Corpus Figure, 2nd Half 17th Century

Germany late 17th century
Fruitwood
51.5 cm x 38 cm
small losses on two fingers of the left hand, otherwise very good condition.

Since the Middle Ages, sculpture studios in southwest Germany and the Alps have excelled in making small religious or secular works, contrasting an extremely detailed finish with a delicate polish of the surfaces. Boxwood and pear were particularly sought after because the dense grain of these essences made it possible to push the technical execution to a tour-de-force, like here the openwork crown of thorns. The polish of the surface here reveals the perfect understanding of the anatomy of the flesh, the skeleton and the venous network. This large and powerfully expressive work is a magnificent example of this tradition.