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Title:
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Saint-Lazare Tympanum and Trumeau, West PortalSt. Lazarus Tympanum and Trumeau, West Portal
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Author:
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Cioffi, Paul L., 1928-2004
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Description:
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The Cathedral of Saint-Lazare was built between 1120 and 1146 to house relics of St. Lazarus and serve as a pilgrimage site to lepers seeking the saint's intercession. Its program of stone carvings was carried out by a Burgundian sculptor named Gislebertus (France, fl. 1100-1150). The limestone Last Judgment scene for the main portal tympanum was carved between 1130 and 1135.At the center of the semi-circular tympanum is the figure of Christ enthroned in glory. He is flanked by scenes of angels weighing souls--damned on Christ's left, elect on Christ's right. Inscriptions around the figures emphasize that judgment for good or ill is a direct consequence of the deeds the soul chose to do during life on earth. It is noteworthy that the artist chiseled "Gislebertus hoc fecit" (Gislebertus made this) directly under the feet of Christ, as if submitting his own life's work for divine judgment. During the 18th C. the Last Judgment scene was judged to reflect a superstitious spirituality and plastered over. To achieve a smooth surface, Christ's head was lopped off. In 1837, the existence of the tympanum carvings was rediscovered by a local architect, the Abbé Devoucoux, through evidence provided in a 15th C. document; in 1860 the French architect and theorist Viollet-le-Duc began to restore the west portal decorations. In the 20th C. Christ's head was found and authenticated. It was finally re-mounted in 1948.The three stone figures on the trumeau between the doors represent Lazarus (center) flanked by his sisters Martha and Mary. Unlike the tympanum, the original trumeau carving was lost; what exists now is the 19th C. Viollet-le-Duc re-creation that cannot be verified as replicating the original.ca. August 1981
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Permanent Link:
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http://hdl.handle.net/10822/554259
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Date Issued:
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1981-08
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Date Created:
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1981-08
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Rights:
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Georgetown Center for Liturgy;http://www1.georgetown.edu/centers/liturgy/envisionchurch/17545.html
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Subject:
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Christian patron saints
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Judgment Day
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Tympana (Architecture)
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Bas-reliefs (sculpture)
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Trumeaux (doorway components)
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Bible stories
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