Saint Florian, circle of Jörg Lederer (South Germany, early 16th century)

“This extremely elegant and rare statue of Saint Florian, skillfully sculpted in the round, displays all the characteristics of Germanic art of the Counter-Reformation, in the midst of the transition from Gothic to Renaissance.
Saint Florian, the patron saint of firefighters, is shown with his main attribute: the burning castle at his feet and pouring his bucket full of water over the flames in order to extinguish the fire.
Our Saint, with his neat posture and accentuated contrapposto, immediately attracts attention with his mannered attitude.
The twisting of the body, the bowed head and the gestures of the hands all contribute to animate the sculpture and give it a vivid dimension.
His bellicose, chivalrous figure is dressed in remarkably rendered armour, with high shoulder pads, a bulging breastplate, thigh-high boots and knee-pads attached by leather straps at the back, all very realistic details, as are his bear-claw solerets.
Instead of a helmet, he wears a small flat red hat on his head, and red sticky chasse tights that are visible at the back, as not all parts of his body are covered by the armour. This scarlet red colour is original and fascinating in its intensity.
As knights' armour was made in accordance with civil fashions, it can be dated in our case to around 1510-1520; the high vertical pieces on the shoulder pads and neck guards, for example, are typical of German armour from this period.
St Florian is particularly venerated in southern Germany and Austria. In churches and places of worship, the sculpture of St Florian was often accompanied by that of St George, the two guardian soldiers who stood on independent pedestals like the protectors of the large central altarpieces featuring the Virgin and Child, for example.

A favourite subject of many South German sculptors, the treatment of our saint's face takes us back to Jörg Lederer, whose male figures are characterised by somewhat serious faces, well-defined jaw lines, slightly hollow cheeks and prominent cheekbones.
An active sculptor and dealer, Lederer trained teams of craftsmen - sculptors, painters, carpenters - who, under his direction, produced works like this one. His workshop in Kaufbeuren, Bavaria, delivered works as far afield as South Tyrol in 1510/1515.

Florian of Lorch or Florian of Lorsch or Saint Florian (Florianus in Latin), born around 250 and died around 304, was an officer in the Roman army and military administrator of a town in the Roman province of Noricum. He was a Christian, but kept his faith hidden.
It is said that he saved a village from a fire by praying and symbolically seeing himself throwing a bucket of water to put it out; this is why he is associated with firemen and all those who protect against fire, including chimney sweeps.
During Diocletian's persecutions, when he refused to execute a group of Christians, he was drowned in the River Enns with a stone around his neck. He is celebrated on 4 May as a saint and martyr by both Catholics and Orthodox. (Text by Mr. N. Lenté, member of the French association of Art Experts CEA or ‘Chambre d’Expertise en Antiquités, Objets d’Art et Oeuvres Contemporaines).

Artist: Circle of Jörg Lederer (Füssen 1470 – 1550 Kaufbeuren)
Period: beginning 16th century (1510-1525)
Condition: Excellent (some traces of woodworm, two fingers of left hand re-attached)

Material: Painted limewood
Width: 33 cm
Length: 97 cm
Depth: 26 cm

Provenance:
Herman Plenge Antiques Amsterdam 2005 /
Antiquités Promenade (Paris)

A similar sculpture (style, dimensions, period, condition) also attributed to the circle of Jörg Lederer has been offered for sale by Sotheby’s with an estimation of 25.000 – 30.000 GBP: Sotheby’s Old Master Sculpture & Works of Art, London, 10 December 2015 (Lot 347) ‘Saint Florian, Circle of Jörg Lederer:
https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2015/old-master-sculpture-art-l15233/lot.347.html