The Figure-Sculpture: Crucifixion 265 



one of the 11th century. Both of these show Christ seated at table, 

 and both are of Bj^zantine origin. 



The restored abbey church of Vezelay, dedicated to Mary Magdalen, 

 has, on the lintel of the central doorway of the west front, the scene 

 where she washes the feet of Christ. 



A gauche, c'est la resurrection de son frere Lazare, puis c'est la visits 

 chez Simon le lepreux ou la pecheresse, etendue a terre devant lui, 

 repand des parfums sur les pieds du Christ et les essuie de ses cheveux.^ 



To be sure, this may be a restoration, but, if so, it is a restoration 

 by Viollet-le-Duc, and according to indications afforded by the 

 original sculpture.^ 



This is the only mediaeval sculptured representation of the scene 

 that I know of, besides that on the Ruthwell Cross, and this at 

 Vezelay belongs to the years 1120—1135. 



E. The Crucifixion.3 



The first representation of the crucifixion in Roman painting be- 

 longs to the 7th century. It is rarely figured in sculpture in the 10th 

 century, and does not become at all common till the 13th. 



On peut attribuer au VII® siecle ... les peintures de la petite basi- 

 lique cimiteriale de Saint-Valentin. ... La plus importante de ces 

 fresques, pour I'iconographie chretienne, est un grand Crucifix, jadis 

 publie par Bosio. . . . Voila, dans I'art chretien romain, le premier 

 exemple de I'image emouvante.* 



In the tenth century crucifixes are occasionally seen.^ 



^ Poree, L'Abbaye de Vezelay, p. 22. 



^ I cannot make out whether the hntel has been restored or not. Poree 

 says of the tympanum (p. 20) : ' L'ancien tympan est maintenant depose 

 en dehors de I'eglise, contre le mur meridional. Au moment de la restau- 

 ration, il etait reconvert d'une epaisse couche de platre qui cachait la trace 

 des bas-reliefs ra vales au nu de la pierre. Grace a la teinte plus claire de la 

 pierre, on put cependant en deviner quelques sujets qui ont inspire la re- 

 constitution de Viollet-le-Duc' The author then describes, in a paragraph, 

 the Last Judgment of the tympanum. He then proceeds (p. 22) : ' Sur le 

 Unteau se deroulent des episodes de la vie de la Madeleine.' The question 

 is whether he reckons the lintel as part of the tympanum, which, of course, 

 strictly speaking, it is not. 



3 See p. 19. 



* Perate, in Michel, Hist, de VArt V. 76 ; cf. Brehier, Les Origines du Crucifix 

 dans VArt Religieux, pp. 57 ff. 



* Didron, Christian Iconography I. 259. 



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