The anecdotal group of Souvigny
The church of Souvigny shows a peculiar sitting Virgin Mary of stone (height: 21 inches), whose Child Jesus is playing with St. John the Baptist who
presents him a lamb. The scene, common in the paintings of Raphael but very rare in the french art, is based on an episode of the "Meditations on the life of Jesus Christ", falsely attributed to Saint Bonaventure, where the Holy Family stops at Elisabeth's home, when coming back from Bethlehem: "The two children were playing together and the little St. John, just as if he already understood, demonstrated respect for Jesus". The group can be linked to the anecdotal trend of the Bourges' workshops. It is obvious, however, that the lamb is not a simple toy: it is the symbol of the Saviors' sacrifice, and the intense eye contact between Jesus and his mother implies anguish, which surround the scene. Young John the Baptist resembles Child Jesus of Villebret, with his short head and his prognathism, but Mary's face is more round, and the folds in her vestment, like the angel of the tomb of Saint Silvanus in La Celle, let presume a link with Michel Colombes' art.
Plan de situation
The church of Souvigny shows a peculiar sitting Virgin Mary of stone (height: 21 inches), whose Child Jesus is playing with St. John the Baptist who
presents him a lamb. The scene, common in the paintings of Raphael but very rare in the french art, is based on an episode of the "Meditations on the life of Jesus Christ", falsely attributed to Saint Bonaventure, where the Holy Family stops at Elisabeth's home, when coming back from Bethlehem: "The two children were playing together and the little St. John, just as if he already understood, demonstrated respect for Jesus". The group can be linked to the anecdotal trend of the Bourges' workshops. It is obvious, however, that the lamb is not a simple toy: it is the symbol of the Saviors' sacrifice, and the intense eye contact between Jesus and his mother implies anguish, which surround the scene. Young John the Baptist resembles Child Jesus of Villebret, with his short head and his prognathism, but Mary's face is more round, and the folds in her vestment, like the angel of the tomb of Saint Silvanus in La Celle, let presume a link with Michel Colombes' art.
Plan de situation
Children group (sacristie of Souvigny).
Angel of Saint Sylvain (la Celle - 03).
(From "Auvergne Bourbonnais Forez" (1998), Jacques Baudoin, ed. Créer)