French
18th century or possibly earlier
Wood with gesso and paint
Height 36" (91.4 cm) x Width 21 1/2" (54.6 cm) x Depth 3" (7.6 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Doylestown, PA
This tall, narrow carved wood panel depicts a standing bishop saint in full episcopal regalia, wearing a mitre and holding a staff or crozier, the figure set within a shallow architectural niche with swag decoration at the top. Panels of this type were produced in France from the medieval period through the 18th century for church furnishings, altarpieces, confessional surrounds, and choir stalls, where individual saints in relief formed part of larger decorative programs. The dating to the 18th century or possibly earlier reflects the conservative nature of French ecclesiastical carving, which often maintained earlier stylistic conventions well into the Baroque period.
The gesso and polychrome surface retains evidence of its original painted finish, with areas of warm ochre, red, and traces of gilding visible in the folds of the bishop's vestments. The relief carving is competent and assured, with the drapery rendered in broad, simplified folds characteristic of provincial French religious woodwork. At 36" in height the panel has considerable presence and would read as an architectural element rather than a portable devotional object.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
French
18th century or possibly earlier
Wood with gesso and paint
Height 36" (91.4 cm) x Width 21 1/2" (54.6 cm) x Depth 3" (7.6 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Doylestown, PA
This tall, narrow carved wood panel depicts a standing bishop saint in full episcopal regalia, wearing a mitre and holding a staff or crozier, the figure set within a shallow architectural niche with swag decoration at the top. Panels of this type were produced in France from the medieval period through the 18th century for church furnishings, altarpieces, confessional surrounds, and choir stalls, where individual saints in relief formed part of larger decorative programs. The dating to the 18th century or possibly earlier reflects the conservative nature of French ecclesiastical carving, which often maintained earlier stylistic conventions well into the Baroque period.
The gesso and polychrome surface retains evidence of its original painted finish, with areas of warm ochre, red, and traces of gilding visible in the folds of the bishop's vestments. The relief carving is competent and assured, with the drapery rendered in broad, simplified folds characteristic of provincial French religious woodwork. At 36" in height the panel has considerable presence and would read as an architectural element rather than a portable devotional object.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
