Michael Zürn the Elder - Saint Sebastian

Michael Zürn the Elder

Saint Sebastian

Wooden figure carved in the round and partially freestanding. Remains of older polychromy. This expressive and finely carved figure depicts the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian. The Saint is shown tied to the bare stump of a tree, dressed only in a perizonium and pierced with arrows. The figure displays strong parallels to two other figures of Saint Sebastian by Michael Zürn the Elder in the Badisches Landesmuseum in Karlsruhe and in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum in Munich (Zoege von Manteuffel 1969, op. cit., no. 10 & 11). Zoege von Manteuffel has confirmed this sculpture to be a work by this artist and dates it to around 1635 / 1640. The facial features and hair are also highly comparable to Michael Zürn's "John the Baptist" in the Museum Bruderkirche in Heiligkreuztal from around 1625 (Zoege von Manteuffel 1998, op. cit., p. 110).
The right foot lost, the arrows replaced. Minor vertical cracks. Losses to the back of the plinth. A small hollow with an old metal clamp to the back of the tree. Height 87 cm.

Certificate

Professor Claus Zoege von Manteuffel, Stuttgart 19.1.2005.

Provenance

South German private ownership.

Literature

For comparison see Claus Zoege von Manteuffel: Die Bildhauerfamilie Zürn 1606-1666, Weißenhorn 1969. - Ders.: Die Waldseer Bildhauer Zürn, Bad Waldsee 1998 (exhibition catalogue Museum im Kornhaus, Bad Waldsee 18.4.-1.6.1998).