Friday, May 31, 2013

Amiens' Sculpture

While Chartres has the most intact stained glass, Amiens has the more intact sculpture. Here is a sampling, all pretty much 13th century.
Just about everything that follows is from the west side,
but this venerated Virgin and Child is from the south...
moved indoors now to protect from the elements, a copy
in her place on the porch outside






















Assorted saints, apostles, whatever, atop, but in the quadrifoils below, the
activities of the months (think Zodiac)
















Last Judgment; so-so, but nice Jaws of Hell on the right














Wise Virgins (the vertical panel), their lamps held upwards;
a healthy tree at the bottom



















Foolish Virgins, empty lamps, dead tree


















More saints, et al.; more quadrifoils, this time representing vices and virtues















Closer up on the condemned














A Mary sequence in pairs: Annunciation, Visitation, Presentation















Top quadrifoil: things fall apart


















Above Mary and Baby J, the Ark of the Covenant, and to its right, Moses (with
horns; this was a translation issue, like virgin)
















Rats in Jerusalem (things really falling apart)














Things really, really, falling apart














On a more cheerful note, warming before a fire in the winter
months















Not all the sculpture is outside; here is one of two bronze 13th century sarcaphogi

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