(artist(s) unknown) (b.1220 to 36). Beau Dieu [marble]. Trumeau of the central portal, west façade of the Amiens Cathedral, France.

The slow infusion of mundane accessibility that would come to be a defining characteristic of western Middle Age art is evident in Beau Dieu. Accessible, because of how realism overpowers abstraction, and the impression that the Christ-figure through gesture is welcoming or blessing each parishioner that enters the cathedral. Remote, because the spiritual weightlessness implied by the figure’s standing on two creatures (demon and baskilisk), symbolizing his triumph over death and evil. In addition, he is dramatically elevated and the edges of abstraction globally formatting his figure keep this work grounded in the conceptual rather than literal realm.

Centers of focus are mercifully simple: Gesture, facial expression, and gospel through directional forces following the edges of the figures robes. The space carrying the subject is beautifully defined, repeating the functional decorative forms and ornamentations that are used on the façade. The stiff, radiating edges and architectural context create an interesting interplay with the softer textures of the figure’s gesture and placid facial expression. The emotional and formal arrangement and resulting impression of directional forces are stable, organized and repeat the soaring vertical ornamentation of the façade. The Beau Dieu (“beautiful” or “noble God”) is an exceptional piece on an exceptional cathedral.