The statue of this popular herdsmen's saint came to the museum from the art trade. Its provenance is unknown. The saint's only attribute is the sack on his side; the stick from his hand and the hat from his head have been lost. His fancy folk costume recalls the costumes of pastoral plays. His emphasized "contrapposto" and a strong twist of his body is a general characteristic of the sculptural style of around 1760, but it also proves the figure to have stood at the side of an altarpiece.
This statue is essentially a mirrored counterpart of the figure of "St. Florian" in Nagykanizsa's Franciscan church, which is unanimously attributed to Joseph Straub (1712-1756). They are similar in their anatomical exactness (which, however, is less successful in the case of St. Wendelin), and the fine broken folds of their clothes. The affected expression of St. Wendelin's face, his eyes drawn to the sky and opened mouth are common details of the Straub brothers. The statue's surface, the gilding combined with colour of body, is also characteristic of Joseph Straub's Marburg (Maribor) workshop.
|