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Lot Essay
Cette paire de figures faisait partie de la collection de Narcís Ricart i Coll (1884-1959). Né à Mataro, ville où il a ouvert son premier magasin spécialisé dans la vente de céramiques de sa production, il s'installe à Barcelone entre 1915 et 1920 avec l'intention de donner une plus grande impulsion à son entreprise. Il se diversifie alors dans le domaine des crèmes et des cires de paraffine. Le succès de son entreprise l'amène à construire une usine plus grande à Barcelone dans les années 1930. Il achete pour la première fois en 1936 une figure du Christ, comme l'indique l'inventaire de sa collection. Bien qu’il commence tardivement à créer sa collection, celle-ci est considérablement augmentée en peu de temps. En quelques années, il accumule tellement de sculptures, dont certaines grandeur nature tels que notre Vierge et saint Jean, qu'elles nécessitent un espace dédié. C'est ainsi qu'il décide de les installer dans les locaux attenants à son bureau professionnel de la rue Alta de San Pedro à Barcelone, avec une présentation muséale et en rendant l’espace accessible aux chercheurs et musées.
Ces figures entouraient à l’origine celle du Christ en Croix et composaient une grande scène de Crucifixion, conformément à la tradition. Cette représentation est à relier directement au fait que Jean l’Évangéliste aurait été le seul des disciples masculins à rester auprès du Christ dans ses derniers instants. C'est à ce moment-là que le Christ confie sa Mère à Jean (Jean : Chapitre 19, versets 26-27).
Ce groupe est d’une taille impressionnante et les visages très expressifs permettent un rapprochement avec une paire conservée au Museu Frederic Marès de Barcelone, présentée comme provenant de Castille et datant du milieu du XIVe siècle (Espaňol i Bertran et J Yuarza Luaces, op. cit., n° 167, p. 223).
The present pair of figures once formed part of the collection of Narcís Ricart i Coll (1884-1959). Born in Mataro, where he opened his first shop specialising in the sale of ceramics of his own production, he moved to Barcelona between 1915 and 1920, with the intention of giving his business a greater importance. He diversified into the field of creams and paraffin waxes. The success of his business led him to set up an even larger factory in Barcelona in the 1930s. In 1936 he bought his first figure of Christ, as the inventory of his collection shows. Although he started his collection late, it must be said that it grew considerably and fast. In a few years he accumulated so many sculptures, some of them life-size such as our figures of The Virgin and St. John, that they required a dedicated space. He therefore decided to display them in the premises adjoining his professional office in Alta de San Pedro Street in Barcelona, with a museum presentation and by deciding to open it to researchers and museums.
These figures would originally have flanked a figure of Christ on the cross in a large scene of the Crucifixion, following a long-standing tradition in art history. It stems from the fact that John the Evangelist is said to have been the only one of the male disciples to remain with Christ in his final moments. It is at this point that Christ entrusts the care of his mother to John (John: chapter 19, verses 26-27).
The present figures are notable for their impressive scale and expressive faces, and can be compared to a similar pair in the Museu Frederic Marès in Barcelona, catalogued as 'Castile, late 13th century' (Espaňol i Bertran and J Yuarza Luaces, op. cit., no. 144, p. 205).
Ces figures entouraient à l’origine celle du Christ en Croix et composaient une grande scène de Crucifixion, conformément à la tradition. Cette représentation est à relier directement au fait que Jean l’Évangéliste aurait été le seul des disciples masculins à rester auprès du Christ dans ses derniers instants. C'est à ce moment-là que le Christ confie sa Mère à Jean (Jean : Chapitre 19, versets 26-27).
Ce groupe est d’une taille impressionnante et les visages très expressifs permettent un rapprochement avec une paire conservée au Museu Frederic Marès de Barcelone, présentée comme provenant de Castille et datant du milieu du XIVe siècle (Espaňol i Bertran et J Yuarza Luaces, op. cit., n° 167, p. 223).
The present pair of figures once formed part of the collection of Narcís Ricart i Coll (1884-1959). Born in Mataro, where he opened his first shop specialising in the sale of ceramics of his own production, he moved to Barcelona between 1915 and 1920, with the intention of giving his business a greater importance. He diversified into the field of creams and paraffin waxes. The success of his business led him to set up an even larger factory in Barcelona in the 1930s. In 1936 he bought his first figure of Christ, as the inventory of his collection shows. Although he started his collection late, it must be said that it grew considerably and fast. In a few years he accumulated so many sculptures, some of them life-size such as our figures of The Virgin and St. John, that they required a dedicated space. He therefore decided to display them in the premises adjoining his professional office in Alta de San Pedro Street in Barcelona, with a museum presentation and by deciding to open it to researchers and museums.
These figures would originally have flanked a figure of Christ on the cross in a large scene of the Crucifixion, following a long-standing tradition in art history. It stems from the fact that John the Evangelist is said to have been the only one of the male disciples to remain with Christ in his final moments. It is at this point that Christ entrusts the care of his mother to John (John: chapter 19, verses 26-27).
The present figures are notable for their impressive scale and expressive faces, and can be compared to a similar pair in the Museu Frederic Marès in Barcelona, catalogued as 'Castile, late 13th century' (Espaňol i Bertran and J Yuarza Luaces, op. cit., no. 144, p. 205).