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Saint Denis, Holding His Severed Head
Saint Denis is commonly depicted as if alive but holding his severed head, as he is in this striking image. In the mid 3rd century, the pope sent Denis and other missionaries to what is now France to give support to the struggling Christian church there. He and his companion, the deacon Eleutherius, built a church on an island in the middle of the Seine River by the village that became Paris. Their activities angered the Roman governor, who had them decapitated. The veneration of Saint Denis gradually became a national devotion.
The simple modeling and use of paint reflect the naturalism of Burgundian sculpture.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Sam Fogg Gallery, London [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 2002, by purchase.
Geographies
France, Burgundy (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 22 13/16 x W: 8 11/16 x D: 6 11/16 in. (58 x 22 x 17 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase with funds provided by an anonymous donor, 2002
Location in Museum
Centre Street: Third Floor: 15th-Century Art of Northern Europe
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
27.606