In the detail of the tympanum relief sculptures pictured above, master sculptor Gislebertus created a horrific image of the Last Judgement. The archangel Michael weighs the souls of the resurrected and they are separated out into the blessed and the damned. The production of these sculptures required large amounts of money and the support of church government. What do these images tell you about the prevailing view of mankind during the Middle Ages? What role did fear play in the medieval world view? How would you characterize the Christ depicted here?
In the detail of the tympanum relief sculptures pictured above, master sculptor Gislebertus created a horrific image of the Last Judgement. The archangel Michael weighs the souls of the resurrected and they are separated out into the blessed and the damned. The production of these sculptures required large amounts of money and the support of church government. What do these images tell you about the prevailing view of mankind during the Middle Ages? What role did fear play in the medieval world view? How would you characterize the Christ depicted here?
Seeing that the production for sculptures like the "Last Judgment" by Gislebertus required a lot of money to produce shows the importance the church had in displaying the message and idea to obey the church/be saved or be damned. The sculpture above shows Christ in the center with his Apostles and the Virgin Mary nearby. Next you see the Archangel Michael weighing (judging) the souls to determine who goes to heaven or who goes to hell. In the bottom of the sculpture, you see the damned souls being tortured by the demons in what looks to be hell. The sculpture paints a very disturbing picture and it serves its purpose to intimidate people of the medieval world to honor the church and its teachings.
ReplyDeleteThe reliefs simply states that you will be judged. Not only that but you will be judged accordingly to what the church says is good or bad. I think scaring people into giving you money for the sake of being spared in the afterlife is a brilliant money maker. Even today church is treated like a business by paying off your sins. I grew up Catholic and I can say that if you have money in your pocket, then the church will find out. God didn't create money, man did; so why would God ask for 10% of your pay in tiding? These sculptures are just minipulation techniques.
ReplyDeleteGislebertus’s The Last Judgment is one of the Romanesque sculptures. Due to the fact that such sculptures “required large amounts of money and the support of church government,” one can conclude that it is a commissioned vision of the Last Judgment. In the center, there is a large figure of Christ surrounded by the souls of the saved and the dead. The figures have very unusual, elongated shape that contributes to the overall darkness of the scene. The damned tortured by the demons depicted in the register below, add a feeling of horror to the relief. The fact that the figure of Christ is the largest one on the sculpture, makes me think that during the Middle Ages God was the center of the man’s world, and mankind’s purpose was to serve God. Since “[t]he archangel Michael weighs the souls of the resurrected and they are separated out into the blessed and the damned,” the afterlife seems to be very important in this period of time. The afterlife was, probably, perceived as a better life in comparison with the existence on earth.
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ReplyDeleteThe horrific image of the Last Judgment created by Gislwbertus shows lots of details, and has a strong message to deliver. This production was a very costly one but since the faith of the people was so strong they supported the sculpture to make sure the message is delivered. I believe the prevailing view of mankind during the Middle Ages was that they believe Jesus is always watching us and judging our choices in life. We see Jesus is in the middle of the sculpture which for me represents Limbo. I believe that Jesus is more watching us and waiting for those who are going with him because I believe Jesus does not judge us we choose our path and that this is what determines where we go. I believe the message in the sculpture was to put fear in people. This is so they can see how horrible it will be if they do not go to heaven it’s a message to always choose the right path to go down.
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ReplyDeleteFrom the images that the master sculptor Gislebertus created of the Last Judgment and the large amount of money used and the support of church government, one can imagine how the early church used to collect money from its members to build large and beautiful churches. In the high Middle Ages priests used the sacrament of penance to extract money from worshippers to shorten the time they or their loved ones would spend in purgatory. Then there were the peasants who whose lands were controlled by the Lords and the guilds that set wages and created apprentice programs. So the blessed would be those who have and the damned would be those who do not have. The Christ depicted here would be the one who would redeem the people and save them from their suffering.
ReplyDeleteIn the images of the tympanum relief sculptures, done by master sculptor Gislebertus. He created a horrific image of the Last Judgement. These images tell me that you will be judged according to the prevailing view of mankind during the Middle Ages. Fear played a major role in these sculptures. They are disturbing images and fear you of always being judged by everyone. I think that the christ dedicated here would be classified as the savior. The one who will never judge you unlike everyone else.
