Saint Francis de Sales 1740 - 1800

Curator: Here we have a sculpture dating from 1740 to 1800, a piece identified as "Saint Francis de Sales" and attributed to the Haly workshop. It’s currently housed here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: It feels immediately ornate, almost like a precious reliquary, but the diminutive scale undercuts any sense of grandeur. It's intensely detailed, though. Curator: Absolutely. The artists’ mastery over these various materials—wood, glass, and ceramic—is really showcased in miniature. I'm particularly drawn to how Francis's vestments are meticulously detailed with tiny crosses. Consider the cultural significance, too: Saint Francis de Sales was a key figure in the Catholic Reformation. Editor: Those crosses jump out to me too. There’s a tension in that ornamentation; they are simultaneously drawing attention to and decorating a devotional message, aren’t they? And how do you interpret the setting? That tiny tree behind him almost seems to weigh down on the figure, obscuring him. Curator: The tree is intriguing. I think it reinforces the themes of introspection and spiritual contemplation strongly associated with St. Francis. It recalls imagery related to paradise and the contemplative life. I see this tiny sculpture serving perhaps as a personal devotional aid—the Baroque style suggesting a certain kind of theatrical piety. Editor: Yes, “theatrical” is right. All the meticulously crafted elements draw the eye—the figure's pose, the embroidered vestments, the diminutive flowers around the base, the subtle palette. The sculpture is like a condensed stage. It asks, perhaps insists, that we examine these objects, these symbols very closely. Curator: I think you have pinpointed what makes this piece so intriguing. The artists certainly intended this little figure to speak profoundly. Thank you. Editor: An incredibly affecting piece once you delve in. A lovely encounter.