"This study examines in depth a topic rich and suggestive. It was conducted in a spirit and in a way that are dear to me because it seems suited for modern research in the field of Christian iconology. To the delight of the reader, this book, is written in a clear and precise theological language, far from any nebulae and falsely "mystical" formulations ... However, the book does not lack poetic passages, gently lit - even illuminated - by the faith of the author ... The author demonstrates the continuity of the theophanic meaning of the representation of the four living creatures and its omnipresence in all the different iconographic traditions of the Christian world ... "
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L'Harmattan
| Auteur : | Philippe Péneaud |
|---|---|
| Editeur : | Editions L'Harmattan (10 avril 2007) |
| ISBN-13 : | 978-2296028005 |
| Broché : | 314 pages |
The Four Living creatures in Moissac
"Animated by a centrifugal movement, the Four Living creatures of Moissac are emerging from the mandorla as in the images of Christian Coptic art and Christian Greek art. Figured with the whole body, strong and powerful, they have nothing in common with the delicate Coptic silhouettes. Back arched, they deviate from the mandorla "like a whirlwind from the splendor of Christ" (Yves Christe, Les grands portails romans, Droz, Genève, 1969, p. 167)..." "...But as an elegant volute, the bust of the Four Living creatures is stretched back. In an extreme concentration, they are gazing to the Christ. From him, they hold life and they are waiting for any sign to spread it in its name, illustrating the words of Dionysius the Areopagite: "And every life and life-giving movement is from the Life which is above every life, and all source of all life. From It, even the souls have their indestructibility, and all living creatures, and plants in their most remote echo of life, have their power to live. And when It is "taken away," according to the Divine saying, all life fails, and to It even things that have failed, through their inability to participate in It..." when again returning, again become living creatures". Dionysius the Areopagite, Works, C. 6. The savage intensity transmitted by the work of sculptors - the stiff muscles, the deployment of the wings, the amplitude of the movements - emphasizes the fullness of life that inhabits them. The wings of the eagle, the fur of the lion, the robe of the ox, all these realistic details are increasing the strength of the image. The mouth forms a grin. Without being grotesque, it shows the absence of concession to sentimentalism and gives the scene the intensity of an ontological drama". Page 255 of the book Les Quatre Vivants de Philippe Péneaud éd. L'Harmattan.
Tetramorph illustration by Gallia Bitty
