Description
Female head, ? recumbent, in applied limestone with traces of monochrome on the cheeks. Oval face with eyes slit to the temples, swollen eyelids, well-defined mouth with upturned corners, round chin; hair divided by a median parting covered by a pleated veil. Languedoc, around the Master of Combefa, late 15th century H. 14.5 cm - L. 12 cm - Th. 8 cm (minor scratches, mainly on the nose) This astonishing head shows traces of gradine on the upper and right side of the veil, suggesting that it was placed under a canopy. The highly individual stylization of the eyes and the careful treatment of the lips, as well as the quality of the limestone used, are reminiscent of the characteristics of Languedoc sculpture. A case in point is the Mise au tombeau from Monestiés-sur-Gérou (Tarn) (fig. a and b). This exceptional polychromed limestone ensemble comprises a Christ on the Cross, a Lamentation and a Entombment, with no fewer than twenty figures. Before being placed in the chapel of the Hôpital Saint-Jacques in Monestiés, it had been commissioned by Louis d'Amboise for the chapel of his Château de Combefa, consecrated in 1490. Although several hands are acknowledged to have worked on this commission, a common typology emerges in the physiognomy of the female faces, recognized as unique in the art of medieval statuary. The anonymous master who inspired this very particular style was referred to by default as Maître de Combéfa in Jacques Baudoin's book on Rouergue and Languedoc. Provenance : - Former Périgord collection for over twenty years. Book consulted : - J. Baudoin, Rouergue - Languedoc, La sculpture flamboyante, ed. Créer, Nonette, n.d., p. 249-257
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Female head, ? recumbent, in applied limestone with traces of monochrome on the cheeks. Oval face with eyes slit to the temples, swollen eyelids, well-defined mouth with upturned corners, round chin; hair divided by a median parting covered by a pleated veil. Languedoc, around the Master of Combefa, late 15th century H. 14.5 cm - L. 12 cm - Th. 8 cm (minor scratches, mainly on the nose) This astonishing head shows traces of gradine on the upper and right side of the veil, suggesting that it was placed under a canopy. The highly individual stylization of the eyes and the careful treatment of the lips, as well as the quality of the limestone used, are reminiscent of the characteristics of Languedoc sculpture. A case in point is the Mise au tombeau from Monestiés-sur-Gérou (Tarn) (fig. a and b). This exceptional polychromed limestone ensemble comprises a Christ on the Cross, a Lamentation and a Entombment, with no fewer than twenty figures. Before being placed in the chapel of the Hôpital Saint-Jacques in Monestiés, it had been commissioned by Louis d'Amboise for the chapel of his Château de Combefa, consecrated in 1490. Although several hands are acknowledged to have worked on this commission, a common typology emerges in the physiognomy of the female faces, recognized as unique in the art of medieval statuary. The anonymous master who inspired this very particular style was referred to by default as Maître de Combéfa in Jacques Baudoin's book on Rouergue and Languedoc. Provenance : - Former Périgord collection for over twenty years. Book consulted : - J. Baudoin, Rouergue - Languedoc, La sculpture flamboyante, ed. Créer, Nonette, n.d., p. 249-257
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