Bishop and Two Men

Place of OriginProbably Burgundy, France

Dateabout 1400-1450

Dimensions25 × 16 3/4 × 6 1/2 in. (63.5 × 42.5 × 16.5 cm)
base: 2 1/4 × 16 3/4 × 6 1/2 in. (5.7 × 42.5 × 16.5 cm)

MediumLimestone

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number

1926.151

Not on View

Collections

Sculpture

Published References

Gillerman, Dorothy, ed., Gothic Sculpture in America, II: the Museums of the Midwest, Turnhout, Brepols, 2001, p. 381-383, no. 272, repr. p. 382.

Label TextThis sculptural group probably once formed part of a carved stone Christian altarpiece in the Burgundy region of France, perhaps a narrative of the life of a saint. Their gestures and interactions suggest the three men react to an unknown event taking place to their right. The figure on the left probably represents a bishop, as he wears a miter (ecclesiastical headgear) and carries an elaborate crosier (staff) with foliate decoration. He points to his right, while turning his head to converse with the man standing just behind him. The hooded individual appears to listen intently. The third figure in the group wears a heavy, full-length garment belted at the waist with puffy, bag-like sleeves characteristic of French fashion in the early 15th century. This man’s fur-trimmed cuffs, heavy neck chain, and money bag or alms purse hanging from his belt indicate his wealth. In addition, his twisted turban of crushed fabric distinguish him as a prosperous man probably from the East. Turbans were frequently employed in medieval Western European art as a sign of being foreign. Artists depicted figures wearing turbans to stereotype them as Muslims, Jews, or more generally as men from the East, or as individuals far removed in time, like from the Old Testament.