About

The cloister of the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame-en-Vaux housed a unique collection of finely crafted column-statues depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Built around 1170–1180, they served the canons for contemplation and education, although this trend, associated with early Gothic art, was short-lived and quickly abandoned during the subsequent liturgical reforms.

This capital depicts the Archangel Saint Michael and his role in the Last Judgment.

The medieval dragon fought by the Archangel is very different from our modern representation: it is a hybrid creature with the features of a bird, a reptile, and a beast. In Christian liturgy, it represents the embodiment of evil, and the many stories found in the lives of saints fighting dragons reflect this battle and the triumph over evil, vices, or the devil.

The other scenes of the capital depict the Last Judgment, the weighing of souls, and the torment of the damned. Absent from Jewish religion, this weighing of souls already existed in certain ancient Eastern religions, such as in Egypt, a significant intellectual center for the early Christians who may have borrowed this concept.

The wings of Saint Michael are here depicted in a simple and streamlined manner, which is quite surprising for a capital from the cloister of Notre-Dame-en-Vaux, where wings are usually depicted in great detail, featuring precise feather patterns. Perhaps these feather motifs were meant to be added later to the wings? Does this simplicity stem from the artist’s intention, an oversight, or a lack of resources?

Historical Background

Severely lacking funds for the upkeep of their cloister in the 18th century, the monks proceeded with the demolition of the cloister between 1759 and 1766. The cloister was destroyed, and the grounds were rebuilt using the debris for the foundations. The cloister and its sculptures would fall into obscurity for two centuries, escaping the destruction of the Revolutionary period. Rediscovered in fragments during excavations by Léon Pressouyre between 1963 and 1976, it was reassembled and supplemented with plaster reinforcements.

State of Preservation

The capital is highly fragmented, with many parts missing. Numerous heads are absent, as well as the hooks of the capital, which mostly housed angels and demons, now broken.