Gislebertus and the Last Judgement

Autun Cathedral is one of the most magnificent buildings from the Middle Ages in France. This Cathedral was built as a reliquary to house the relics of Saint Lazarus. Saint Lazarus was a Saint, brother of Mary Magdalene, resurrected by Christ and heir as being Christ’s last miracle. The Cathedral served as a Holy Land for Christian believers throughout Europe to visit the Cathedral and pray to the relics of Saint Lazarus. Relics were believed to have the power to heal the sick or lessen one’s time in purgatory if prayed to. They also served as a place to offer blessings (Boundless, 1). Not only was Autun a pilgrimage stop to visit the relics of Saint Lazarus, it was also a stop to observe first hand the magnificent sculptures that adorn the cathedral.

The Autun Cathedral has certain aspects of design and architecture that were inspired by that of the Classical Romans. Architectural elements such as fluted pilasters, foliate capitals, friezes and rounded arches show the influence of the ancient past. As stated by art historian Marian Bleeke, “An important thread in recent modern scholarship on Romanesque architecture and sculpture has taken the Roman reference in the term seriously and focused on investigating this material’s relationship to the ancient past... No longer seen as the product of a process of decline, contemporary scholars instead understand the Roman resemblances in Romanesque art to be deliberate references to the past, which were used to make meaningful statements in the medieval present” (Bleeke, 260). Romanesque art and architecture has been studied as being a direct reference to that of the ancient past. Scholars now see this romanesque style as a step forward and no longer a digression. It is completely evident that the Autun Cathedral is an example of Romanesque art and it substantial to its importance in furthering a study of the ancient past. 

It is believed that the sculptural work of the cathedral was done completely by one artist, Gislebertus; due to the consistency of images. There is a distinct likeness throughout the cathedral, from doorway to apse, from floor to capital. Not only was the Cathedral ornate, it was embellished with sculptures consisting of biblical scenes. This art served as a method of teaching to those who were illiterate. By depicting scenes in a realistic manner, observers were frightened by the horrific images portrayed, thus influencing them to be believers.

In particular, the Tympanum on the central portal of the west facade holds one of the most fierce and terrifying biblical depictions from the Autun Cathedral. The lunette consists of horizontal registers of dramatic scenes of the Last Judgement.  At an enormous scale, this monumental relief sculpture reminds the viewer that they are in the presence of God. Approaching the portal where the tympanum is situated, one would feel an overwhelming sensation of fear due to the horrific images portrayed and the massive, larger-than-life size figure of Christ looking outwards in judgement of salvation or damnation. 

The central figure is a depiction of Christ enthroned in the city of Heaven, metaphorically depicted via the almond-shaped full body halo called the mandorla. It is thought that early Christians used the mandorla to represent the coming together of heaven and earth. It also served as a halo that surrounds a holy person’s entire body (Sandplay.org). In this case, the mandorla represents Christ’s divinity. There is a sense of hieratic order due to the fact that Christ‘s enormousness overpowers the scenes illustrated in the Tympanum.  Christ stares out beyond the viewer signifying that it is too late for salvation from being damned to hell, and that he will only look past you. It is not the time to make up for your sins.  The figure of Christ is flat, frontal, almost two-dimensionally represented. 

Gislebertus. The Last Judgement Tympanum. Entrance to the nave of St. Lazare. c. 12th century.

There is little detail in the robe worn by Christ, a repetition of delicate lines indicate folds in the fabric. The fabric is pressed tightly against the slender body of Christ, revealing boney twig-like legs bent at the knee. The fabric begins to flow loosely at the bottom above his bare feet. The fabric sways and curls, giving a sense of movement that echoes the foliage embellishing the tympanum.  Directly behind Christ, within the mandorla, there seems to be an architectural element possibly representing the kingdom of Heaven. This appears as a stone wall consisting of rounded arches. Again, hieratic order depicts Christ towering over the ‘Kingdom of Heaven.’ These arches are small enough to fit within Christ’s hands. Situated below his feet is a repetition of smaller arches, which seem to convey a decorative element. The greatest amount of depth used in the mandorla are beneath Christ’s forearms. This dramatic use of depth creates contrast which gives the illusion that Christ is protruding forward into space.  His body is elongated and there are no concerns of proportion. He is symmetrically depicted and his body divides the mandorla almost perfectly. His head is directly center at the top of the mandorla as his feet are directly in the center of the bottom. His arms are spread and extend past the edge of the mandorla as they also break up the inscription that states, “OMNIA DISPONO SOLUS MERITOS QUE CORONO QUOS SCELUS EXERCET ME JUDICE POENA COERCE- I alone dispose of all things and crown the just, Those who follow crime I judge and punish” (Denny, 542). His hands are directed to the damned, to his left; and the saved, to his right.  Four angels surround Christ and they appear to be holding the mandorla, as though it bears weight. The bodies of these angels are elongated, flowing and twisting in motion. 

