and wears a gown and a cloak with his hands presumably raised in blessing. Between his knees there is a cross bearing the bearded Christ, wearing the torse and a loincloth with his head inclined to the left. The Holy Spirit is not represented, although there is a small dowel hole at the top of the cross by which the Dove was probably attached. The carving of alabaster, mostly quarried in Tutbury and Chellaston near Nottingham, took on industrial proportions in England between the middle of the 14th and the early 16th centuries. The market for altarpieces and smaller devotional images was a large one. It included not only religious foundations but also the merchant classes. Many hundreds of English alabasters were exported, some as far afield as Iceland and Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. Alabaster - a form of gypsum - is a comparatively soft material and is therefore easy to carve. It can also be polished. Its natural colour was especially useful for the representation of faces and flesh, which would normally remain unpainted. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.53-1946 |
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| Record created | November 13, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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