Although wall painting in the transepts and choir is fragmentary, extensive paintings
survive in the west gallery, the nave, the crypt, and the porch. The subject of the murals
in the west gallery is Christ’s Passion and Resurrection, with the Entombment occupying
a central position over the west window. The wall and the roof carry figures of saints, and
elaborate ornamentation resides in the borders and dado. In the nave, despite much
restoration, columnar piers painted to resemble marble illustrate the practice of applying
paint to architectural members to
Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, abbey
church. Photograph courtesy of
Whitney S.Stoddard.
heighten the decorative effect and to project the idea of wealth. Above, the vaulting
carries thirty-six scenes representing an Old Testament cycle. From the Creation of Adam
and Eve to the stories of Noah, Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, the scenes are arranged in
four tiers that extend longitudinally along the nave ceiling, and the spandrels contain
fragments of prophet figures. The narrative meanders, possibly due to artists working
Medieval france: an encyclopedia 1600