Camino Photo of the Day: Whimsy and the End of Days
The tympanum of the abbey church at Conques contains one of the most beautiful – and fearsome – depictions of the Last Judgement I’ve ever seen. It has been called “one of the fundamental works of Romanesque sculpture due to its artistic qualities, its originality, and its dimensions”.
Everything, in fact, is arranged around the central figure of Christ towards whom the gaze is irresistibly drawn. To his left, “hell is like the negative image of paradise (to his right), an anti-heaven. In one case everything is order, clarity, peace, contemplation and love; in the other, violence, convulsive agitation, terror” (Marcel Durliat).
Framing this weighty subject matter, though, is a bit of whimsy that contrasts mightily with the gravity of the tympanum. I’ve included a bonus closeup of les petits curieux “the little curious ones” below the main image.
Bonus: les petits curieux
Date: 27 August 2023
Place: Conques, Aveyron Département, Region of Occitanie, France
Maps!
