St. Roche
Unknown Artist
first half 17th century
Medium
Lead-glazed earthenware
Dimensions
Height: 11 in. (27.9 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1911
Accession Number
11.142.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
This modest yet evocative lead-glazed earthenware of *St. Roche*, created by an unknown French artist in the first half the 17th century stands just 11 inches tall, visitors to appreciate the intimate scale of devotional art. Saint Roche, a beloved protector against plague and illness in Catholic Europe, was especially venerated during outbreaks like those ravaging France in the early Baroque era. Such small pottery sculptures were often produced in workshops for private homes, chapels, or processions, embodying popular piety amid turbulent times. The medium—earthenware coated with a shiny le...