Holy Family1870–189033 1/4 × 28 × 14 1/2"Poplar, pine, mapleGift of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Fitz Randolph Jr.1996.6.10All three figures bear the marks of the stigmata on hands and feet1537722315Artist unidentifiedSculptureThe American Folk Art Museum believes this work to be in the public domain. BaltimoreBaltimoreUnited StatesMarylandThree Dimensional WorksBaltimoreReligiousSinuous lines, fluid draping, and heart-shaped curves on the breasts of Joseph and Mary relate this sculpted group of the holy family to furniture styles of the late nineteenth century that were instigated by the aesthetic movement and a rejection of industrial production in favor of the touch of the human hand. Although the artist of this timeless and moving representation has not been identified, similarities have been noted with the work of John Philip Yaeger, a German-born woodcarver who was living and working in Baltimore, where he advertised himself as a “plain, ornamental and fancy carver.” Remembered principally for his cigar store figures, Yaeger was among those capable of carving life-size figures for churches, ships, and other purposes.
Beautifully balanced and proportioned, both of the adult figures tenderly hold one arm of the infant and reveal one foot beneath the pooled garments, as though together they form a single person. The infant Jesus raises one hand in the gesture of blessing. The still family group resonates with the spiritual power and iconic presence of sculpture of the medieval era, a period that greatly influenced the decorative arts of the day. It was probably intended to be placed within a niche or chapel of a Roman Catholic parish church, school, or other institution.
Stacy C. Hollander, “Holy Family,” exhibition label for Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum. Stacy C. Hollander and Valérie Rousseau, curators. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2014. SCULPTUREAlthough the artist who created this moving representation of the Holy Family has not been identified, the figure shares stylistic and technical similarities with the work of John Philip Yaeger, who advertised as a “plain, ornamental and fancy carver” in nineteenth-century Baltimore. The German-born woodcarver, who had been a student for the priesthood, immigrated to Montreal in 1846. Within two years he was living and working in Baltimore. Remembered principally for his cigar store figures, he is known to have taken commissions for church and ship carving and to have made molds for castings as well.
This spare but elegant figure, which resonates with the spiritual power and iconic presence of medieval sculpture, was probably intended to be placed within a niche or chapel of a Roman Catholic parish church, school, or other institution. With the encouragement of the Franciscans, who sought to emphasize the humanity of Jesus, veneration of the Holy Family—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the symbol of a perfect family unit—first became a feature of popular piety among Catholics in the Middle Ages. The Church dedicates a feast day, generally the first Sunday after Christmas, to devotion of the Holy Family.18701890 1996 6 1 ReligiousSinuous lines, fluid draping, and heart-shaped curves on the breasts of Joseph and Mary relate this sculpted group of the holy family to furniture styles of the late nineteenth century that were instigated by the aesthetic movement and a rejection of industrial production in favor of the touch of the human hand. Although the artist of this timeless and moving representation has not been identified, similarities have been noted with the work of John Philip Yaeger, a German-born woodcarver who was living and working in Baltimore, where he advertised himself as a “plain, ornamental and fancy carver.” Remembered principally for his cigar store figures, Yaeger was among those capable of carving life-size figures for churches, ships, and other purposes.
Beautifully balanced and proportioned, both of the adult figures tenderly hold one arm of the infant and reveal one foot beneath the pooled garments, as though together they form a single person. The infant Jesus raises one hand in the gesture of blessing. The still family group resonates with the spiritual power and iconic presence of sculpture of the medieval era, a period that greatly influenced the decorative arts of the day. It was probably intended to be placed within a niche or chapel of a Roman Catholic parish church, school, or other institution.
Stacy C. Hollander, “Holy Family,” exhibition label for Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum. Stacy C. Hollander and Valérie Rousseau, curators. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2014. SCULPTUREAlthough the artist who created this moving representation of the Holy Family has not been identified, the figure shares stylistic and technical similarities with the work of John Philip Yaeger, who advertised as a “plain, ornamental and fancy carver” in nineteenth-century Baltimore. The German-born woodcarver, who had been a student for the priesthood, immigrated to Montreal in 1846. Within two years he was living and working in Baltimore. Remembered principally for his cigar store figures, he is known to have taken commissions for church and ship carving and to have made molds for castings as well.
This spare but elegant figure, which resonates with the spiritual power and iconic presence of medieval sculpture, was probably intended to be placed within a niche or chapel of a Roman Catholic parish church, school, or other institution. With the encouragement of the Franciscans, who sought to emphasize the humanity of Jesus, veneration of the Holy Family—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the symbol of a perfect family unit—first became a feature of popular piety among Catholics in the Middle Ages. The Church dedicates a feast day, generally the first Sunday after Christmas, to devotion of the Holy Family.