Capturing Expertise: Romanesque Sculpture Between Spain and France

Interesting online lecture from Birkbeck looking at the role of slavery in 12th century France and Spain with particular reference to two sculptures on doorways north of the Pyrenees.

Rose Walker carefully led us through various documents for the period mentioning slaves or captives then introduced us to the concept of Atlas figures from this period. She then focused on two beautiful examples from the central columns of portals to churches as Oloron-Saint.Marie and Morlaas.

I found the Oloron figures, shown here, particularly fascinating for their detail and the fact they wear different clothes, one’s robe is edged in pearls and the other is embroidered. They are bound with an intricate realistic chain. They appear to be wealthy figures but are captives. Is this a literal depiction or a symbolic one?

I must admit I then didn’t quite understand how Walker reached her conclusion to speculate whether these figures in fact represented the stone mason’s themselves and to wonder if artistic ideas spread through Europe as indentured craftsmen were exchange or sold. At interesting idea but I missed the link.

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