Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Roy Coles
Category
Art / Sculpture
Date
c. 1840 - 1900
Materials
Ivory.
Measurements
60 mm (Width) x 55 mm (Depth)
Place of origin
Dieppe
Order this imageCollection
Mount Stewart, County Down
NT 1655920
Summary
Sculpture, ivory; Saint Elizabeth of Hungary; French, Dieppe; c. 1840-1900. A carved ivory triptych figure depicting Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, also known as Elizabeth of Thuringen (1207-1231), a princess of the kingdom of Hungary who, during her short life, became celebrated for her many acts of charity and her serving of the sick. The standing figure of the saint opens to create a triptych with scenes from Elizabeth’s life. This is one of a series of similar triptych figures featuring famous figures from history made in large numbers in the ivory-carving workshops in Dieppe.
Full description
A carved ivory figure of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, or Thuringia (1207-1231). Carved from an upper portion of tusk, the saint is depicted standing, wearing a richly embroidered dress and a bodice, with over her shoulders a cape, fastened with two large shield-shaped morses bearing heraldic devices. Her cape is lined with ermine on the inside, the outside is decorated with large lozanges bearing fleur-de-lys devices. On her head is a crown, part of which is broken away at the back. In her right hand Elizabeth holds a rosary, and in her left she cradles a small basket of roses. A separately carved oval base. The figure’s skirts open to create two wings attached by hinges to the main body of the figure which, when opened, reveal further carved scenes. The large central scene depicts Elizabeth bidding farewell to her husband Landgrave Ludwig IV of Thuringen, as he departed on the Sixth Crusade in 1227. The couple embrace, whilst Ludwig’s men await him, on horseback, in armour and with standards, two at the front blowing trumpets. There are two wings, each with at top a helmet surmounting a shield with indeterminate heraldic devices. The wing on the left, when opened, shows Elizabeth and Ludwig during their courtship, Elizabeth holding a basket of roses, her fiancé reaching into the basket to take one. The wing on the other side shows Elizabeth in the role for which she was most famous, caring for the crippled and sick. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary was born in 1207, the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary and his wife Gertrude of Merania. From an early age she was intended to marry Ludwig, the future Landgrave of Thuringia so, in preparation, was sent at a very young age to be brought up at the Thuringian court. In 1221 at the age of 14, Elizabeth was wedded to Ludwig who in the same year succeeded as the Landgrave of Thuringia. Their marriage was a happy one, resulting in three children. During the 1220s Elizabeth became greatly influenced by Franciscan friars who had arrived at the court, accordinly she increasingly sought to live her life according to the ideals of Saint Francis, dispensing alms throughout her territories. In 1227 Ludwig left for the Sixth Crusade but never reached the Holy Land, dying from the plague in Otranto in southern Italy and leaving Elizabeth a widow. She took vows, which meant that for the rest of her life she lived effectively as a nun, spending the remainder of her short life in the service of others. She used part of her dowry to build a hospital in Marburg and became especially well-known for her care for the sick. Miracles quickly began to be recorded after her death at the age of just 24, and in 1235 Elizabeth was canonised. She is often depicted, as in the ivory figure, holding a basket of roses, referring to the most celebrated miracle associated with Elizabeth of Hungary, the so-called miracle of the roses. Elizabeth was secretly taking food to the poor when her husband Ludwig was forced to act, following accusations by others that she had been stealing treasure from the castle. As he demanded to know what she was concealing, Elizabeth’s cloak fell open, to reveal a vision of red and white roses, convincing Ludwig that Christ was indeed at work in his wife. The Ivory figure is one of two such triptych figures among Edith, Marchioness of Londonderry’s collection of religious sculptures and pictures, kept in a corner of her bedroom at Mount Stewart. The other (NT 1655921) depicts a bishop saint. They are examples of a type of figure that was made in large numbers in Dieppe, the most famous centre in France for ivory carving, during the second half of the nineteenth century. The concept for these triptych figures derives from a rare type of medieval ivory figure known as the Vierge ouvrante or ‘the Virgin that opens’, a figure of the Virgin Mary that would open out into a triptych revealing carved images of stories from her life. The Dieppe triptych figures are typical products of the romantic period, many depicting famous historical figures ranging from the medieval period to the early nineteenth century. For example: Joan of Arc (formerly Richard Gardner Antiques); Mary, Queen of Scots (Christie’s London, 12 October 2010, lot 313; Bonhams New York, 24 April 2013, lot 1162; Christie’s London, 1 October 2014, lot 419); Queen Elizabeth I (Christie’s London, 20 September 2012, lot 10); Queen Marie-Antoinette (Christie’s London, 20 September 2012, lot 11); Madame de Pompadour (Sotheby’s New York, 20 April 2007, lot 26); Emperor Napoleon I (Bonhams London, 9 February 2010, lot 279); Admiral Lord Nelson (Rouillac, Artigny, 11 June 2017, lot 138). Another version of the statuette of Elizabeth of Hungary, almost identical to the Mount Stewart figure, was sold at auction in 2005, together with a triptych figure of Queen Elizabeth I (Christie’s London, 22 November 2005, lot 521). The number of figures from British history depicted in the triptychs suggests that they were especially popular in Britain and Ireland, where nowadays they quite frequently appear in auction sales. Jeremy Warren August 2022
Provenance
Probably acquired by Edith, Marchioness of Londonderry (1878-1959); by descent to Lady Mairi Bury (1921-2009); accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the National Trust, 2013.
Makers and roles
Roy Coles, sculptor