A Polysemic Interpretation of the West Façade of Saint-Martin-de-Besse
Time, Space, and Chiasmus Carved in Stone
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21218709 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anna-Maria Moubayed (0000-0001-8511-5453, Universidad de Navarra, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 152 |
| Publication date | 2022-02-10 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel13020152 |
| OpenAlex | W4210979745 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 17 |
This article explores the sculptural programme of the west portal of Saint-Martin-de-Besse, which places Penance and the Eucharist sacraments at the centre of its polysemic narratives, forming chiastic sequences. Concerned with the fall of humankind and the history of redemption, the portal of Besse presents a series of enigmatic figures from the Old and New Testaments, along with an early Christian figure, Saint Eustace. In this article, I first present a brief historical overview of the church and its surroundings and then proceed with an iconographical survey of its portal. I argue that the series of sculpted narrative vignettes forming the west façade of Besse are polysemic as they carry multiple meanings. Focusing on salvation through (re)conversion, where the liturgical sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist are fundamental, these polysemic narratives form and perform four distinct chiasmus interchanges involving the Garden of Eden, where time and space are in constant dialogue
Art · Art history · Eucharist · Linguistics · Literature · Narrative · SAINT · Theology · Diverse Cultural and Historical Studies · Historical and Religious Studies of Rome · History · Philosophy · Religious Tourism and Spaces
| Highly cited | No |
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