Sculpture of St Kvirin

Style period: gothic, renaissance

Century: 15 A.D.


Today the wooden sculpture of St Kvirin is located in the museum display of the church of St Kvirin. According to its stylistic characteristics, this is a late Gothic sculpture, which in line with similar sculptures in northern Adriatic, may be dated into the 15th century. It is assumed that it was ordered in a Venetian workshop, after which, like many other art works, it was brought to Krk. St Kvirin was made as a spiritual head of the Church, a bishop, dressed in purple attire with a golden chasuble and equally golden tall mitre. In his left hand, he holds the crosier, bishop’s staff, as a symbol of dignity, authority and pastoral service over the congregation, while blessing with his right hand. St Kvirin was carved monumentally, with an almost closed volume, while a very small movement was indicated by the folds of the drapery on his legs and at arms, showing a mild counterpost, or a step of the saint towards the believer while he is blessing him. The meticulously made face of the saint reflects an impression of gentleness and spirituality with his eyes looking in the distance.
St Kvirin was the bishop of Sisak at the beginning of the 4th century in the then province Savia. The Roman government sentenced him to death by drowning in the river Sibaris by tying a mill stone to his neck. In the 5th century, his body was transferred to Rome. St Kvirin became the patron of the Krk diocese and the Vienna metropolitanate, while his holiday on 6 June is celebrated even in Zagreb archdiocese, the heir of Sisak diocese, as well as in Đakovo and Srijem diocese. In iconography, this martyr is often portrayed as a deacon with a palm and a mill stone. The Krk sculpture of the saint does not have any of the mentioned attributes, besides the fact that the saint was portrayed as a bishop, and as St Kvirin is the patron of the Krk diocese and the City, it may be assumed that this is St Kvirin.

Bibliography:

  • Dragutinac, Mitar, Kvirin Sisački, u: Leksikon ikonografije liturgike i simbolike zapadnog kršćanstva, Kršćanska sadašnjost, Zagreb, 2006.
  • Krstulović, Nevena, Konzervatorsko-restauratorski radovi na skulpturama sv. Jeronima i sv. Blaža iz Creskog muzeja, Godišnjak hrvatskog restauratorskog zavora, No. 2., 2011.
  • Sušanj Protić, Tea, Svetac na prijestolju, Grupa drvenih skulptura s otoka Cresa, Prilozi povijesti umjetnosti u Dalmaciji, Vol 42, 2011.
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