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Saint Roc
Flemish School, Malines workshop
End of the first quarter of the 16th century
162 cm (H) x 48 cm (W)
Sculpture in polychrome and gilded oak
From the São Roque Church, Funchal
Originally in the Cathedral of Funchal
MASF352 |
This large-size sculpture of Saint Roc was found in the parish Church of São Roque, in Funchal, in 1992. It entered the collections of the Museum in 1994 and was restored in 1997. However, it does not appear that this piece originated in this church, a small construction from the mid-16th century that was enlarged later. Originally, it must have been ordered for a large church in Funchal, more specifically for the Cathedral, as Saint Roc was a secondary patron saint of Funchal. The altar of Saint Roc was located in the Cathedral, in the transept, and there are accounts that it was vandalised when the French corsairs attacked in 1566. Gaspar Fructuoso affirms: They acted like lions, slashing the images, and they slashed an important image of Saint Roc that was on the altar in the transept on the Northeast side to such an extent that they cut off its arms and legs.
These words of Fructuoso are corroborated by an analysis of the sculpture, which has evident signs of mutilations. In the collar of the Saint's cape there is practically no polychrome, which was covered by motifs, such as scallop shells, the insignia of his pilgrimage, which are gone today.
After the restoration it was possible to recognise the quality of the gesso and the refined painting of the draped material, as well as the flesh and the magnificent gilding of the hair in wavy curls.
Thus, this sculpture, having lost its altar in the Cathedral, was transferred to the new church of São Roque, following a crude recuperation, until it came to be rediscovered encased in a wall.
The Saint, dressed as a pilgrim, is wearing a tunic tied with a belt, over which a short cape with a large collar is seen. His provision bag is tied next to his body with a strap that has a buckle. He is wearing high-topped boots, and with his right hand, he points to a pestiferous ulcer. There is an angel leaning against his right leg, who must be pointing in the same direction towards the Saint's ulcer.
This work must have been ordered for the Cathedral at the beginning of the second decade of the 15th century. There is a formal proximity with the images of the Calvary Scene, which is also in the collections of the Museum.
A sculpture with the same iconographic presentation is known in the collections of the Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon1, although it is a work from a Luso-Flemish workshop.
1 Erroneously presented as being St. James, in the Catalogue No Tempo das Feitorias, A Arte Portuguesa na Época dos Descobrimentos, National Museum of Ancient Art, Lisbon, 1992,
p.206. |
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