Artwork: Maiestas Domini, San Clemente de Tahull

Artist: Unknown

Created: 12th century

Medium: Fresco (détail)

Location: Museu d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelona Spain

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“The small basilica of San Clemente de Tahull is located in the Bohí valley of Catalonia, Spain, an area renowned for its superb Romanesque frescoes. The semi-dome of San Clemente de Tahull’s central apse was adorned with this traditional Maiestas Domini, in which Christ appears in majesty surrounded by the four evangelists. The damaged fresco was acquired by the Museu d’Art de Catalunya in Barcelona in 1923. In this stunning composition, the formidable figure of Christ is seated, his right hand is raised in a gesture of benediction and his left holds open a book inscribed with the words ego sum lux m(un)di (“I am the light of the world”). His feet rest upon a hemisphere decorated with acanthus leaves, an allusion to both the earthly world and the rainbow from the Book of Revelation.

The four evangelist (not shown) are represented as winged angels — Matthew holds his Gospel and John cradles an eagle. Mark and Luke are depicted as half-length figures and are accompanied by their respective animal symbols: the lion and bull. An apocalyptic seraph (the highest class of angel) stands sentinel at either end of the composition, all six wings covers with with a multitude of eyes. Represented in the damaged lower register are the Virgin Mary and the Apostles Thomas, Bartholomew, John, James, and Phillip. This fresco was created y an unknown artist of possible Aragonese origin. The dramatic quality of the subject matter, in addition to the billowing draperies and dynamic composition, suggest that the painter was familiar with contemporary French frescoes. (NSF)

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