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799 - Gilt copper sculpture of Saint John the Evangelist, Treasury…
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Estimate €15,000 - €80,000
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Description
Gilt copper sculpture of Saint John the Evangelist, Treasury of Rouen Cathedral, France, 18th century (c. 1776) Gilt copper, repoussé and engraved. Dimensions: 21.5 x 7.7 cm. This small appliqué statue of Saint John the Evangelist was originally part of the Gothic reliquary shrine of the Church of Saint Romain in Rouen, a 13th-century masterpiece of medieval goldsmithing. Designed in the form of a chapel with pinnacles, it served as an architectural reliquary casket and was decorated with champlevé enamels, mounted on a wooden structure. Originally, it housed the relics of several saints, but since 1776, it has preserved only those of Saint Romain, a bishop venerated for the miracle of chaining a gargoyle that once terrorised the city. Over the centuries, the reliquary has undergone several restorations—in 1776, 1833, 1869 and 1956. The most recent restoration, in 2021, was led by Anne-Marie Geffroy and supervised by the DRAC Normandie, during which the corner buttresses and dislodged pinnacles were reinforced. In its current form, the reliquary comprises fourteen statuettes: the twelve apostles, Christ, and the Virgin and Child. Most are 13th-century repoussé copper, whilst some additional elements in cast copper date from the 18th century, and others in electroplated copper come from the 19th century, resulting in a blend of styles and techniques accumulated through various restorations. One of the statuettes, Saint James the Greater, is now housed in the Musée du Louvre (Musée du Louvre, Inv. CL 0101 1568); it was removed from the reliquary at some point and was not altered during the 18th- and 19th-century restorations. The original Saint John the Evangelist, which remained in place until 1776, is now preserved in the Wallace Collection in London and was likely replaced at that time by the cast copper copy we now possess. From a technical standpoint, the current piece appears to correspond to the version used in the 1776 restoration. It is ...
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About the sale GRAND SUMMER AUCTION OF HAUTE ÉPOQUE AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Auction location
Auction time 06/29/2026 at 4:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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