Study for The Blessed Alessandro Sauli
Pierre Puget (French, 1620–1694)
1663–1668
Medium
terracotta
Dimensions
h. 69.7 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
Accession Number
1964.36
Tags
male
About this artwork
A famous preacher from an aristocratic family in Genoa, Sauli (1534-1591) spearheaded important Catholic reforms, including popular missions and restructuring the church to reach a broader spectrum of worshippers. This sculpture is a model for a large statue commissioned by the Sauli family for a Genoese church. Although the open book speaks to Sauli’s work as a reformer, his twisting body and facial expression indicate utter absorption in a deeply personal vision.