and the chapter house of Saint-Étienne) may be studied in the Musée des Augustins in
Toulouse.
The great church of Cluny III was among the earliest and most influential centers of
Burgundian Romanesque sculpture. The dating of the choir capitals (ca. 1095), with their
subtle carving, lively figures, and sophisticated iconography, has long been controversial.
The great west portal, largely destroyed, was roughly contemporary with the Porte
Miègeville in Toulouse. Characteristic of Cluniac ateliers is the distinctive plate drapery,
possibly derived from German sources. Two outstanding sculptors, thought to have been
trained at Cluny, developed individual styles that mark the apogee of Burgundian
Romanesque: Gislebertus of Autun and the anonymous master of Vézelay. At Saint-
Lazare, Autun, the style of Gislebertus, both lyrical and expressive, imparts a unity to the
capitals of the choir and nave, the gigantic Last Judgment of the west doorway, and the
fragments of the north portal. The “Mission of the Apostles” of the central doorway of
the inner narthex of La Madeleine at Vézelay is charged with an energy unparalleled in
Burgundian sculpture. The “multi-linear” style is activated with rhythmic patterns and
swirls; the figures are elongated and angular, agitated in pose and gesture. It is a dynamic
style, somewhat akin to the frescoes of Berzé-la-Ville. Later Burgundian portals are
characterized by luxuriant foliage, detailed ornamentation, and by movement, almost
restlessness, in the composition. Particularly important and complex are the rapports
between Burgundian Romanesque and the first Gothic sculpture of the Île-de-France.
The flourishing culture of western France (Poitou, Saintonge, Angoumois) is reflected
in the elaborate decoration of its screen façades. The focus is not on a central carved
tympanum but on the multiplicity of richly carved archivolts, embellishing doorways,
niches, windows and arcades, which activate the façade. At Saint-Pierre at Aulnay, two
systems of carving the archivolts led to significantly different results in embellishment.
The earlier method (south portal), imitated even in Spain and England, consists of small
repetitive motifs (Elders of the Apocalypse, fantastic animals, etc.) placed radially, one
motif to each voussoir. The alternative method (west portal), adopted at Saint-Denis and
subsequent Gothic portals, allowed large figures (Virtues and Vices) to be placed along
the curve of the arch, converging toward the keystone. At the cathedral of Angoulême
and Notre-Dame-la-Grande at Poitiers, the sculptural program was expanded over the
entire façade. The cumulative effect of multiple archivolts, superimposed arcades, friezes,
and figures in niches is one of lavish decorative richness.
The Auvergne possesses some impressive capitals but few carved portals (see,
however, Clermont-Ferrand), due in part to the intractable nature of the local stone. The
most interesting series are those of Notre-Dame-du-Port (Clermont-Ferrand), Saint-
Nectaire, Mozat, and Brioude, where motifs from Gallo-Roman art, such as centaurs,
sirens, and griffins, are juxtaposed with Christian themes and with subjects from local
folklore. The heavy figures with large heads approximate the appearance of Gallo-Roman
bas-reliefs. Related to the Auvergne in style and format (stocky figures and triangular
lintel) is the immense Last Judgment at Conques (Rouergue). The inventiveness of its
demons and punishments and the diagrammatic layout, reinforced by explanatory text
carved on banderoles and frames, make it one of the most accessible, and didactic, of
Romanesque tympana.
Large sculptured ensembles made their appearance later in Provence than in
Languedoc and Burgundy. Provence was rich in classical remains, and Romanesque
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