Cahors Cathedral facade Nord is a photograph by RicardMN Photography which was uploaded on August 6th, 2018.
Cahors Cathedral facade Nord
Cahors Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Cahors) is a Roman Catholic church located in the town of Cahors, Occitanie, France. A... more
Title
Cahors Cathedral facade Nord
Artist
RicardMN Photography
Medium
Photograph
Description
Cahors Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Cahors) is a Roman Catholic church located in the town of Cahors, Occitanie, France. A national monument, it is an example of the transition between the late Romanesque and Gothic architectural traditions.
The church was built by bishop Gerard de Cardaillac in the 11th century, over a church erected in the 7th century by St. Didier of Cahors. It was consecrated by Pope Calixtus II on September 10, 1119, and completed around 1135. The church, located in the city's centre, has the sturdy appearance of a fortified edifice: at the time, the local bishops were in fact also powerful feudal lords in their role as counts and barons of Cahors.
Carved in 1135 on the north facade, this arched portal is surmounted by a remarkable tympanum whose sculptures, recalling those of Moissac, are of a transitory style between the Romanesque and the Gothic. The theme is the Parousia of Christ. Jesus, standing with his right hand raised as a sign of blessing, a Bible in his left hand, is surrounded by an oval glory (or mandorle) that emphasizes the ascending movement. On each side of Christ, two angels seem to explain the miracle to the apostles, who, under their trilobal arches, surround the Virgin.
On the left, an isolated figure whose attitude and clothing is different from those of the apostles, probably represents the sculptor who thus signs his work.
On either side of the angels, is told the story of St. Stephen, patron saint of the cathedral, as it appears in the Acts of the Apostles. Above the mandorle, four cherubs accompany Christ in his ascent.
The archivolt is adorned with very thin, very long characters and facing each other. They illustrate hunting scenes, the fight of vices and virtues.
Also noteworthy are the carved archings and crows on the cornice. (Description from Wikipedia)
Uploaded
August 6th, 2018
