Austrian, Passau, circa 1510

The Sermon of Saint James, the Arrest of Saint James, and the Trial of Saint James

unknown church, Passau;
the chapel in Weibing, near Passau, until 1895
Oberösterreichischen Landesmuseum, Linz, 1895-1967;
traded with a local art dealer;
private collection, Germany

H. Ubell, ‘Oberösterrreichische Spätgotik im Linzer Landesmuseum’, Oberösterreich 2, 1935, pp. 41 and 43;
O. Kastner and B. Ulm, Mittelalterliche Bildwerke im Oberösterreichischen Landesmuseum, Linz, 1958, no. 119, figs. 175-177

Overall the condition of the wood is good with dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. A number of the figures' hands are lost, including to three of the figures on the Preaching relief, one to the relief with the Arrest, and four figures in the Trial scene. The second to right figure in the Trial scene has lost his arm, and a number of the figures have lost some of their fingers, including Saint James in the Arrest, one of the seated figures in the preaching scene and James in the Preaching scene. It appears that the figure to the left of the Trial relief would have held a staff, which is lost. There is minor stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material, in particular down the centre of the scene with the Trial. The reliefs are composed in sections, and stable original joints are visible running through the middle of the reliefs. There are a few original wood inserts, including to the centre of the Trial scene. Much of the right side of the Arrest scene is carved separately. There is evidence of non-active worming to the relief, including to the bottom right corner of the Arrest. There are a few small losses, including to the ground on the Arrest relief. There are also small chips to the edges of the reliefs. There are some metal hooks to the back. There are a few later wood supports to the panels, visible at the back. Overall the polychromy and gilding are in good condition, with minor dirt and wear consistent with age. In areas the gilding has worn away to reveal the red ground. There are large losses to the gilding to the figures on the left hand side of the Trial scene. It is probable that the polychromy has been refreshed in a few areas, including to the grounds.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

These three impressive reliefs are probably the sole survivors of a large retable that was the focal point of a parish church in Austria devoted to Saint James the Greater. Since the few further retables devoted to the saint tend to include Saint James’ miracles and the transferral of his body to Santiago de Compostela, there were once probably five more reliefs. Normally these would have been mounted in pairs atop each other on the inside of the retable’s wings to show scenes from the life of the apostle when the retable was opened on major church holidays. Given the size of the present carvings the central shrine must have been at least 2.5 metres high and two metres wide and probably had double wings in order for four reliefs to be displayed on either side of the central shrine when opened.

In 1958 Kastner and Ulm (op.cit.) attributed the reliefs to the Master of the Eferdinger Deposition, named after a group in the Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum in Linz, the same museum as where the present set was kept. Even though the present reliefs and the group are indeed likely to be by the same workshop, the Deposition in Linz is both too small and too fragmentary and therefore of too little importance to be the touchstone for the entire oeuvre of a sculptor or workshop. Some further comparisons, however, suggest that the sculptor was active in Passau in the early 16^th century. Two sets of reliefs in the collection of the Diocese in Passau, four reliefs with scenes from the Life of the Virgin from the parish church of Karpfham in Bad Griesbach and two reliefs of Christ taking leave of his Mother and Christ driving the money changers from the temple with unclear provenance are by the same hand. The figures are comparably proportioned, and have similar rounded facial types with small eyes, a low brow, and sharply delineated noses. The drapery schemes are always characterised by thin long folds that abruptly change direction creating angular plains between them. On this basis the life-size monk saint in the parish church of Heining near Passau, the Archangel Michael in the collection of the Passauer Diocese formerly in the church of Saint Saviour in the same city, and a Saint Sebastian in the parish church of Saint Gertrud in Passau, can also be attributed to the workshop.

Sotheby's would like to thank Dr. Albrecht Miller for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.