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Apostle
Spanish (Farrera, Catalonia)
Medieval (Gothic)
early 13th century
Object Place: Europe, Spain
Medium/Technique
Wood with polychromy
Dimensions
31.8 x 7.0 x 4.8 cm (12 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 1 7/8 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Frank Gair Macomber
Accession Number33.642
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsSculpture
DescriptionPart of the Farrera Frontal.
ProvenanceEarly 13th century, made as part of an altar frontal for a church in Farrera, Lérida, Catalonia [see note 1]. By about 1914, frontal sold by an art dealer in Sort, Lérida, possibly through or with Celesti Dupont (dealer; b. 1859 - d. 1940), to Oleguer Junyent i Sans (b. 1876 - d. 1956), Barcelona; between 1919 and 1921, altar frontal sold by Junyent to Luis Plandiura (dealer; b. 1882 - d. 1956), Barcelona and by Plandiura to Joaquin Cabrejo (dealer), Madrid, during which time this figure was removed [see note 2]. By 1928, Arnold Seligmann, Rey and Co., Inc., New York; February 21, 1928, sold by Seligmann, Rey and Co. to Frank Gair Macomber, Palm Beach, FL; 1933, gift of Frank Gair Macomber to the MFA. (Accession Date: November 2, 1933)
NOTES:
[1] On the early history of the altar frontal from which this was removed, see Walter W. S. Cook, "A Catalan Wooden Altar Frontal from Farrera," in Medieval Studies in Memory of A. Kingsley Porter, ed. W. Koehler, vol. 1 (Cambridge, 1939), pp. 293 and 300, n. 15. Celesti Dupont, who is said to have "first brought" the altar frontal to Barcelona, stated that it came from a church near La Seo de Urgel. Olaguer Junyent stated that he purchased it from an art dealer in Sort. Cook identified it as coming from Farrera, not far from Sort.
[2] The altar frontal was photographed in 1919, when it was in the possession of Junyent. At that time this figure was still attached. The frontal then changed hands and was sold to Herbert Weissberger of Madrid, and auctioned through the American Art Association, New York, April 26-30, 1921, lot 573. By that time, this figure had been removed. See Cook 1939 (as above, n. 1).
NOTES:
[1] On the early history of the altar frontal from which this was removed, see Walter W. S. Cook, "A Catalan Wooden Altar Frontal from Farrera," in Medieval Studies in Memory of A. Kingsley Porter, ed. W. Koehler, vol. 1 (Cambridge, 1939), pp. 293 and 300, n. 15. Celesti Dupont, who is said to have "first brought" the altar frontal to Barcelona, stated that it came from a church near La Seo de Urgel. Olaguer Junyent stated that he purchased it from an art dealer in Sort. Cook identified it as coming from Farrera, not far from Sort.
[2] The altar frontal was photographed in 1919, when it was in the possession of Junyent. At that time this figure was still attached. The frontal then changed hands and was sold to Herbert Weissberger of Madrid, and auctioned through the American Art Association, New York, April 26-30, 1921, lot 573. By that time, this figure had been removed. See Cook 1939 (as above, n. 1).