These figures belong to an extremely rare group of surviving examples of carved Carthusian monks. They can be identified as Carthusians by their scapulars, or outer garment, worn only by that religious order. The two sculptures probably came from the now-destroyed Carthusian charterhouse (monastery) in Paris. There, each may have been placed within a monk's cell and used as an adoring figure in conjunction with a sculpted Virgin or a Crucifixion group. With their soft treatment of draperies and facial features, the two Carthusians reflect the gentle lyricism and elegance of Parisian sculpture during the final quarter of the fourteenth century.

Page 8 of 9 | On the next page: Calvary with a Carthusian Monk, c. 1389-1395