To Christ’s right are the blessed in heaven. There is an expression of relief and solace in the faces of the saved. There also seem to be more figures in heaven compared to hell. Beginning at the figures closest to Christ, we see a female figure throned on a dais, given height and imperial status over the newly welcomed souls in Heaven. It is suggested this figure is the Virgin Mary, mother of Christ, an

At left: Gislebertus. Tympanum detail c. 12th century.

indication of the hope for salvation. There is a distinct similarity to the halo of Mary to the halo of Christ. It is the only other halo in the tympanum that shares the same color as Christ’s halo. The stone is darker than any other element. Although hieratic scale portrays Mary as being a fifth of the size of Christ, she is placed at his shoulder height, one of the only figures as high as he is. Beside Mary, an angel gracefully blows a trumpet, welcoming souls to Heaven. Directly beneath them, a group of figures are represented as extremely elongated bodies swirling together in motion directing their view towards Christ. Their hands are together in prayer. It is suggested that these figures are the Apostles, due to their enormousness over the other figures. One of the figures in this grouping has their back turned away from Christ, gazing up to the architectural depiction of the gateway to Heaven, consisting of two large arches above six smaller arches, creating a balcony looking out over the kingdom of Heaven. This figure is considered to be St. Peter, holding the exceptionally large key that unlocks the gates of Heaven. There is a connection between the figures on the balcony and St. Peter. Their necks are relaxed, arched backwards connecting their gaze in a pleasing and comfortable manner. There is no need for an exchange of words, the mutual feeling of bliss encompasses all in Heaven. One figure, about half the size of St. Peter, reaches up and grasps one hand with both of his. An angel reaches upwards and assists one figure down from the balcony while another, possibly a child; leans against him, hugging his leg while gazing up at St. Peter. A tall, slender figure clasps his hand on the wing of the angel while looking back at another angel blowing a trumpet. The inscription below the inspirited souls in Heaven reads “QUISQUE RESUREGET ITA QUEM NON TRAHIT IMPIA VITA ET LUCEBIT EI SINE FINE LUCERN A DIEI- Thus shall rise again everyone who does not lead an impious life, and endless light of day shall shine for him” (Denny, 546).

To Christ’s left are the the souls that are damned to hell for eternity. There is an immense amount of emotion depicted on the faces of these helpless souls. Mirroring the dais the Virgin is placed upon in heaven, there are three figures on the platform above the scenes of hell. One, an angel blowing a trumpet, and the other two sitting close to one another who seem to be sharing words. One of these figures is holding a book. They both have halos and are placed at the same height as the Virgin, which suggests they are of high importance. Directly below these figures on the platform is a literal illustration of the weighing of souls. St. Michael is depicted at one end of the scale, gazing down at the soul in the scale.  A demon at the other end is forcefully weighing down the scale in order to drag more souls into the furnace of hell. There is an angel behind St. Michael gracefully looking up towards Christ. A demon swings on the scale with a fiendish grin. Two very small figures hide themselves behind the flowing robe of St. Michael. They stare in fear at the three-heading serpent slithering in their direction. There are souls that are being pulled into the fires of hell by the hands of demons. Those that are waiting to be grasped all share the same emotion on their face. Two figures hold on tightly to each other while being dragged away. Demons are illustrated as frightening ravenous creatures as they are reaching for more souls that are doomed for damnation. Yet another angel stands 

At right: Gislebertus. Tympanum detail c. 12th century.

beside blowing a trumpet. Below this scene is the inscription, “TERREAT HIC TERROR QUOS TERRUS ALLIGAT ERROR NUM FORE SIC VERUM NOTAT HIC HORROR SPECIERUM- Here let fear strike those whom earthly error binds, for their fate is shown by the horror of these figures” (Denny, 546).

On the lintel below the depictions of heaven and hell is a line of souls awaiting judgment.  These are the people who are being raised from the dead to face judgement. They stand atop a row of coffins which become a decorative frieze. There are almost twice as much figures than coffins portrayed.  There is an incredible amount of raw emotion and fear in the faces of these souls as they wait to learn their fate. Ever-so slightly from left to right, the figures grow more and more elongated, to the point where they are crouching in a tight area with a low ceiling. Yet the actual space stays a consistent height. It appears that as the figures get closer to learning their fate, the more emotion is portrayed. The first seven figures wait in line before an angel. There is a calmness to their expression, they seem worried, but are almost assured of their fate. Three smaller figures are clenching themselves to an angel, as if they were begging for a ride to heaven.  The figures after this angel appear to be more frightened. Two pilgrims are portrayed by the bags they are carrying. The figures positioned underneath Christ gaze up to him for salvation, Christ looks beyond them. Another angel pushes souls forward, hinting that their fate is already defined. There is more terror and panic arising as the figures proceed. Several cover their heads and crouch down, as if they are waiting to wake from a bad dream. 

Gislebertus. The Last Judgement Tympanum: Lintel c. 12th century.

Others are screaming as they watch hands protruding through the ceiling grasping the head of one damned soul. 

