Circle of Niclaus Gerhaert (circa 1420 – 1473) French, possibly Alsace, second half 15th century

Collection Jacqueline Boccador, Paris

Losses and weathering. Chip to end of nose. Remainders of polychromy.
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Niclaus Gerhaert was probably the most influential northern European sculptor of the 15th century. His skill in rendering naturalistic details, particularly in his faces, was deeply rooted in the art of his native land, Holland, and informed sculptors like Veit Stoss and Tilman Riemenschneider.

The carving of the present head resembles some of the few surviving stone sculptures by Gerhaert in the realistic treatment of the furrowed brow, the hollowed and high cheekbones and the lines around the eyes. From 1462-1467, Gerhaert worked in Strasbourg where he carved the Head of a Man with Turban for the portal in the Great door of the Strasbourg Chancellery (op.cit., no. 2a, p. 206) which provides notable points of comparison with the present head.

RELATED LITERATURE
Niclaus Gerhaert: der Bildhauer des Späten Mittelalters, exhibition catalogue, Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung, Frankfurt am Main, 27 October 2011- 4 March 2012 and Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame, Straßburg, 30 March -8 July 2012