Saint Gregory from the church in Rzepiennik Biskupi
Author: Author unknown
Date of creation: around 1510
Dimensions: height 71 cm, width 38.5 cm
Technique: wood carving
The sculpture shows Saint Gregory sitting at a lectern with a book. He wears a papal crown on his head, the so-called tiara. He is dressed in loose, long robes. Next to the lectern stands a long-haired young man in a robe reaching his feet. The sculpture has a light brown colour of wood. Its surface shows traces of paint and numerous damages: irregularly shaped holes, abrasions, discolouration. The work is placed in the museum on a wooden pedestal.
The tiara on Saint Gregory’s head consists of three gilded diadems arranged in tiers. The lowest has the largest diameter, the highest tier – the smallest diameter. A semicircular grey cap emerges from the centre of the highest one. The diadems are decorated with carvings in a shape similar to flowers with three petals; they run around the diadems. The saint’s large eyes look into the distance. Gregory’s face is long and smooth, with a large nose and full lips. The loose robes with wide sleeves flow down in numerous folds, covering his feet.
The piece of furniture Saint Gregory sits on is very simple. It is a type of stool. The four, slightly crooked legs are vertical bars. They rise above the seat. Higher in the back, lower in the front. The saint holds one of these protruding bars with his right hand. He rests his left hand on the book lying on the lectern at the height of his chest. The lectern stands right next to Gregory, at his left side. It consists of a stand and a vertical bar ending in a flat book rest attached at an angle.
The young man stands by the lectern bar. He is proportionally much smaller than the saint. His head is below the lectern, at the height of Gregory’s waist. He holds the bar with his right hand. His hair flows down to his shoulders in curling locks. A faint smile plays across his face. A wide ribbon wraps around his long robe. The young man holds the ribbon with his left hand at his hips.