ReplyDeleteI think arspatola86 is right. The relief is a munipulation technique. It serves many purposes at once. It tells a narative story. It conveys power for which in the people's view would be respected and feard. This Jesus is not "the Good Shepard". This is the Godlike and omniputant Jesus. For these medivile people the world is Absolutes. "Christianity must be the right religion because God has given it's church so many rewards" would be the people's beleif. And at the same time turning away from the church and rules would have the consequences displayed. This serves the purpose of persration, demontration, narration, and munipulation.
ReplyDeleteMichael B. these images are telling me that the views on mankind in this time period is they were religious in the since that they strongly believe in the afterlife. i think that fear played some what of an heavy role because those images showed what could happen to peoples souls once they die, they could either be saved or damned. and christ is being depicted as somewhat of a saviour and protector to some people.
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The relief was used as a tool for the church. It wasn't for just the beauty of the art, but to scare the citizens into believing that they could be damned for not helping "support" the church. Most likely this project brought about a bunch of gracious donations and "saved souls." The image tells us it was those that had money and influence during the middle ages were the ones that could be saved while those that had nothing were sure to be damned.
ReplyDeleteThinking of the time this sculpture took place, it lets me know that people were true followers of the church. The church took advantage of this and using their powers and money made this sculptured which represents to me the destiny people would have once they die. It was a way for them to maintain their followers to obey religious costumes, as they were frighten by what could happen to their soul. The presents of Christ represent to me that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, that if they repented of their sins they could be saved at the last minute.
ReplyDeleteThe horrific image of the Last Judgment created by Gislwbertus tells you that the Government wants to leave a legacy by expended a large amount of money to create an image.
ReplyDeleteThat image would last forever, also have the support of the church to make sure the message is delivered. The prevailing view of mankind during the middle Ages was that God is watching over our life and also, judge us as we choose our path and that this is what determines our destiny. To my view the message in the sculpture is focus more on fearing people as they choosing they path.
In the tympanum sculpture of the "Last Judgement" by master sculptor Gislebertus you can tell the importance God must have played to mankind back in the Middle Ages. These sort of sculptures required large amounts of money so the people must have believed in the message the church was giving. I think fear was the key role back then. I believe the churches put the fear of God into the people as a way of controlling them. The church wanted everyone to fear making bad choices would damn them to hell to keep people under control and to force them to feel they had to participate and I am sure give money. I think in this picture Christ looks like the savior and the only way to salvation and protection from the damned is to follow him.
ReplyDeleteThe image in the painting of the last judgement shows human in the pain and light of the way one would be judge. The painting was a very expensive painting to make and show you different views from what one goes through in the light of the church and the direction it can take one life. Showing christ as the ruler of all things.
ReplyDeletethe image of the last judgement shows destiny. Your lifestyle will evaluate your fate. Gislebertus just had the courage to depict the image and not leave out any fine detail. you live and you die, but how you live is a different story. Christ is depicted as our savior who will deal out our fate. alot of people live in fear because they are worried about death but death comes to everyone. no one lives forever.
ReplyDeleteThese images tell us plainly that the church's favorite product was fear. The gangly, grotesque way the people are portrayed, and the souls that Michael cast down beneath Jesus being torture illustrates this point. Religion wasn't just a belief in these days, it was a way of life. The church combined that mentality with scare tactics in order to line their pockets.
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ReplyDeleteLeonard S. To begin, both of these sculptures are really hard to see. It’s obviously, because they are so old, but still there could have been a way to see it better. Moving on, the images in both of these sculptures make humans seem like their evil savages. There is a big difference between the God and the rest of the people in the sculptures. The God’s face seems more calming, while the peoples face seem evil. Fear played a major role in medieval times. The art in that time was to scare people into religion. In this sculpture, Christ is characterized by being the all and powerful. He was the biggest character in both of these sculptures.
ReplyDeleteWayne B. The view of man kind hasn't changed much. IT is still believed that there is an after life for the good and bad.Christ is depicted as the gate keeper.There are certain standard to become a part of the blessed or the damned.Even through all the years the belief in the after world hasn't changed much from the standard view of it.
ReplyDeleteElisaveta G. The view of man kind hasn't changed much. IT is still believed that there is an after life for the good and bad.Christ is depicted as the gate keeper.There are certain standard to become a part of the blessed or the damned.Even through all the years the belief in the after world hasn't changed much from the standard view of it.
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