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a close up of a wooden pole with carvings on itan image of a wooden statue of a man holding a childan old wooden statue of a man holding a basket on top of his headan old wooden carving of a man and a woman on a tree stumpan image of a piece of wood with a face carved into it
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164 - LARGE ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENT WITH GROTESQUES, in oak.
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Estimate €2,000 - €2,500
Sale commission
Description
LARGE ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENT WITH GROTESQUES, in oak. Northern France, 15th–15th centuries. H.160. A rare example, probably from a church or cathedral, which forms part of a tradition dating back to the Romanesque period and continuing until the end of the Middle Ages. Some very fine capitals of the same type, carved from stone, can be seen in the church of San Pedro Cervatos in Spain. It is reasonable to assume that this remarkable pillar is part of the Hispano-Flemish artistic tradition of northern France, which was under Spanish occupation during the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. In the medieval tradition, these contortionist grotesques, often tinged with eroticism, reveal a fantastical and surrealist spirit that can also be found in the famous Fools’ Festivals or in certain paintings by Pieter Bruegel or Hieronymus Bosch.
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About the sale WORKS OF ART AND FINE FURNISHINGS, ANTIQUE, 19TH-CENTURY AND MODERN PAINTINGS
Auction location
Auction time 07/26/2026 at 10:30 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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