German, Middle Rhine, circa 1400

both seated and bearded, each holding a gospel, the underside drilled for attachment  

These two seated apostles were probably originally placed beneath individual canopies and would have formed part of a series of the Evangelists as "Voussoir", around the portal into a church. For such figures in their original context note the four rows over the St. Peter Portal of Cologne Cathedral dating to the last quarter of the 14th century illustrated in the Parler catalogue.

RELATED LITERATURE
Die Parler und der Schone Stil 1350-1400, ex.cat. Schnutgen Museum Cologne 1978, p.161,165-168