Two horseman fragments of a calvary scene from a passion table

The two oak wood retable fragments each depict two Roman horsemen. These fragments were likely part of a large, central Calvary scene of a monumental Passion retable, where they flanked a central Crucifixion as pendants to each other. Within the preserved retable sculpture from the Duchy of Brabant and the broader South-Netherlandish Late Gothic sculpture, they hold a unique position thanks to their signature; signed sculptures or groups from the Netherlands are very rare in museums and churches. Furthermore, these fragments are the only signed retable fragments of Leuven origin. As one of the fragments in this pair bears an original signature, the benchmark value of this work for the knowledge of Roesen’s oeuvre and Brabantine sculpture is particularly significant. The equestrian fragments also demonstrate a direct stylistic influence from the work of Jan II Bormen, whose St. George retable had been displayed in the Church of Our Lady of Ginderbuiten in Leuven since 1493, serving as a connecting link. Moreover, both fragments are important for the study of assembly techniques in Brabantine Late Gothic sculpture, as they are ‘blockverleimte skulpturen’ (sculptures assembled from blocks). These retable fragments are the first and only examples of this technique in Leuven. Additionally, a signed retable fragment aligns with the increasing self-awareness of the artist during the transition from Late Gothic to early Renaissance. The addition of the signature ‘Hendrik Roesen’ illustrates how the artisanal status of the sculptor is exchanged for artistic authorship, thus acquiring a specific connecting value.