medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: Marjorie Greene <[log in to unmask]>
> St-Lazare d'Autun is another mal-oriented church. Linda Seidel discusses
this in her Legends in Limestone
Seidel, Linda.
Legends in Limestone: Lazarus, Gislebertus, and the Cathedral of Autun.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999.
a quite good book, in so far as it preforms a much-need DeMythologization of
this "Gislebertus" fellow --who, simply because he signed his name in a very
prominent place (which identification as the sculptor of the tympanum Seidel
*rejects*, btw) has become a Magnet for hapless art hysterians, who have
"seen" him at work behind every bush, from Cluny, to the Rhone Valley, to
Chartres West.
not a bad "reputation" for a rather mediocre sculptor --albeit one with a
remarkably finely honed sense of narrative and, above all, anecdote.
in many other ways, the book is something of a disaster, actually lapsing into
the near-comic --and actually quite embarrassing-- ignorant [mis-]application
of the written source material, and is to be read with great Caution.
>but if she gave a reason for this, it escapes my memory. I believe the
"western" facade is actually the northern. but don't quote me.
i don't think that she does, either (and you can quote me).
there may not be a "reason" --or at least not one which we can discern at this
distance in time.
St. Lazare was originally a collegiate church dependent upon the [then]
cathedral and built off the west front of the latter, such that its east
transept faced the cathedral's west, only a short distance away.
there may be a "reason" for this curious anomaly to be found in this
interesting study, which seems to center on the churches of the cathedral
precinct:
Sylvie Balcon, Walter Berry and Christian Sapin. “Architecture and
Sculpture at Autun around the Millennium,” in Nigel Hiscock, ed., The White
Mantle of Churches: Architecture, Liturgy, and Art around the Millennium
(International medieval research. Art history, v. 10; Art history subseries,
2) (Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2003), pp. 196-220. [NA5453 .W53 2003]
which i just scanned as a .pdf file yesterday (and can send to anyone who
wishes a copy), but have not read yet.
not much written about pre-12th c. Autun.
it seems that the tradition of "Romanesque" sculpture at Autun can be traced
quite a ways back from Gislebertus' epoch.
c
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|