Stiff

Contrary to the Lying representing a character lying and deadened, in an attitude happy or smiling, the stiff is a funerary sculpture which appears a character also lying, but here in the realism of the putrefaction. In an exceptional way, this stiff, like that of the Duke Rene in the Church St Etienne with Bar-le-Duc, carved by Ligier Richier, is upright, its smoothed ecu, and tightening its heart with full hand towards the sky.

Context

Appeared in this 14th century when war (that of Hundred Years), plague and famine mowed half of the population, the stiff one marks a break in the funerary art of the Moyen-âge. The horror and the worms, the putrefaction and the clamping plates replace - brutally - smiles, Heaume or Hennin. Guillaume de Harcigny joint not the hands dévotement, but tries, of his dry phalanges, to hide a sex rotted for a long time. The Lagrange cardinal not exhorts the passer by to request for him, but to show humility, because you will be soon like me, a hideous corpse, grazes of the worms  .

The stiff term appears at the 12th century in the meaning of “stiff with life”, C. - with-D. “trespassed”. The popular religion, print of magic, in fact a saint to call upon in the desperate cases. One finds an good example of this worship with Ganagobie in the Alp-of-High-Provence.

Some stiff

In France and Europe, one counts approximately:

  • 14th century: 5 stiff;

  • 15th century: 75 stiff;
  • 16th century: 155 stiff;
  • 17th century: 29 stiff.

among which those of:

  • Notre-Dame church, with Ouanne, Yonne;

  • church Saint-Gervais and Saint-Protais, with Gisors, the Eure
  • Henri vault Battles poet carved by Pompon, with Moux, Aude;

See too

External bonds

Random links:Bauptois | NewYork Times Best Seller list | Crosio della Valle | Pingdingshan | Stemme | Liste_des_films_NC-17_évalués