St Anthony's RC church Scotland Road
St
Anthony of Egypt Statue (1)
St
Anthony's RC church Scotland
Road
Picture donated by Ron Formby
Wood Carved Statue of St Anthony of Egypt, 2004/2005
St
Anthony’s Church, Scotland Road Liverpool.
Commissioned the statue and employed the Sculptor/Woodcarver Jon
Sonntag to carry out design development and carving. The forty two inch high
Lime wood statue, was to be of Saint Anthony of Egypt. Holding a bible in his
right hand and crooked staff in his
left hand with a small Wild Boar at his left side.
The artist and sculptor Jon Sonntag
researched the saint and the new design was developed by making a 14 inch high
clay model of the saint. The clay model was photographed from two angles and
sent to the client for comment and approval. Once carving had begun, photographs
of the carvings development were supplied, with a final photograph at carving
completion. It was then just a matter of deciding a finish, which was to
slightly darken and wax polish the wood.
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Features of
the new design
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Artists reasons/notes |
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The carving was sculpted by chisel only, no sandpaper or rasps used. Facets of the many cuts form the finish surface. |
To leave the evidence of resilience and hard work as tribute to St Anthony |
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Slightly curved body and shrunken frame. Yet a strong face |
To represent his great age yet the strength to live in the desert to an age of 105 years |
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Swirling hair and beard with baldness |
To show an outdoor weathered man of age |
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Small swirl of thin hair on forehead |
To keep top of head balanced with large beard below |
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Drapery hanging from shoulders/arms with triangular folds |
To show aged scruffy garments of the desert |
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Right hand flat on the Bible, not clasping, but pressing firm…tension |
To show his love and care of the Bible |
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Figure and boar carved individually and joined |
To enable full carving all round |