About The Autun Cathedral (Cathedral of Saint Lazarus of Autun) :
The Cathedral of Saint Lazarus of Autun (French: Cathédrale Saint-Lazare d’Autun) better known Autun Cathedral, is famous for its its Romanesque sculptures by Gislebertus, and is one of the highlights of Romanesque art in Burgundy.
The construction of St. Lazarus Cathedral as a result of the large movement of pilgrims traveling to Vezelay as they progressed on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.
The Capitals in the Cathedral .
St. Lazare Cathedral contains some of the most spectacular Romanesque capitals done by Gislebertus in its nave and choir (The capital, or crown, is the uppermost portion and often features distinctive architectural elements that cap the building’s overall design. The word “capital” in its columnar context comes from the Latin “caput,” meaning “head,” indicating its position at the top of a column).
Owing to a near-collapse in the 19th century, the capitals under the central tower were replaced by replicas; the originals can be viewed up close in the upstairs chapter house (entrance to the right of the choir). Each capital shows great detail and a vivid depiction of the story it is telling. Among the scenes on the capitals in the chapter house are the Flight into Egypt, God Questioning Cain, the Hanging of Judas, and the Adoration of the Magi.
Gislebertus is conceiving the capitals through liturgical drama. This capital depicts the angel’s attempt to wake the three sleeping magi. The angel points to the star in attempt to have the three magi to follow the star. The narrative of the three magi extends along the columns in the nave. .[13]
The Last Judgment is believed to have been created around 1130, The tympanum was saved from potential ruin as the canons who were managing the cathedral in the eighteenth century believed that Gislebertus’ work was ugly, they covered it with plaster. The tympanum was rediscovered and released from the plaster in 1837.
In 1766, the canons decided that the sculpture was not worth keeping because it was mediocre. They then covered everything in a layer of plaster in order to affix other art work on top of the tympanum. Not until 1837, when another canon curiously began to chip away at the plaster, was the tympanum discovered. Fortunately it had been preserved underneath the plaster, with the exception of the head of Christ, which was documented to have been removed so that the plaster could fill the tympanum completely.
The North façade of St. Lazare contains the tympanum (1130–1135), signed Gislebertus hoc fecit (“Gislebertus made this”) within the portico which is ranked amongst the masterpieces of Romanesque sculpture in France. However, art historian Linda Seidel challenged this reading, arguing that instead Gislebertus was a patron.
The sheer size of the tympanum required that double lintels support it with a middle column to further support the sculpture. The left side of the tympanum displays the rise to the heavenly kingdom, and on the right is a portrayal of the demons in hell with an angel and a devil weighing the souls on a balance.[18]
Zodiac signs surround the arch vault with Christ in the center portrayed as a serene figure. Christ is placed in perfect symmetrical position with a balanced composition of elongated figures. Jesus is flanked by his mother, the Virgin Mary and his apostles cast as penitents and observers of the last judgment. St. Peter guards the gate to heaven and looks on as resurrected individuals attempt to squeeze in with the assistance of the angels.
Gislebertus successfully integrated the modern view of heaven and hell and created a sculpture that would act as a visual educational device for individuals that were illiterate. Viewing the tympanum would allow pilgrims to know what would happen to them if they were to end up in hell.[19] Two men near the centre of the lintel carry bags bearing a cross and a seashell. These are the symbols of pilgrims that traveled from Jerusalem to Santiago de Compostela.
The bottom of the tympanum underneath the weighing of the souls has an inscription that states, “May this terror terrify those whom earthly error binds for the horror of the images here in this manner truly depicts what will be”.[19] The tympanum is framed by two archivolts. The inner one has carved foliage while the outer archivolt consists of magnificently detailed medallions representing the four seasons, zodiacs, and labors of the months.
One of our favorites is that of an angel visiting the wise men in a dream warning them not to return to Herod, but take a different route home (Matthew 1:12).
Traveling to Autun, France:
Autun is a little over 200 miles southeast of Paris and a bit over 100 miles northwest of Lyon. As usual, we highly recommend train travel in France. The TGV station near Autun offers a quick way to travel from Paris (1 hour and 15 minutes) and Lyon (45 minutes).