Masterpieces

The “melancholic” Apostle from the Sainte-Chapelle, Cl. 18665 © GrandPalaisRmn / Michel Urtado

The “melancholic” Apostle from the Sainte-Chapelle, Cl. 18665 (detail) © GrandPalaisRmn / Michel Urtado

The “melancholic” Apostle from the Sainte-Chapelle, Cl. 18665 © GrandPalaisRmn / Michel Urtado

Saint John from the Sainte-Chapelle, Cl. 18666 © GrandPalaisRmn / Michel Urtado

Saint John from the Sainte-Chapelle, Cl. 18666 © GrandPalaisRmn / Michel Urtado

Saint John from the Sainte-Chapelle, Cl. 18666 © GrandPalaisRmn / Michel Urtado

Apostle “with the head of a philosopher” from the Sainte-Chapelle, Cl. 18667 © GrandPalaisRmn / Michel Urtado

Apostles from the Sainte-Chapelle

The “melancholic” Apostle, Saint John, Apostle “with the head of a philosopher”

Description

On display - room 8

1243-1248

High Middle Ages

The 12 statues of Apostles from inside the Sainte-Chapelle were deposited during the Revolution. Six of them, three of which are entirely preserved, were sent to the Musée de Cluny.

St John is recognizable for his youthful face. The two other, unidentified apostles are known as the Apostle “with the head of a philosopher” and the “melancholic” Apostle. These designations highlight the work on individualization and the interest in ancient art that can be seen in their faces.

The sculptor’s talent is also expressed through the monumental treatment of the bodies, enveloped in dynamic drapery, broken up with V-shaped folds or falling in great vertical lengths. These are remarkable examples of the “classical” Gothic style that flourished in the time of St Louis.

From one artwork to another

Head of the king of Judah No. 6, Notre-Dame de Paris, Cl. 22988 © GrandPalaisRmn / René-Gabriel Ojeda

Heads of the kings of Judah

First half of the 13th century