« Apocalypse XXI-XXII et l’iconographie du portail central de la nef de Vézelay », Cahiers de civilisation médiévale, 41, 1998, p. 209-240. (original) (raw)
It is now generally accepted that Pentecost is in fact the theme of the tympanum of the central portal of the nave of the church at Vézelay -Pentecost, an event which was then regarded, as it still is, as the founding act of the Church. Representations of Apostles are seen at various points on the portal, indicating that the Church is already at work, teaching and preaching. In order to evoke the nature of the Church, the creator of the concept for the portal appears to have drawn on the two final chapters of the Apocalypse (21 and 22) and the relevant exegesis. For a characteristic feature of these texts is that pratically ail the component elements of the portal are therein alluded to, either directly or more or less implicitly. And it is from this source that certain of those elements derive their meaning, namely the waters at the feet of Christ ; the throne on which he sits ; the figures carved on the embrasure and the representation of John the Baptist ; and especially the zodiac with its four insets as well as the two capitals on the right-hand side. It is perfectly possible therefore that the conception of the iconographie message of the portai should have taken shape with those chapters of the Apocalypse in mind.
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Cet article réexamine l'arrangement complexe des images dans le cloître de la cathédrale de Tarragone. D'abord, nous proposons une interprétation du phasage des bâtiments de l'espace claustral permettant d'affirmer que l'organisation spatio-temporelle des chapiteaux romans correspond à celle de la fin du XII e s. et n'est pas le fruit du hasard ou du démontage, comme on l'a traditionnellement expliqué ; le cloître de la cathédrale de Tarragone fut ainsi réalisé dans une dynamique unique et cohérente. En second lieu, nous prouverons que la scénographie visuelle de la sculpture a distribué les cycles iconographiques selon des critères exégétiques à partir de ressources mnémotechniques. Son organisation et son sens sont justifiés à la lumière des relations typologiques et de l'emplacement des dépendances canoniales. Le récit du temps biblique est ainsi fragmentaire seulement dans ses apparences. Bien sûr les images historiées, particulièrement bibliques, ne peuvent être comprises que dans leur contexte, en relation avec d'autres représentations ou par rapport à un lieu de circulation signifiant. Mais il faut aussi lire la superposition des temps bibliques et liturgiques dans quelques images, visibles dans des espaces plurifonctionnels. Dans cet article nous offrions une nouvelle interprétation du discours visuel, complexe et intéressant, de ce cloître cathédral.
The three canonical images of Christ omnipresent on altar decorations can be interpreted both as devotional supports and as references to the Eucharistic liturgy, and more particularly to the double function he fulfils in this context, as both victim and high priest of the heavenly liturgy accomplishing his own sacrifice. While this reading is commonly accepted for the Crucifixion, it is generally neglected for the Christ in Majesty and the Child in his Mother's lap, although it can be supported by many arguments. There are also several indications that the Virgin may have been conceived as a figure of the officiating priest exposing the sacramental body of his Son. The article provides a broad overview of works that can be interpreted from this Eucharistic perspective, suggesting that it must have been relatively widespread and has continued until the late Middle Ages.
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