Detail of Saint Malo in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, June 2010

Saint Malo
French, Normandy, from Harcouët (Calvados), Medieval (Gothic), second half of 13th century
Unidentified artist

Place of Origin: Harcouët (Calvados), Normandy, France

Dimensions: Overall: 147.3 x 50.8 x 31.8cm (58 x 20 x 12 1/2in.) Mount (Wooden pallet / 1/4" thick "Volara" pad(bolted-3/4" brass rod)): 10.2 x 63.5 x 71.1 cm (4 x 25 x 28 in.)

Medium or Technique: Stone; limestone, microsparite, from Caen

Classification: Sculpture

Accession Number: 54.1797

Holding a small model of a church or a reliquary in his hand, this smiling young man is Saint Malo, a sixth-century saint venerated in northern France, where a town on the Brittany coast bears his name. One tale associated with Saint Malo tells of him walking on water, which explains the representation of waves below the feet of this image. The monumentality of the figure and his lively expression give the sculpture a vivid presence.

Text from: www.mfa.org/collections/object/saint-malo-64973