A Masterly Hand / Scientia Artis 9

211 Vincent Cattersel 10 210 circumference. By virtually extending the radial cracks it is possible to estimate the pith’s position in the log. The medium-sized and large sculptures, on the other hand, often necessarily incorporated the pith but the artist sought to ensure that it did not emerge at the surface in important parts of the figure, especially if it ran through the front of the work – indeed, this is the case in only 6% of the sculptures in which the pith could be observed (fig. 10.6). In the balding apostle with an open book in his left hand in Neeroeteren, for example, the pith comes to the surface at the breast, avoiding the figure’s f ace. 22 In 24% of the statues where the pith was observed it runs through the middle, in 34% it is just off-centre and in 19% it is at the ba ck. 23 This was not the only way of dealing with a problematic part of the wood. Knots were also taken into account: the figure would be conceived so as to have as few knots as possible at the front, thus keeping them out of the viewer’s direct si ght. 24 Th e majority of knots were observed on the back of the sculptures. In general the surface of the studied sculptures has been smoothly finished and almost no traces of woodworking tools were found on those parts of the figure that were visible to the viewer. The hair, beards, hands, drapery and surface details are all carefully cut, evidencing the artists’ interest in rendering details and their tendency to play with li ght. 25 Th ey usually carved technically challenging elements directly from the block – good examples of their prowess in this regard can be seen on both figures of the Neeroeteren Marianum ( figs. 5. 1, 5.15) a nd the St Catherine from Siersdorf. Noteworthy are the deep and abundant drapery of their attire and the floral elements of St Catherine’s crown and the ornate surface of the cauls (fig. 10.7). In other cases details are so fine that they would certainly have become invisible when and if the sculp- ture was polychromed. For example, the rivets in the handle of the knife held by the Apostle Bartholomew from Ellikom are simply rendered by super- ficial incisions in the wo od. 26 A similar way of decorating can be seen on the cover of the book held by another apostle in the same chu rch. 27 A noteworthy feature of the Elsloo sculptures is the finishing of the eyes. In 58% of the sculptures that are now without paint the pupils and irises are engraved, stained, or both (fig. 10.1). In the Apostle Simon of Neeroeteren a fine incision, executed with a slightly curved gouge, accentuates the outlines of the iris (fig. 10.8a). A similar technique seems to have been used on Christ the Saviour and the Apostles Matthew (?) and Judas Thaddeus (?) from the Museum Catharijneconvent in Utrecht. The grey-black coloration of the eyes that can be seen in several sculptures was not achieved by painting the wood but most probably by staining it (figs. 10.8b-c). Iron gall ink could have been used, or some chemical process that caused blackening due to the reaction between iron oxide and the natural tannic acid in the oak wo od. 28 Th e practice of engraving or blackening the iris and pupil is not unique to Elsloo works for it can be seen on other contemporary sculptures as well. Eyes marked in black are also found in sculptures which were completely or partly unpoly- chromed ( Holzsichtig ). In statues that were only partly polychromed features such as the lips or hair were quite often colou red, 29 th ough this was not observed in the Elsloo group. Fig. 10.6 Location of the heart of the log in the medium-sized and large sculptures Fig. 10.7 St Catherine, Siersdorf, Church of St John the Baptist, detail 10.6 10.7 Outside: 15% Front Back 0% 6% 2% 19% 34% 24%