Not too long ago we spoke of the matter of the rather sentimentalist art which has gained the moniker "Saint-Sulpice." Today I wished to show you something which is most certainly not that. These particular sculptural works are, for the most part, heavily inspired by medieval European works, particularly of the sort that are yet still seen within Northern Europe.
The works are crafted by Atelier Wilfried Senoner which is based out of Northern Italy. Here is a little introduction, provided by them:
Our family-run wood studio is located in Ortisei, a small village in the Dolomites, which is a well known mountain range in the Northern part of Italy. In this region, called Val Gardena, the tradition of woodcarving dates back to the 16th century! This art has been passed on from father to son for many generations and still is the main industry of the valley. A handful of master artisans who work for us handcarve the statues using the same tools as 400 years ago: the chisel and the wooden hammer. After the carving is done, we start with the painting and meticulously polish the statues with an agate stone. This particular procedure makes the statues shiny and allows the colour to absorb into the wood ensuring the colour lasts longer and is a technique that is unique to our art pieces (as opposed to varnish, which is generally used). We create original designs and work with our customers' ideas. Bear in mind that we never carve the same statue twice, in order to grant you a peerless piece of original art. This is one of the reasons we are renowned worldwide for our amazing custom works.Their studio produces various works, including liturgical art in both traditional and contemporary styles. This is ecclesiastical sculpture as it ought to be -- and I think little more commentary is needed. Here is a sampling of some of their very fine work.
