Post-Revolution 19th-Century French Brass Standing Crucifix

An ornate 19th-century French standing crucifix in brass, with richly modeled floral terminals, a decorative INRI cartouche, and a broad repoussé base worked with scrolling foliage. Made in the decades following the French Revolution, it belongs to a period when Catholic devotional objects were once again being produced and displayed more openly. During the Revolution, churches and monasteries were suppressed or repurposed, and countless religious objects were confiscated, dispersed, melted down, or destroyed. The 19th century consequently saw a renewed demand for devotional objects for both churches and private worship. Walter Wells began collecting crucifixes over many years, finding them in Paris shops and Provençal brocantes. Mostly French and dating from the 17th to 19th centuries, they fascinated him for their variations in form, materials, and detail, particularly given his strict Protestant upbringing, where religious imagery was largely absent. Over time, Walter came to see each crucifix not simply as an object, but as an individual expression of sacrifice, grace, forgiveness, and acceptance. Several examples from his collection are available for separate purchase.