Both of these sculptures on these buildings are depictions of the Last Judgement. Both of them are located at the west portal of the buildings. The center focus of each of the tympani are Jesus Christ. The tympanum on Conques was made during the Romanesque era during the 12th century. The other, was made in the Gothic era.
The Last Judgement tympanum of Conques shows Christ sitting in the center as the judge. He looks really serious about it, sitting on a throne with his right hand pointing up towards heaven and the people saved while his left hand is pointing down at hell and the people damned. It shows that if you're good then you get to enjoy the joys of heaven and if you are bad then you get to be tormented in hell. On the right of Christ, Mary and Peter and the other saints are standing. On Christs right, below Mary, Peter, and the saints, there is a covered area that looks like it is part of heaven also. The people are being saved and will get to go to Heaven.
On Christ's immediate left side, it shows all the people who are damned to hell. There are really creepy demons and there is a dragon-looking head that people are being shoved into, leading to hell. Right below that scene is hell. In hell, Satan is sitting with a lot of dead-looking people surrounding him.
The Last Judgement tympanum of west portal on Notre Dame de Paris shows Christ at the top and in the center with 2 angels on each side of him. He is sitting on a throne and the throne is placed right on top of a little town depiction. This probably represents him judging everyone in every little town. on his right side are what looks all the people being saved. They are standing next to an angel and are looking towards Christ. They are probably looking up representing that they have been following Christ and that's why they're going to heaven. On Christ's left, it shows all the people being led to hell. They are standing next to either a demon or the devil himself. The people below all of them look like they are waiting to be judged. They look scared and none of them are separated in any way-- they're just chilling. The entire scene is surrounded by angels watching whats going on.
One thing thing that I think is interesting about both of these depictions of the Last Judgement and others that I've seen is that they usually have heaven on Christs right hand side and hell on is left hand side. I don't know if what the significance of this is but I don't think its coincidental. The tympani on from the Romanesque era is a little more dramatic looking than the one from the Gothic era. It seems much more harsh and dark. The one on Notre Dame is much lighter and less dramatic. It doesn't depict it as a good scene but it doesn't seem as brutal as the one on the Conques.
Both of them show essentially the same thing, but analyzing both of them, I would think that people in the Gothic era are less expressive for some reason. It is a fairly symmetrical picture and I think that they cared more about what the building looked like and how well done it was instead of the actual depiction. The one from the Romanesque era, however, the artist and people from that time seemed truly scared for the Last Judgement. The picture was probably used on the building to scare people, entering the building, of sinning.
Both of them show essentially the same thing, but analyzing both of them, I would think that people in the Gothic era are less expressive for some reason. It is a fairly symmetrical picture and I think that they cared more about what the building looked like and how well done it was instead of the actual depiction. The one from the Romanesque era, however, the artist and people from that time seemed truly scared for the Last Judgement. The picture was probably used on the building to scare people, entering the building, of sinning.
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