SCULPTURE

Italy

CHURCH FACADES.

Italian Gothic church facades generally do not rival those of the French cathedrals as focal points of architectural and sculptural endeavor. The French Gothic portal, with its jamb statues and richly carved tympanum, never found favor in the south. Instead, we often find a survival of Romanesque traditions of architectural sculpture, such as statues in niches or small-scale reliefs overlaying the wall surfaces (compare figs. 430 and 481).

At Orvieto Cathedral, Lorenzo Maitani (before 1270-1330) covered the wide pilasters between the portals with relief carvings of such lacelike delicacy that we become aware of them only if we see them at close range. The tortures of the damned from The Last judgment on the southernmost pilaster (fig. 505) make an instructive comparison with similar scenes in Romanesque art (such as fig. 426). The hellish monsters are as vicious as ever, but the sinners now evoke compassion rather than sheer horror. Even here, we feel the spirit of human sympathy that distinguishes the Gothic from the Romanesque.

 

Lorenzo Maitani Lorenzo Maitani, (born c. 1275, near Siena, republic of Siena [Italy]—died June 1330, Orvieto, Papal States [Italy]), Italian architect and sculptor primarily responsible for the construction and decoration of the facade of Orvieto Cathedral. Maitani established his reputation in Siena and was called to supervise the construction at Orvieto in 1308 when the unprecedented height and span of the cathedral’s vaults and arches presented unforeseen difficulties. In 1310 he received the title capomaestro of the cathedral and became, in addition, overseer of bridges and civic buildings. Maitani’s most important contribution was the design of the cathedral’s facade. Though his contributions to the facade as a sculptor are difficult to determine, it may be assumed that his sensibility dictated the overall scheme. Two of the panels attributed to Maitani, “Scenes from Genesis” and “The Last Judgment,” are delicate bas-reliefs unified by an ascending vine that suggests a French Gothic influence. Sculptures generally attributed to Maitani include the bronze “Eagle of St. John” and the “Angel of St. Matthew.” Façade of the Cathedral. 1310-30. Duomo, Orvieto

 

First Pillar: Stories from Genesis. 1310-30. Marble. Duomo, Orvieto
 

First Pillar: Stories from Genesis. Adam and Eve
 

First Pillar: Stories from Genesis. Creation of Eve
 

First Pillar: Stories from Genesis.
 

First Pillar: Stories from Genesis.
 

Second Pillar: The Messianic Phrophesies. 1310-30. Marble. Duomo, Orvieto
1310-30
Marble
Duomo, Orvieto
 

Third Pillar: Stories from the New Testament. 1310-30. Marble. Duomo, Orvieto
1310-30
Marble
Duomo, Orvieto
 

Fourth Pillar: The Last Judgment. 1310-30. Marble. Duomo, Orvieto
1310-30
Marble
Duomo, Orvieto

505. LORENZO MAITANI. The Last Judgment (detail), from the facade of Orvieto Cathedral, ñ 1320

The Angel: Symbol of St Matthew. c. 1329. Bronze. Duomo, Orvieto
The Eagle: Symbol of St John. c. 1329. Bronze. Duomo, Orvieto