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Angel's Head

Johann (Jan) Pfister

Angel's Head ico mark
Basic information
ID
С-I-2075
Author
Johann (Jan) Pfister
Name
Angel's Head
Date of creation
17th c.
Country
Ukraine
Technique
carving polychrome gilding
Material
wood
Dimensions (height x width x depth, cm)
24 x 21.5 x 8.5
Additionally
Type
sculpture 3D
Genre
religious
Information about author
Author
Johann (Jan) Pfister
Artist's lifetime
1573–1640/1642
Biography
Johann (Jan) Pfister was a German sculptor, born in 1573 in Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland) in the family of the painter and sculptor George Pfister. He studied under masters from the Netherlands and Germany, namely Hans Fleiser, Friedrich Gross, and Gerhard Hendrick. Jan Pfister is considered to be the most outstanding sculptor at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries who worked in Ukraine and Poland. In his works, the sculptor used marble and alabaster rather than wood. He performed the best works in Lviv, Berezhany, and Tarnow. In 1615, at the request of Adam Hieronim Sieniawski, the sculptor began working in Berezhany on the tombstones of the noble Sieniawski family, namely Adam Hieronim and his three sons – Alexander, Mikolaj, and Prokop. Besides, Jan Pfister taught at a carving school in the town. Working as a court sculptor of the Sieniawski family, he carved the altar compositions in the Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary in the village of Bishche in the Ternopil region that also belonged to the family. In the 1630s, he worked on the decoration of the altar. Jan Pfister proved to be a professional sculptor who took the first steps in art under the influence of German and Dutch Mannerism.
Object description
The angel's head is executed in low relief of wood, polychrome, with an accent of gilding. Obviously, the work was part of a relief composition, possibly of a cherub. The work is characterized by a high level of professional craftsmanship. The smooth line of the oval face tapers downward, emphasising the sharp, protruding chin. The expressive face, with its high forehead, clear arcs of dark eyebrows, a straight nose with flared nostrils, almond-shaped eyes outlined by massive eyelids, and dominant red lips, is skilfully modelled. The facial expression is friendly, with melancholic notes emphasised by the upward gaze. A barely noticeable blush on the bulging cheeks brings the image to life. The voluminous, wavy strands of golden hair on one side and the high bangs in the centre add lightness to the work. Such sculptures played a crucial role in the visual culture of sacred temples and their ornate decoration. The work with the inventory number С-І-2076, which also comes from the village of Volytsia, is similar in its manner of execution and interpretation of the image.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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