Raf Verjans (1935–2022) - Carving, Ukrzyżowany Chrystus - 33 cm - Gilt bronze

RAF VERJANS (1935–2022) Crucified Christ Belgium, second half of the 20th century ARTIST AND HISTORICAL-ARTISTIC CONTEXT Raf Verjans (1935–2022) was a Belgian sculptor and goldsmith, linked to Tongeren in the Belgian province of Limburg. He belonged to a generation of artists who combined traditional metalworking skills with a personal approach to the sculptural form. His oeuvre includes sacred art, autonomous sculpture, artistic goldsmithing, design, and projects related to architecture and public space. For seven years the artist trained at the art school at the Maredsous Abbey, gaining a foundation in applied arts with particular emphasis on metalwork. He then completed an internship in a goldsmith workshop in Maastricht. In 1957 he began an independent professional career, developing his own artistic language based on material knowledge, workshop discipline, and the search for a striking form. In the early part of his career, sacred art occupied a special place in his work. Verjans designed liturgical objects and church furnishings, including chalices, ciboria, tabernacles, and candlesticks. Over time his activity also encompassed more experimental sculptural forms in which he tackled questions of the human figure, symbolism, and the relationships between matter and space. DOCUMENTED ARTISTIC OUTPUT The oeuvre of Raf Verjans is documented by the Vlaams Architectuurinstituut (VAi), the Flemish Architecture Institute, and the Centrum Kunstarchieven Vlaanderen (CKV), which documents and protects the archival heritage of art in Flanders. Among the works in the documentation of his output with sacred themes are: • Madonna (1965) • Sacramentstoren (1967) • Kruiswegpaneel (1968) • Muurkruis (1974) This list confirms that religious art and the motif of the cross were real, documented elements of his artistic practice. Verjans also participated in the life of the Belgian artistic community. In 1969 he took part in the 10th Middelheim Biennale in Antwerp, one of the important events devoted to contemporary sculpture. His work was also shown in exhibitions dedicated to religious art in Flanders, including Hasselt in 1968 and 1975. In 1977 he exhibited at the Antwerp ICC, and in 2015 Tongeren hosted a retrospective exhibition on the occasion of the artist’s eightieth birthday. An important part of his legacy are preserved sketches, models, sculptural forms, and documentary materials. Contemporary archival activities concerning his studio and oeuvre attest to the significance of this legacy for the history of Belgian art. WORK DESCRIPTION The offering consists of a signed sculpture depicting the Crucified Christ, made of patinated bronze and doré bronze, i.e., bronze with gilded elements or surfaces. The composition belongs to the strand of modern sacred sculpture from the second half of the 20th century. It fuses a traditional Christological theme with an approach characteristic of contemporary artistic sculpture, in which form, material, texture, and the relationship between dark patina and gilded accents play a central role. Bronze, long used in religious and monumental sculpture, allows for a striking form and a durable surface with varied texture. Patination gives depth to the composition and emphasizes the plasticity of the representation, while gilded elements introduce visual contrast and reinforce the sacred character of the work. The small yet expressive dimensions allow the object to function as an autonomous sacred sculpture suitable for private interiors, a collection of religious art, or a collection of Belgian 20th-century sculpture. MATERIAL, SIGNATURE AND MARKS The sculpture is made of patinated bronze and doré bronze. The figure bears the signature “RAF VERJANS” and an additional pictogram. On the back is the number “17.” The signature indicates authorship attributed to the Belgian sculptor Raf Verjans. The number on the back is an additional designation of the object, the exact meaning of which, including any possible connection to series numbering, would require confirmation in the artist’s documentation. There is no basis to determine the edition size or to declare that this is the only existing example based on the number alone. At the same time, the signature, the additional marking, and the thematic alignment with the artist’s documented activity justify treating the piece as a work requiring individual assessment of authorship and execution. TECHNICAL DATA Artist: Raf Verjans (1935–2022) Title: Crucified Christ Dating: Second half of the 20th century Origin: Belgium Movement: sacred modernism, contemporary religious sculpture Material: patinated bronze and doré bronze Dimensions: 33 × 19 cm Depth: approximately 3.5 cm Weight: 837 g Signature: “RAF VERJANS” and a pictogram on the figure Mark on the back: number “17” CONDITION Very good condition. Natural patina preserved, consistent with the character and age of the object. No significant structural damage. The surface preserves the material and aesthetic qualities that emphasize the sculptural form and the sacred character of the representation. COLLECTORIAL SIGNIFICANCE AND MARKET CONTEXT Raf Verjans is an artist with a documented oeuvre whose work is of interest to institutions dealing with the history and archiving of Flemish art. His activity encompassed both sacred art and autonomous sculpture, and his works have been shown in exhibitions in Belgium. Works by the artist also appear on the auction market. Among the documented examples are small bronze sculptures and works from the Homoïden cycle. The auction house Jordaens Veilinghuis published an estimate of 120–180 euros for his bronze sculpture Face, measuring 20 × 20 cm. These results provide a benchmark for assessing the value of small works by the artist, though they do not determine the value of every object. The offered crucifix should be considered in the context of Belgian sacred art of the second half of the 20th century, with particular attention to Verjans’s documented specialization in working with metal and creating religious objects. SUMMARY The signed crucifix by Raf Verjans is an object that combines a traditional religious theme with the oeuvre of a Belgian sculptor with specialized artistic training and documented exhibition activity. The piece, cast in patinated and gilded bronze, with the artist’s signature, an additional pictogram, a back-number, and very good condition, constitutes important catalog features of this object. Its significance goes beyond devotional function. It is also an example of sacred art associated with the work of a specific artist whose legacy is documented by Belgian institutions concerned with artistic heritage. The object may interest collectors of Belgian 20th-century sculpture, sacred art, artistic bronzes, and the work of Raf Verjans.

Estimate:$223.47

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