Holy Bishop in polychromed stone - Picardy, Amiens 15th century

Made in a chalk exclusively mined in the vicinity of Amiens and Rouen, this remarkable fragmentary sculpture depicts a holy bishop who was once mitered, dressed in a sumptuous dalmatic. This one is adorned with rich ornamental braids and silk threads brilliantly carved in the stone, with meticulousness and finesse. The highly ornamental character of the work invites us to attribute it to a talented sculptor active in the last quarter of the 15th century. The bonhomie which emanates from it, carried by the smiling face of the holy bishop is quite characteristic of sculpture from Picardy . This sculpture also finds some echoes in the polychromed low reliefs of the Legend of Saint Firmin, made between 1490 and 1530, which adorn the southern ambulatory of the Cathedral of Amiens.