Statues - Hither & Thither

 

Description

The Modena cathedral was built in the 12th century by the architect Lanfranco. The façade has notable reliefs by Wiligelmus, a contemporary of Lanfranco's; these include portraits of prophets and patriarchs, and most of all the Biblical Stories, a masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture. The scholars have pointed out the splendid achievements in the creation of Adam and Eve, the original sin and the story of Noah.

Four reliefs of Genesis by Wiligelmo, ca. 1110

Creazione dell'uomo, della donna e peccato originale
The Creation of man and woman, and the original sin

• God in a mandorla, carried by two angels.
• God creates Adam.
• Adam falls asleep leaning against a rock by the water; Eve comes out of Adam's rib firmly giving her hand to the Creator
• The serpent offers Eve the forbidden fruit; Adam eats it, and both progenitors become aware of their nakedness and cover themselves with a fig leaf.

Cacciata dal Paradiso Terrestre
Expulsion from Paradise

• God reproaches Adam and Eve, who express their shame and despair by holding their hands for their faces.
• Adam and Eve are expelled from the Paradise by an angel with a sword.
• Progenitors are forced to hard labor in the fields.

Sacrificio di Caino e Abele, uccisione di Abele e rimprovero divino
Sacrifice of Cain and Abel, Abel's killing and divine rebuke

• Cain and Abel offer gifts to the Lord.
• Cain kills Abel.
• Cain is rebuked by God.

Uccisione di Caino, l'arca del diluvio, uscita di Noè dall'arca
Cain's killing, the ark of the flood, Noah's exit from the ark

• Blind Lamech kills Cain with an arrow in his throat.
• Noah and his wife in the Ark.
• Noah goes down to earth with his children.

Other scupture at the main façade

mathevs and marcvs	Christ in Majesty	john and lvcas

Christ in Majesty and the symbols of the four evangelists, left the lion of St. Mark, the angel of St. Matthew, and right the eagle of St. John and the ox of Saint Luke.

These symbols of the evangelist are stylistically close to Wiligelmo but are attributed to one of his students, the so-called Master of the Evangelists. The releif of Christ in Majesty is by the so-called 'campionesi-masters' in the 13th century.

Two lions supporting the entrance's columns; they are of Roman age, probably discovered while digging the foundations.

Sculptors

• Unknown medieval artist.
  
• Wiligelmo (also known as Wiligelmus, Gulielmo da Modena, Cousin of Elmo or Guglielmo da Modena), Italian sculptor, active between c. 1099 and 1120 (Wikipedia).

Sources & Information

• Visit Modena, Chiesi, pievi, battisteri.
• Wikipedia, Duomo di Modena.
• Wikipedia, Storie della Genesi (Wiligelmo).

Tags

Locatie (N 44°38'47" - E 10°55'30") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

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