Index Magazine

Art Talk: The Wood and the Worms

September 1, 2020
Index Magazine

Art Talk: The Wood and the Worms

This unpainted caramel-colored wooden sculpture depicts a slender man with a long curly beard, dressed in robes, a cape, and a hat. Both hands have broken off at the wrist.
Tilman Riemenschneider, German, Saint Anthony Abbot, c. 1510. Linden wood. Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Antonia Paepcke DuBrul Fund and Special Gifts from the Friends of Charles L. Kuhn, BR69.214.

In this talk, curatorial fellow Gabriella Szalay explores the intricacies of 15th- and 16th-century carved wooden altarpieces and their vulnerability to time.

This video is part of our Art Talks series, in which our team of curators, conservators, fellows, and graduate students share short, informal videos that offer an up-close look at works from the collections.

Led by:
Gabriella Szalay, Renke B. and Pamela M. Thye Curatorial Fellow in the Busch-Reisinger Museum

Work explored:
Tilman Riemenschneider, German, Saint Anthony Abbot, c. 1510. Linden wood. Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Antonia Paepcke DuBrul Fund and Special Gifts from the Friends of Charles L. Kuhn, BR69.214.

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