Set of Fourteen Carrara Marble Stations of the Cross Plaques, probably Joseph Sibbel Studios, each arched panel heavily carved and realistically modeled in high relief, depicting the series of events on the day of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion with the inscribed with station number to the projecting base, unsigned, ht. 53 1/2, wd. 29 1/8 in.
Joseph Sibbel was born June 7, 1850, in Germany and emigrated to America in 1871, settling first in Ohio and then moving to New York City in 1881. He was often employed by architect Patrick Charles Keely (1816-1896) to work on a number of marble sculptures, altars, and Stations of the Cross plaques for Keely-designed churches. Arguably his most important commission was creating numerous sculptures for St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. Most often Sibbel’s Stations of the Cross plaques were carved from plaster, but he did execute a handful in marble. In Amesbury, Massachusetts, St. Joseph’s Church (dedicated in 1876), an Italian marble altar as well as polychrome decorated plaster Stations of the Cross were executed by Joseph Sibbel and installed in the main church in June 1892. Sibbel died on July 10, 1907, and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, New York. Sibbel purportedly wished to have all of his models and all of his works in his workshop destroyed after his passing, however, the head of his studio worked with the artist’s wife to gain permission and ensure the continuation of the studio 50 years after Sibbel’s death.
