God the Father

CultureFrench (Burgundian)
Titles
  • God the Father
Datec. 1380–1420
PlaceFrance
MediumElephant ivory
Dimensions9 3/4 × 5 1/8 × 3 in. (24.8 × 13 × 7.6 cm)
Credit LineThe Edith A. and Percy S. Straus Collection
Object number44.581
Current Location
The Audrey Jones Beck Building
201 Reckling Gallery
On view

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Object Type
Description

The revolution wrought upon the art of sculpture at the turn of the 14th century in France by a number of Netherlandish sculptors, headed by Claus Sluter and his assistant Claus de Werve, can be appreciated in the exceptionally rare ivory figure God the Father. The brilliant carving suggests that this work must have been an important commission despite its diminutive size. The abundant, spilling folds of drapery that intensify the feeling of volume and weight in the figure, the fleeting quality conveyed by his stance and hand gesture, and the realistically expressive facial features suggest a direct connection with the art of Sluter.


This small sculpture was once part of a group depicting the Christian Trinity: God the Father mostly likely held in his outstretched hand a cross supporting the body of the crucified Christ, and the Holy Spirit was represented by a dove. God the Father reflects the elegance and sophistication of the International Style that arose about 1400 and was characterized by a love of calligraphic outline and curvilinear patterns and marked a tendency toward realistic detail. Originating in the wake of social change that enabled not only princes and dukes but also the lesser nobility to become patrons of the arts, the International Style catered to aristocratic tastes throughout western Europe.


ProvenanceStated to be from Henry Garnier collection, Lyon, France; [Joseph Brummer Gallery, New York]; Percy S. Straus, January 1935; bequeathed to MFAH, 1944.
Exhibition History"A Permanent Heritage: Major Works from the Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 23, 1980–January 4, 1981.

"Images in Ivory: Precious Objects of the Gothic Age," Detroit Institute of Arts, March 9–May 11, 1997; Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, June 22–August 31, 1997.

"Art from the Court of Burgundy (1363-1419)," Musée des Beaux-Arts, Dijon, France, May 27–September 15, 2004; Cleveland Museum of Art, October 24, 2004–January 9, 2005.

"Passion for Perfection: The Straus Collection of Renaissance Art," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 21, 2017–June 17, 2018.

"New Light on Old Masters: European Art from Houston Collections," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 2, 2021–January 23, 2022.
View this object in The Straus Collection

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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