Artsonline has dated this Polychrome Saint Anthony Statue to the 1910s.
Brief Description:
This is a superb and imposing early 20th-century Continental carved and polychrome-painted wooden devotional sculpture depicting Saint Anthony of Padua holding the Infant Christ, standing an impressive 39 inches (99 cm) in height.
The composition is particularly attractive.
The Infant Christ is beautifully modelled with curling hair, delicately painted features and both arms extended outwards in blessing and welcome.
The sculpture retains a wonderfully decorative period appearance, with extensive surviving polychrome decoration throughout. Particularly appealing are the softly painted flesh tones, the warm brown Franciscan habit, cream drapery, individually modelled cord and the numerous small details of the hands, feet and facial features.
A black rosary with gilt crucifix further complements the composition.
Of particular interest is the inscription to the plinth, executed in gilt lettering:
“B. Kafka, Červený Kostelec.”
Červený Kostelec is a town in the present-day Czech Republic. The inscription warrants further research, particularly in view of the celebrated Czech sculptor Bohumil Kafka (1878–1942), although we have not independently established the authorship of this particular sculpture and therefore prefer to present the inscription exactly as it appears rather than make an unconditional attribution.
Bohumil Kafka was one of the notable Czech sculptors of the first half of the 20th century. He studied under Josef Václav Myslbek at the Prague Academy and spent several years working in Paris, where French sculpture—particularly Auguste Rodin—had an important influence upon his development. He later became Professor of Decorative Sculpture at Prague's School of Applied Arts and subsequently Professor of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts. Muzeum umění Olomouc
Standing almost one metre tall, this is a substantial and highly decorative religious sculpture with tremendous presence. Its large scale, double-figure composition, surviving polychromy and beautifully aged surface make it particularly impressive when viewed in person.
Attributes:
Early 20th Century
Circa 1900–1920
Czech / Bohemian
Carved Wood
Original Polychrome Decoration
Religious / Ecclesiastical Sculpture
Saint Anthony of Padua & Infant Christ
Inscribed: “B. Kafka, Červený Kostelec”
Standing upon its original integral painted plinth
Czechoslovakian
Condition:
The sculpture is offered in attractive, unrestored antique condition, retaining a considerable amount of its original painted decoration and a wonderful naturally aged appearance.
As should be expected from a large polychrome wooden sculpture of this age, there is general age-related wear, craquelure, rubbing and small losses to the painted surface, together with several old shrinkage splits within the timber. These are entirely consistent with its age and construction and contribute considerably to its authentic character.
There is a small loss to the tip of one of the Infant Christ's fingers, clearly illustrated in our detailed photographs.
There are also indications that the figures may originally have been fitted with halos, which are now absent. These could be sympathetically reinstated should a future owner wish to do so.
The plinth displays expected rubbing, knocks and small areas of paint loss around its extremities.
Despite these points, the sculpture remains remarkably complete, extremely decorative and structurally impressive, particularly considering its scale and age. Please study the numerous close-up photographs, which form an important part of the condition report.
Artsonline has dated this Polychrome Saint Anthony Statue to the 1910s.
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Large Antique Polychrome Carved Wood Sculpture - St. Anthony & Child – Czech
