Head of Saint Peter – Polychrome wood, Upper Rhine early 16th century

This striking male head, with its powerful features and inspired gaze, exemplifies the expressive strength of early sixteenth-century religious sculpture. The sculptor demonstrates exceptional skill in working the wood: the deeply carved hair and beard flow in tense, dynamic curls that contrast with the calm introspection of the face.

The light wood, finely carved, still bears traces of its original polychromy, recalling the work’s former vividness. The balance between naturalism and spirituality, the controlled tension of the modeling, and the careful rendering of the features suggest a gifted sculptor active in the sixteenth century between eastern France and Germany, particularly in the Upper Rhine region.

The short beard, marked baldness, and two locks falling across the forehead are iconographic traits typical of Saint Peter, giving the figure its apostolic identity and dignity. Probably conceived as an independent effigy, it stands as a remarkable witness to the spirituality and naturalism characteristic of workshops active between the end of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.