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Title

Standing Deacon Saint

sculptor

Maestro de Covarrubias (?, ca. 1480 - ?, ?)

Generic classification
Sculpture
Object
Sculpture
Date
ca. 1510-1515
Century
First quarter of the 16th c.
Cultural context / style
Renaissance
Dimensions
41-1/4 x 12-1/4 x 9 in
Material
Wood
Technique
Gilded, Polychrome
Iconography / Theme
Diácono
Provenance
Possible origin in the province of Burgos (Burgos, Spain)
Current location
Indianapolis Museum of Art (Indianápolis, United States)
Inventory Number in Current Collection
57.102
Object history

This sculpture has been the subject of numerous interpretations regarding its representation: Stokstad (1961) proposed the possibility that it depicts Saint Vincent due to the saw it holds in its hand; Hernández Redondo (2001) suggested that the saw was a later addition and that it originally would have had a grill, indicating it represented Saint Lawrence. However, the museum has rejected both hypotheses, asserting that it depicts a deacon.

The original location for which the sculpture was intended remains unknown. Initially, it was thought to originate from Burgos, although Stokstad (1961) leaned towards Toledo. She compared it to the tomb of Pedro de Valderrábano, located in the cathedral of Ávila. Nonetheless, Stratton (1993) later reaffirmed in a subsequent study that the sculpture must be from Burgos, a hypothesis corroborated by Hernández Redondo (2001). In any case, this piece became part of the collection of the Count of las Almenas in the early 20th century. Years later, in 1927, he put numerous artworks up for sale in New York, including this sculpture (Stapley and Byne, 1927). The firm in charge of the sale was French & Company (Gillerman, 2001). It was in that year that the Indianapolis Museum of Art purchased it (Hernández Redondo, 2001).

Description
 

The carving depicts a man adorned in a golden dalmatic. Although there have been various interpretations regarding his identity, the museum leans towards the belief that he is a deacon. In his right hand, he holds a book, and in his left hand, a saw.

* The relative location of dealers, antique shops, art galleries, and collectors leads us to the places where they were based or had one of their main headquarters. However, this does not always indicate that every artwork that passed through their hands was physically located there. In the case of antique dealers and art merchants, their business often extended across multiple territories; sometimes they would purchase items at their origin and send them directly to clients. Similarly, some collectors owned multiple residences, sometimes in different countries, where they housed their collections. It is often difficult to determine exactly where a specific piece was kept during its time in their possession. Consequently, the main location of the dealer or collector is indicated. These factors should be considered when interpreting the map. Refer to the object's history in each case.
Bibliography
  • GILLERMAN, Dorothy (2001): Gothic Sculpture in America, vol. II, Brepols, Turnhout, pp. 74-75.
  • HERNÁNDEZ REDONDO, José Ignacio (2001): "En torno al maestro de Covarrubias", en Actas del Congreso Internacional sobre Gil de Siloé y la escultura de su época, Institución Fernán González, Real Academia Burgense de Historia y Bellas Artes, Burgos, pp. 254-255.
  • STAPLEY BYNE, Mildred, BYNE, Arthur y CANESSA, Ercole (1927): Spanish Art Collection of the Conde de las Almenas, Madrid, American Art Association, New York, pp. 204-205.
  • STOKSTAD, Marilyn (1961): "A Spanish Deacon Martyr in Wood", vol. 48, nº 3, Bulletin John Herron Art Institute, pp. 47-54.
  • STRATTON, Suzanne (1992): Spanish Polychrome Sculpture 1500-1800 in U. S. Collections, University of Washington Press, Washington, p. 161.
Citation:

Isabel Escalera Fernández, "Standing Deacon Saint" in Nostra et Mundi. Cultural Heritage from Castile and Leon around the world, Fundación Castilla y León, 2025. https://inventario.nostraetmundi.com/en/work/56

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