PAUL EGELL
The holy family
c. 1735–40
Paul Egell was Balthasar Permoser’s pupil and Ignaz Günther’s master, and one of the major German sculptors of his time. The refined style of this great sculptor combines harmoniously manneristic eccentricity with classical monumentality in a truly unique blend. This Holy Family is an extraordinary example of the art of Egell, a small lime wood jewel, in which the accurate design of individual details, such as faces, hair and bends of garments, perfectly harmonizes with the overall composition.