Corbel with Portrait Bust Holding Instrument in Mouth from the Monastery Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Grande-Sauve - French

Gift of Kate S. Buckingham

"Corbel with Portrait Bust Holding Instrument in Mouth from the Monastery Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Grande-Sauve" by French (1100-25) Limestone.

Commentary

"Corbel with Portrait Bust Holding Instrument in Mouth from the Monastery Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Grande-Sauve" by French (1100-25) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Because the work is spatial, changes in v iewpoint and light can noticeably alter its emotional impact. Themes to notice include medieval, architectural sculpture. This piece is held in the source collection's Painting and Sculpture of Europe collection. French is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: French; Aquitaine. The work is cataloged within a France cultural context. It is associated with the medieval period. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as architectural sculpture, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Limestone) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (44.5 × 35.6 × 50.8 cm (18 1/4 × 14 × 20 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include medieval, architectural sculpture. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/14438

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data