List of the works of the Maître de Plougastel

This is a listing/"catalogue raisonné" of the works of the Maître de Plougastel and his workshop between 1570 and 1621. The work includes calvaries and crosses, church decoration and some miscellaneous items. His best known work is the Calvary at Plougastel-Daoulas. He worked using kersanton stone. Little is known of the man himself. His work can be seen in the diocese of Léon, the northern part of the diocese of Cornouaille and in the Cap-Sizun area. His three main works are the Plougastel-Daoulas calvary erected between 1602 and 1604 and entirely his work, part of the porch at Guimiliau, and the calvary at Locmélar apart from the pietà and the statue of the Virgin Mary reversed with Mary Magdalene.

Church decoration

Type of sculpture LocationDescription|NotesWest façadeConfort-MeilarsThe Maître de Plougastel and his atelier are attributed with the statues of the twelve apostles adorning the Église Notre-Dame's western façade. It was unusual for statues of the apostles to be place on the exterior of a church. Normally they were placed inside the porch.Stoup (bėnitier)La MartyreAn elaborate stoup can be found inside La Martyre's Église Saint-Salomon. Beneath the washbasin is a depiction of an angel surrounded by Corinthian columns. She holds a holy-water sprinkler in each hand. At the very top of the stoup Saint Michael is shown fighting the dragon. The stoup is inscribed with the date 1601. There is another stoup attributed to the atelier inside the south porch. This is decorated with an ankou holding a head. The atelier also decorated the outside of the ossuary with a depiction of Saint Paul-Aurėlien and a small angel kneeling. See also La Martyre Parish close. Both stoups are attributed to the Maître de Plougastel.Porch decorationBodilisThe Maître de Plougastel and his atelier are attributed with work on the south and south west porches of the Église Notre-Dame. See also Bodilis Parish close. The work includes an "Angel of Annunciation" (The archangel Gabriel) in the left niche in the right side buttress of the exterior of the south porch and the Virgin Mary with child in the central niche of the same buttress.West façade and other decorationPrimelinThe atelier added statues of the four evangelists to the west façade of the chapel Saint-Tugen, the statue of Saint Tugen to the south porch, five apostles to the gable, six apostles to the church interior, statues by the entry porch depicting Sainte Anne, God the Saviour and the Virgin Mary with child. They also executed a statue of Saint Jude in the sacristy, a "Christ liė" for the Arc de triomphe and a statue of Saint Tugen dressed as a bishop for the fountain.Porch decorationGuimiliauThe atelier worked on the south porch of the Église Saint-Miliau. They executed the first four scenes in the porch piėdroits, all the angels in the voussure and the scene depicting Joseph asleep and the three masks in the architrave as well as fourteen masks decorating the buttress. In the porch interior they executed the two "termes gainės" (sculpture where only the upper section depicts head and bust and the lower section in not in human form but is effectively a carved pedestal) and the two busts, the stoup and the apostles Saint Peter and John the Evangelist. See also Guimiliau Parish closeChurch statuesSaint-ThégonnecThe atelier are credited with the statues of Saint Thėgonnec and Saint Nicolas in niches in the bell-tower porch exterior of the Église Notre-Dame and a statue of Saint Peter inside the bell-tower porch. See also Saint-Thégonnec Parish closeChurch statueTréguennecThe Maître de Plougastel is attributed with the statue depicting the Virgin Mary with child in the Église Notre-Dame. It is placed in a niche in the west façade.Church statueSaint-Urbain, FinistèreThe Maître de Plougastel worked on a statue of a saint/bishop in the north transept of Saint-Urbain's church.Church statuePlogoffFor the Église Saint-Collodan, the Maître de Plougastel executed a statue of an apostle which is placed in a niche on the western façade of the church.Church statueLanderneauThe Maître de Plougastel executed a statue of James the Greater for Landerneau's Église Saint-Houardon. He wears the pilgrim's hat with sea-shell as decoration.Ossuary decorationSaint-Servais, FinistereThe atelier are credited with a statue of John the Evangelist in a niche in the left buttress of the ossuary façade. See Saint Servais Parish closeStatue in chapelPlougastel-DaoulasThere is a statue of Luke the Evangelist by the Maître de Plougastel on the north wall of the Saint-Trémeur chapel. Luke holds a closed book under his left arm and on his right shoulder is a phylactery which is no longer readable. He is accompanied by his attribute the bull. This statue was the only one by the atelier to be completely polychromed. The atelier also executed the bracket/shelf upon which the statue is placed, this decorated with the image of an angel. The atelier also executed a statue of the Virgin Mary with child in the Saint-Adrien chapel.Altar decorationPlouvornIn the "Chapelle de Lambader" is an altar decorated by the atelier with three heads and on the outside of the "Chapelle Saint-Trėmeur du Manoir de Keruzoret" are two niched statues by the atelier, one depicts Saint Christopher and the other Saint Peter.Statues inside churchLe FolgoëtThe Maître de Plougastel is attributed with two statues in the Église Notre-Dame. One is the statue of the Virgin Mary with child called "Notre-Dame du Folgoët". This is located in the south transept on the east wall between the wooden altar on the left and the "Autel des Anges" on the right. It is in a richly canopied niche. The other statue is a "Christ aux liens" located in the nave south west of the jube. See also List of the works of Bastien and Henry Prigent and List of works of the two Folgoët ateliersSouth porch statueLanneuffretIn a niche in the gable of the south porch of the Église Saint-Guėvroc there is a statue of Saint-Guévroc. He holds a closed book close to his chest. He is dressed as a monk.

Calvaries and crosses Apart from the grand calvary at Plougastel-Daoulas, see Calvary at Plougastel-Daoulas, the Maître de Plougastel is attributed with four crosses and over twenty calvaries. The first of the four crosses can be seen in Morlaix. This is in the Saint-Charles cemetery and has three statues but the atelier only carved the crucifix. For two further crosses they added just the crucifix and the Virgin Mary with child and these are located at Saint-Thėgonnec to the south west of Kerorven and at Plougasnou at Kerangroas-Saint-Georges. The fourth cross is located at La Motte in Sizun and this involves the crucifix reversed with Saint Andrew. On this cross the two statues of the Virgin Mary and a deacon are not by the atelier. Details of some of the many calvaries are given below.