Sculpted in wood in 1721, six of 12 polychrome apostle statues flanking the entrance to a Breton church, L’Eglise Saint Sauveur, in Le Faou, Finistère, Brittany, France. The Apostles’ names are hand-painted in the Breton (Celtic) language on the plinths beneath their feet. The 12 statues include Saint Paul of Tarsus (left), known as Paul the Apostle, who spread the teachings of Jesus but was not one of Jesus’s 12 Apostles; the statues do not include Judas Iscariot. The statues have recently been restored and repainted.
L’Eglise Saint Sauveur, Le Faou, Finistère, Brittany, France: six of 12 polychrome apostle statues, sculpted in wood and dated 1721, in the southern porch and flanking the main entrance to the church of Saint Saviour. From left: Saint Paul of Tarsus (holding a sword, symbol of his beheading and martyrdom), James (son of Alphaeus), Andrew, Matthew (holding a spear, symbol of his martyrdom, rather than a pen, symbol of his evangelism), James (son of Zebedee, whose symbol is a cockle shell), and Thomas. The 12 apostle statues, six on either side of the porch, do not include Judas Iscariot. However, they do include Saint Paul of Tarsus (c. 5 AD - ), known as Paul the Apostle, who spread the teachings of Jesus but was not one of Jesus’s 12 Apostles. The Apostles’ names (hand-painted on plinths on which they stand) are in the Breton (Celtic) language. The statues have recently been restored and repainted. Each apostle stands in a niche with a scallop-shell hood; the borders of several hoods are decorated with sculpted rosettes. Six of the apostles hold a book in one hand (another has a book tucked under his arm). Several hold a symbol of their identity or martyrdom. The current church of Saint Saviour was rebuilt between 1544 and 1680 with a 17th century domed bell tower, double transept and ornately sculpted south porch. The south sacristy was rebuilt in 1877. Le Faou is the northern gateway to the Crozon Peninsula, situated on the River Aulne estuary.
Size: 7360px × 4912px
Location: L’Eglise Saint Sauveur, Church of Saint Saviour, Le Faou, Finistère, Brittany, France
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: 12, 1700s, 1721, 18th, ad, alphaeus, andrew, apostle, apostles, art, breton, brittany, carved, carving, catholic, ce, celtic, century, christian, church, cockle, , dated, faou, finistè, france, french, hoods, james, jesus, kerr, language, le, matthew, names, painted, paul, polychrome, religious, repainted, restored, roman, saint, sauveur, savior, saviour, scallop-shell, sculpted, sculpture, sculptured, shells, son, spear, st, statues, sword, symbols, tarsus, terence, thomas, twelve, wood, wooden, zebedee, ’eglise
