Capital from Moutiers-Saint-Jean

From the Benedictine abbey church at Moutiers-Saint-Jean, in Burgundy, France, these capitals are part of a set of thirteen brought to Harvard by Arthur Kingsley Porter, professor of art history from 1920 to 1933. These two derive from Classical forms of Corinthian capitals, a type characterized by upward thrusting acanthus leaves topped by volutes, or scrolls. Such examples of antique architectural decoration could still be found in buildings of southern France, and here the medieval sculptors make it their own. Medieval texts often praise works of art for their variety (varietas), and indeed such interest in variation is visible here. On the column at left, the traditional acanthus leaves rise up from the base; their outer leaves then curl inward and cross, framing a pinecone or thistle. A human face peers out from between the leaves. On the right, the pinecones are larger in size and number, with two distinct rows of intertwined vines and cones.