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Source Description
This deacon (identified by his collar and tunic), from the order of clergy just below the priest, holds an open Gospel book, from which he would have read aloud during mass. The statue may represent the deacon Eleutherius, companion of St. Denis; they were martyred together near Paris about 275.We cannot make out the shape of his body under the heavy cloth-as one might in an Italian statue-but the swaying lines of the folds and the tilt of the man's head indicate that his weight is on his left leg, a graceful, natural stance. This is complemented by realistic details such as his bare toes. Originally the statue was painted, enhancing the naturalistic impression.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
8097
label
Deacon Holding a Book
core
obj
dtoType
sculpture
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
8097
sourceUrl
contentType
sculpture
stage
normalized
title
Deacon Holding a Book
description
This deacon (identified by his collar and tunic), from the order of clergy just below the priest, holds an open Gospel book, from which he would have read aloud during mass. The statue may represent the deacon Eleutherius, companion of St. Denis; they were martyred together near Paris about 275.We cannot make out the shape of his body under the heavy cloth-as one might in an Italian statue-but the swaying lines of the folds and the tilt of the man's head indicate that his weight is on his left leg, a graceful, natural stance. This is complemented by realistic details such as his bare toes. Originally the statue was painted, enhancing the naturalistic impression.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
1440-1470 (Renaissance)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Sculpture
statues
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
75
height
26
depth
19.5
dimensionsRaw
29 1/2 x 10 1/4 x 7 11/16 in. (75 x 26 x 19.5 cm)
Source extras
cul
Medieval European
med
limestone with traces of paint
creator_ids
6229
collection_ids
REN
exhibition_ids
380
2289
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
9967f9d920346410