Saint Paul the Apostle

linden wood, stained and varnished, now exposed, originally polychromed and gilded; remnants of chalk ground and traces of original polychromy with gilding preserved; height 187 cm;
Rhineland or Dutch?, Burgundian sculptor ?, 1st quarter of 15th century.
Enclosed is an expert opinion by Dr. Jakub Sito

This outstanding Gothic sculpture was created in German circles; it depicts St. Paul, as evidenced by the gesture of the left hand originally holding a sword (the circular hole visible in the base is a second evidence of this). Large in size, the sculpture almost certainly hung on a pillar of the church's nave as part of a sculptural cycle of apostles typical of larger churches in this medieval period. It is an excellent example of the late phase of the International Style - this is evidenced by the proportions of the body, the type of idealized, somewhat flattened face, and above all, the shape of the drapery flowing down in parallel, softly arranged, as if ornamental folds, involving parallel folds and few folds. The circular base covered with specific species of flowers, in turn, is an example of the heightened interest in nature characteristic of the 1st half of the 15th century.
"This work, which is outstanding in Europe, clearly points to a specific geographical circle as the place of its creation. For the figure must, I believe, have been created in one of the sculptural centers of the broad geographical belt between the Meuse, Moselle and Rhine, where the art of the 1st quarter of the 15th century was formed under the influence of the artistic culture of Burgundy of the late 14th and early next century. The elegant arrangement of the folds of the mantle, especially its spellings in the areas curled up and hiding under the top folds, as well as the parallel folds, are highly reminiscent of the solutions introduced by the most prominent Burgundian sculptor, Claus Sluter, active in Dijon (c. 1355-1406/1405). Sluter influenced a whole subsequent generation of mostly anonymous sculptors active both in Burgundy and the Netherlands, as well as in the western German states across the Rhine. In addition to elements of the so-called "beautiful style" characteristic of the 2nd half of the 14th century, culminating around 1400, with its typical elegance, grace, allure, and courtliness of poses and gestures, one can also observe a naturalistic factor growing in the 15th century in the sculpture of St. Paul under discussion. It is represented, for example, by the heavily manicured hands, bony toes, or the aforementioned interest in flora (specific species of flowers on the base)."
[excerpts from the opinion of Dr. Jakub Sito].