Saint Simon the Zealot (left) and Saint John the Apostle holding a golden cup. Head and upper body of two of 12 polychrome apostle statues, sculpted in wood in 1721, that flank the entrance to a Breton church, L’Eglise Saint Sauveur in Le Faou, Finistère, Brittany, France. The statues have recently been restored and repainted.
L’Eglise Saint Sauveur, Le Faou, Finistère, Brittany, France: Saint Simon (left) and Saint John the Apostle. Heads and upper bodies of two 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. Saint Simon, also known as Simon the Zealot, and Saint John, also known as John the Beloved, were both among Jesus’s 12 Apostles. Saint John was the son of Zebedee and is considered the same person as St John the Evangelist, John of Patmos and the Beloved Disciple. He is often portrayed with a gold cup or chalice with a snake in it. The 12 apostle statues in the church of Saint Saviour, 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 statues have recently been restored and repainted. Each apostle stands in a niche with a scallop-shell hood. 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: 7281px × 4854px
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
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