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Head of a Cleric from a Tomb Effigy

1450–60
Not on view
The identity of this remarkably realistic portrait is not known, but the shaved head (tonsure) indicates that a priest or a monk is represented. The supposed Moyenmoutier origin and similar sculptures in Basel and the Upper Rhine region suggest a creative, itinerant carver working in eastern France.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Head of a Cleric from a Tomb Effigy
  • Date: 1450–60
  • Geography: Made in France
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Red sandstone
  • Dimensions: Overall: 9 5/8 x 6 3/4 x 7 9/16 in. (24.5 x 17.2 x 19.2 cm)
    Overall (with base): 16 1/4 x 5 11/16 x 7 9/16 in. (41.3 x 14.5 x 19.2 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Stone
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1947
  • Object Number: 47.42
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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Head of a Cleric from a Tomb Effigy - French - The Metropolitan Museum of Art