Christ surrounded by the Virgin and St John, Nancy school c. 1700

Christ on the cross surrounded by the Virgin and St John, Nancy school around 1700

Sculpted group from Nancy around 1700, featuring the Christ on the cross surrounded by the Virgin and St John. Wood of Saint Lucie, related to the framed crucifixes known as Bagard. This one is distinguished by the very baroque character of the scene, and a pathos quite rare in classical “French” art.

Sculpted group from Nancy around 1700, featuring Christ on the cross surrounded by the Virgin and St John. Wood of Saint Lucie, related to the framed crucifixes known as Bagard. This one is distinguished by the very baroque character of the scene, and a pathos quite rare in classical “French” art.

The Nancy school produced at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century a significant number of similar framed groups in which Christ on the cross is surrounded by holy figures, generally the Virgin and St John - sometimes supplemented or replaced by an angel or by Saint Mary Magdalene.

These framed crucifixes are traditionally attributed to the Lorraine master César Bagard, who, although the author of several crucifixes, was more of a sculptor of "large" figures, in stone or marble. His son Toussaint Bagard was sufficiently renowned in this field for the town of Nancy to order a framed crucifix from him (the frame of which was sculpted by Vallier) for the visit of Princess Elisabeth Charlotte in 1698. However, the name of Chassel also often appears as sculptor of crucifixes, whether Charles Chassel who died in 1685 or his possible son, cited in 1699 as a sculptor of crucifixes.

It is not possible to resolve this question in the absence of a signature but some of the most beautiful crucifixes must be able to be given to the Bagard, or Chassel, workshop.

Some fingers missing, and some cracks, a natural result of the aging of Saint Lucia wood.

Period: around 1700
Provenance: France, private collection, Art market
Material: Wood of Saint Lucy (prunus mahaleb)

Dimensions of the support: 41 cm by 58 cm by 11 cm
Christ: 24 cm by 33 cm
Figure of the Virgin: height 26 cm
Figure of St John: height 25 cm