Female Bust
Unknown Artist
c. 1470–1500
Medium
Painted and gilded lindenwood
Dimensions
h. 47 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1962.283
About this artwork
This female bust is part of a series of three in the museum's collection. The identity of the figures has been speculated by scholars but without resolution. Because this and the other female busts in the series do not retain their attributes, it is difficult to know their original purpose. It is possible that they may have once formed a group of female saints from the predella of a large altarpiece. Since the sculpture is not carved in the round, this hypothesis has merit. Another recent propos...