14. A terracotta figure of Saint Benoît or Saint Bruno Attributed to the workshop of Gervais I Delabarre (active 1570-1644), Le Mans, circa 1630-50 Holding a Bible in his left hand and probably a crosier (missing) in his right; resting on a fully moulded base; 117cm high 46in high) (old restorations) Provenance Private Collection, France Literature F. de la Moureyre, « Mieux vaut un vrai Delabarre qu'un faux Sarazzin: le tombeau de Donadieu de Puycharic et le sculpture Gervais Delabarre », dans Bulletin de la société de l'histoire de l'Art Français, Paris (1992): pp. 65-92. G. Bresc-Bautier, F. Le Boeuf, (dir.), Terre et ciel. La sculpture en terre cuite du Maine (XVIe et XVIIe siècles), Paris, 2003. From around 1580 to the 17th century, sculptors in and around Le Mans developed a remarkable tradition of terracotta sculpture. Not only was this material available and abundant in the Loire Valley region, but it was also less expensive and quicker to execute than marble sculpture. This statuary, painted in shimmering shades of gold, blue and white, was destined for church altarpieces or private devotion. By the first half of the 17th century, family sculptors' workshops had established themselves in Angers and Le Mans, excelling in the production of terracotta sculptures. This was the case of the Delabarre dynasty of sculptors, which began with Gervais I Delabarre (circa 1560/1570-1640), succeeded by his sons Gervais II (1603-c.1650) and Louis (1612-1655), and then by his grandson François (1629-1688). We can also mention their contemporaries Charles Hoyau and Pierre Biardeau. The sculptures created by the Delabarre dynasty, and Gervais I Delabarre in particular, feature wide drapery planes, a slender silhouette and soft facial features. We find similarities in our Saint's delicate features, slender silhouette and treatment of the folds and drapery of his habit with the figure of Saint Benoît preserved in the church of Notre-Dame-la Grande in Poitiers, another work by Gervais I Delabarre. The softness of our Saint Benoît is similar to that of the Virgin in the Adoration of the Magi group in the church of Saint-Paterne- Racan (Indre-et-Loire), and the drapery resembles those of Sainte Radegonde or Sainte Scholastique.