{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O115692"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O115692/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AC7017/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AC7017/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AC7017","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O115692/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O115692","accessionNumber":"A.1-1988","objectType":"Sculpture","titles":[{"title":"Head of a Bearded Man","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"It is likely that this head of a bearded man formed part of the sculptural programme over one of the side portals of the Abbey Church of Saint-Gilles-du-Gard, Provence. The massive sculptural programme of the west façade of Saint-Gilles is one of the most impressive monuments of Romanesque art. The sculptures at Saint-Gilles-du-Gard represent the epitome of the Romanesque style in the Provence, incorporating strong influences from the surrounding areas, but clearly affected by the considerable remains of classical sculpture to be found in the region.","physicalDescription":"This head of a bearded man is charactarised by precisely modelled eyes and carefully defined parallel strands of hair. It has been truncated at the neck. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"limestone","id":"AAT11286"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"limestone, carved","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2006AC7017"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"8 (VA)","id":"THES49714"},"free":"","case":"CA4","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"AAT47090"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Saint-Gilles-du-Gard","id":"x39111"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1150-1175","earliest":"1150-01-01","latest":"1175-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"18","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"","value":"","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"15.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"10.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"3.25","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"including base","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Crypt of the Abbey Church of Saint-Gilles-du-Gard in 1910 (see photograph published in Charles-Roux 1910, p. 295); Dikran Kelekian, Paris, until 1941; Phillips Collection, Washington DC; purchased at Christie's (London, 8 December 1987, lot 97) for £12,265.\n\nThis head comes from the important Abbey Church of Saint-Gilles-du-Gard, south of Arles. Although it was photographed in situ in the crypt before 1910, it is not clear where exactly in the abbey it was originally located. The sculpture does not appear to have been removed from the celebrated sculptural programme on the west façade of the church, but it is possible that it belonged to one of the side portals which no longer survive. Two large fragments of a tympanon showing four apostles at the Last Judgment, now at the Musée de la maison romaine in Saint-Gilles, probably also formed part of the side portals' sculptural decoration. The heads of these apostles are the same size as the present head, and also show stilistic similarities. It is possible that the present head also belonged to this group, although this must remain a conjecture.\n\nThe sculptures at Saint-Gilles-du-Gard represent the epitome of the Romanesque style in Provence, incorporating strong influences from the surrounding areas, but clearly affected by the considerable remains of classical sculpture to be found in the region. This head has an obvious classicising manner, and demonstrates the debt owed by Romanesque sculptors to antique sculpture.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Head of a Bearded Man, limestone, South France (Provence, Saint-Gilles-du-Gard), 1150-1175","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"J. Charles-Roux, <u>Saint-Gilles: sa légende, son abbaye - ses coutumes</u>. Paris: A. Lemerre Libraire, 1910, p. 295"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Richard Hamann, <u>Die Abteikirche von St. Gilles und ihre künstlerische Nachfolge</u>. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1955, vol. 1, p. 67; vol. 2, plates 173-174"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Stephen K. Scher (ed.), <u>The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century</u>. Exhibition Catalogue, Providence, Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design. Providence, 1969"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Dorothy Glass, 'Romanesque Sculpture in American Collections. V. Washington and Baltimore', <u>Gesta</u> 9 (1970): 446-59, pp. 58-59"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Dorothea Diemer, <u>Untersuchungen zur Architektur und Skulptur der Abteikirche von Saint-Gilles</u>. Stuttgart: HochschulVerlag, 1978, pp. 10-11"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Kathryn Horste, 'Romanesque Sculpture in American Collections. XX. Ohio and Michigan', <u>Gesta</u> 21 (1982): 107-134, pp. 112-113"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"David Mickenberg (ed.), <u>Songs of Glory: Medieval Art from 900-1500</u>. Exhibition Catalogue, Oklahoma Museum of Art and Oklahoma City Art Museum. Oklahoma City: Oklahoma Museum of Art, 1985, cat. no. 9"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Paul Williamson, 'Acquisitions of Sculpture at the Victoria and Albert Museum 1986-1991: Supplement', <u>The Burlington Magazine</u> 133 (1991): 876-880, p. 877"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Paul Williamson (ed.), <u>European Sculpture at the Victoria and Albert Museum</u>. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996, p. 43"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Walter Cahn (ed.), <u>Romanesque Sculpture in American Collections</u>. Vol 2: <u>New York and New Jersey, Middle and South Atlantic States, the Midwest, Western and Pacific States</u>. Turnhout: Brepols, 1999, p. 249"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Charles T. Little (ed.), <u>Set in Stone: The Face in Medieval Sculpture</u>. Exhibition Catalogue, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2006, pp. 23-24"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"head","id":"x41705"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["A.1-1988"],"accessionNumberNum":"1","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1988,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LW0686","2022NC4327"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2005-08-24","availableToBook":false}}