Don Denny, writer of “The Last Judgement Tympanum at Autun: Its sources and Meaning”, compares and contrasts the depiction of the Last Judgement at Autun with other Last Judgement depictions from the Byzantine Empire. He describes the motif of the weighing of souls corresponds to that of Byzantine art, stating, “The portrayal of the subject at Autun is markedly similar to the Byzantine type, with demons of sticklike thinness attempting to interfere with the action of the scales. Note that the scales at Autun are not held by the officiating angel but hang from a small cloud, a detail that I do not find in other western Last Judgements of this period, but that is known in the Byzantine images (Denny).” In “The Literature of Art; Review of Gislebertus, Sculptor of Autun”, by C. R. Dodwell, discusses that The Last Judgement was the crowing achievement of the artist, Gislebertus. Inscribed within the monumental sculpture is Gislebertus hoc fecit, Gislebertus made this. It is rare and unlikely that an artist in the Middle Ages signs his work. However it appears that the bishop of Autun gave the permission for Gislebertus to sign his masterpiece. He describes that “Combining emotional tension with liturgical gravity, depth of modeling with shallowness of projection, variegated in gesture, expression, and even drapery, pullulating in detail with dramatic episode yet forming as a whole a magisterial composition of tranquillity and majesty, it shows to the full Gislebertus’s power as an artist and imagination as a visionary.” Dodwell also discusses the decorative sculpture at the Autun Cathedral is insignificant due to the fact that the sculpture has been designed by a trained mind. He states “Not only is he a craftsman genius, creative in conception and memorable in achievement, but he is also a sculptor whose name we know, whose development we can trace and whose influence we can follow. Moreover, to the best of our present knowledge, he is the only Romanesque sculptor who carried out the complete decoration of a lavishly carved church virtually single-handed” (Dodwell, p545).

It is known that the Autun Cathedral is a highlight of Romanesque art, due to the fact that one artist, Gislebertus, completed all of the sculpture. This is a presumption regarding the latin inscription ‘Gislebertus me fecit,’ Gislebertus made this, within the tympanum sculpture. It is extremely rare that any artist of the middle ages would sign their work, especially that of a religious building.  This has created a controversy surrounding the name ‘Gislebertus’. Linda Seidel, author of Legends in Limestone: Lazarus, Gislebertus, and the Cathedral of Autun, claims “In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Gislebertus has been St. Lazarus’s modern equivalent- the church’s guardian angel and sanctified hero. Recognition of him as the sculptor of Autun first occurred in the 1830s, a decade in which the French quest for national grandeur brought to prominence previously ignored Romanesque monuments, antecedents of the already identified and highly appreciated category of Gothic architecture” (Seidel, 18). It is obvious Gislebertus is of high importance. 

‘Gislebertus hoc fecit’ Signature on tympanum.  Entrance to the nave of St. Lazare. c. 12th century.

“The ‘stone charter’ rather than a written vita asserts a well-placed, historic individual’s engagement with the acquisition of Lazarus’s bones through inscription of his name in a prominent position on the saint’s commemorative monument. The limestone inscription, which has provided modern scholars with what they believe to be the signature of an itinerant sculptor, offered medieval viewers evidence of local nobility’s participation in the development of Lazarus’s legend” (Seidel, 64). 

Gislebertus was one of the most important artists known from the Romanesque era.  He was considered of high importance because he inscribed his name in stone on one of the most prestigious cathedrals of the Middle Ages. By doing this, Gislebertus proclaimed his satisfaction and pride in his work. Seidel asserts the fact that “the words introduced a distant, to us seemingly obscure, historical individual into the architectural program at Autun and transformed him, in that way, into an important figure in local legend. By manufacturing memory so concretely, the church of St-Lazare, an act of both construction and imagination, obscured the point at which the past left off and the present began” (Seidel, 78).  By inscribing his name in stone, he made himself a legend at the Autun Cathedral with his uniformity of style and rhythm and his lavish use of detail. Gislebertus was a master sculptor  who focused on capturing emotion rather than perfection. As seen in the Last Judgement Tympanum, emotion is strongly represented throughout the sculpture and is visible among the faces of the figures. This horrific scene of  judgment would create fear in any viewer due to the dreadful images being portrayed. During the Middle Ages, the tympanum sculpture served to educate all who enter the cathedral of St. Lazarus. 

Works Cited

Bleeke, Marian. "Romanesque." Board of Trustees of Western Michigan University (2012): 257-65. Print

"The Church of Saint-Lazare, Architecture and Sculpture." Boundless. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2013. <https://www.boundless.com/art-history/romanesque-art/france-and-spain/the-church-of-saint-lazare-architecture-and-sculpture/>.

Denny, Don. "The Last Judgement Tympanum at Autun." JSTOR. JSTOR, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. <www.jstor.orgg/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp>.

Dodwell, C. R. “Review of Sculptor of Autun by Denis Grivot: George Zarnecki” The Burlington Magazine, Vol. 104 No. 717. 1962

"Mandorla: Ancient Symbol of Wholeness." Mandorla: Ancient Symbol of Wholeness. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2013. <http://www.sandplay.org/symbols/mandorla.htm>.

Seidel, Linda. Legends in Limestone: Lazarus, Gislebertus, and the Cathedral of Autun. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1999. Print.