Tyrol circa 1485/1490
A Tyrolese carved limewood bust of a prophet or philosopher, circa 1485/1490.
Carved three-quarters in the round and partially freestanding, the reverse flattened. With extensive remains of original polychromy.. This half-figure depiction of a clean shaven, youthful figure in classical costume shown gesticulating as though arguing could represent either an old testament prophet or an ancient philosopher. Depicted with his arms resting on a ledge draped with a lappet of his cloak, the bust presumably originates from the central shrine of a carved altarpiece, where the figure would have participated in the central scene only as a spectator, appearing through a window in the background. The figure's animated movement as well as features such as the unusual physiognomy indicate an origin in the Tyrol, within the sphere of influence of Michael Pacher's works in Bruneck im Pustertal, rather than in Swabia or the Upper Rhine Region as previously suggested.
The left hand is an old replacement. With very minimal wear. 43 x 29 x 17 cm.
Provenance
In the collection of Emil Goldschmidt, Frankfurt am Main until 1909. - In the collections of the Princes of Liechtenstein, Vienna and Vaduz until 2007. - The Dr. Bernhard Decker Collection.
Literature
A. Kronfeld: Führer durch die Fürstlich Liechtensteinische Gemäldegalerie in Wien, 3rd edition, Vienna 1931, p. XXVIII. - Exhib. cat.: Meisterwerke der Plastik aus Privatsammlungen im Bodenseegebiet, Künstlerhaus Palais Thurn und Taxis, Bregenz 1967, cat. no. 90a.