Saint Mark 1625 - 1635

Charles Hoyau crafted this limewood sculpture of Saint Mark in France, sometime in the late 16th or early 17th century. Limewood is wonderfully workable, allowing for a high degree of naturalism. Look at the soft curves of the drapery, and the Saint’s flowing beard and hair. The wood seems almost to flow like water. Hoyau probably used a variety of carving tools, from gouges to chisels, to remove the wood and create this form. Given the size of the sculpture, this was no doubt a laborious and time-consuming process. What is compelling about this piece, and the period in which it was made, is how highly skilled practices of carving, such as this one, were being brought into closer proximity with the world of fine art. So the next time you look at a sculpture, don’t just consider the image, but also the hand work, the material, and the time involved.