Don Quixote, Carved Wooden Sculpture, Folk Art, 20th Century

Don Quixote, the knight of the sorrowful countenance immortalized by Cervantes, has always fascinated folk sculptors. This wooden work, with its beautiful brown patina, is a striking testament to this: the figure is captured in a theatrical pose, lance in his left hand, open book held aloft in his right—as if proclaiming his ideals to the world. The artist's deliberately naive style admirably serves the subject: the angular and expressive features of the face, the slender and lean figure, the Renaissance costume with its wide sleeves and high collar, all contribute to capturing the very essence of the character—at once ridiculous and sublime. The base, imitating a cross-section of a tree trunk, anchors the figure in a folk sculpting tradition, probably Alpine or Pyrenean. A piece of character, imbued with presence, that would be equally at home in a home or a library.