as "beasts of English."

An early French wood carver was Girard d'Orleans, who, in 1379,
carved for Charles V. "ung tableau de boys de quatre pieces." Ruskin
considers the choir stalls in Amiens the best worth seeing in France;
he speaks of the "carpenter's work" with admiration, for no nails
are used, nor is the strength of glue relied upon; every bit is true
"joinery," mortised, and held by the skill and conscientiousness
of its construction. Of later work in wood it is a magnificent
example. The master joiner, Arnold Boulin, undertook the construction
of the stalls in 1508. He engaged Anton Avernier, an image maker,
to carve the statuettes and figures which occur in the course of
the work. Another joiner, Alexander Hust, is reported as working
as well, and in 1511, both he and Boulin travelled to Rouen, to
study the stalls in the cathedral there. Two Franciscan monks,
"expert and renowned in working in wood," came from Abbeville to
give judgment and approval, their expenses being paid for this
purpose.

Jean Troupin, a "simple workman at the wages of three sous a day,"
was added to the staff of workers in 1516, and in one of the stalls
he has carved his own portrait, with the inscription, "Jan Troupin,
God take care of thee." In 1522 the entire work was completed, and
was satisfactorily terminated on St. John's day, representing the
entire labour of six or eight men for about fourteen years.

In the fifteenth century Germany led all countries in the art of
wood carving. Painting was nearly always allied to this art in
ecclesiastical use. The sculptured forms were gilded and painted,
and, in some cases, might almost be taken for figures in faience,
so high was the polish. Small altars, with carved reredos and
frontals, were very popular, both for church and closet. The style
employed was pictorial, figures and scenes being treated with great
naturalism. One of the famous makers of such altar pieces was Lucas
Moeser, in the earlier part of the fifteenth century. A little later
came Hans Schuelein, and then followed Freidrich Herlin, who carved
the fine altar in Rothenburg. Jorg Syrlin of Ulm and his son of the
same name cover the latter half of the century.

Bavaria was the chief province in which sculptors in wood flourished.
The figures are rather stumpy sometimes, and the draperies rather
heavy and lacking in delicate grace, but the works are far more
numerous than those of other districts, and vary enormously