A Masterly Hand / Scientia Artis 9

283 Lucretia Kargère 15 282 edge of the base, which serves to consolidate a radial crack probably formed as the wood was drying during carving. The Tours figure has actually split from the top of the shoulders to the base down its side from front to back, although according to the examination carried out in 2008, it was probably originally carved out of a monolithic blo ck. 22 It also has numerous wedges, many of which date from the sculpture’s conception, with an original Tremolierung ­ pattern bridging the join between the base and its repairs. The presence of the log’s heart in the sculpture’s volume is also found throughout the Lower Rhine region, even though its complete removal was generally recommend ed. 23 Th is core constitutes a zone of discontinuity in the wood, different in density and prone to cracking. On the New York St Roch the pith is readily visible on the figure’s right shoulder blade, as well as on the underside of the sculpture (fig. 15.8). As expected, on the bottom of the work cracks can be seen radiating from the heart of the log and they have caused a large portion of the base behind the saint’s right foot to fall away (visible in the lower right of the image and at the lower left edge of the base). This corner was replaced with a different species of wood in a later restoration. It seems that the heart on the Tours St Roch was also located in the centre of the log, causing the splitting mentioned above. A proper approach to carving would also be to extract any knots in order to impede serious distortion of the wood grain in the drying process. Because shrinkage in a knot is different from that in the surrounding wood, knots are known for their potential to loosen and drop out, or if they remain tight, to develop radial cracks. The Tours and New York St Roch both show large knots, one of which is readily visible on the latter’s chest next to the strap. Although they would be considered defects in so-called perfect practice, knots appear irregularly on wooden sculptures of the Kalkar region as well. 24 Notwithstanding these less than rigorous methods, the New York sculpture presents sophistication and precision in carving. In accordance with the proper approach to wood carving, the back of the figure was hollowed out. This was an ordinary practice designed to reduce weight. Removal of the log’s core also inhibited the formation of additional cracks. The hollowing in the St Roch displays a particular attention to detail. The cavity was covered by an oak plank (42 ≈ 6.5  cm) inserted precisely within the rectangular opening that spans nearly the whole length of the saint’s cloak, from the edge of the large collar to below knee level (fig. 15.9). As in a St John the Baptist dated to after 1530 and attributed to Henrick Douwerman (Kalkar, St Nicholas’s Church, fig. 15 .10) 25 th e New York St Roch’s closing plank is fastened to the sculpture by means of three small round dowels approximately 0.5 centimetres in diameter and 6 centimetres long. Each is inserted diagonally through the plank near its edge and into the body. Although the clean-cut box-shaped cavity and the method of securing the plank represent essential correspondence with the woodcarving practices observed on a series of sculptures from Kalkar, this technical feature fails to support attribution as such cavities are to be found on sculptures beyond the immediate circle of Kalkar workshops as w ell. 26 In fact, the reverse of the Tours figure attributed to the Master of Elsloo exhibits a similar method, although the plank presents some restored sections (fig. 15.11). 15.11 15.10