"The Last Judgment Tympanum"

Gislebertus was a French sculptor who made major contributions to the Cathedral of Saint-Lazare in Autun and to several Burgundian churches from 1125 to 1135.

Among Gislebertus’ most noted works is the tympanum sculpture of the western doorway of the cathedral at Autun, depicting the Last Judgment. This work is noted for its expressionistic carving and technical proficiency; some of the figures are abstract in design, and the demon forms foreshadow 20th-century Surrealism. His sculpture for the northern doorway is a reclining, nude “Eve,” a medieval masterpiece. Also at Autun the sculptor created 60 capitals in the interior and doorways, most of which illustrate biblical stories and reflect the artist’s far-reaching imagination. Some of the capitals that depict Christ’s infancy are gentle and tender, but the tympanum contains fierce and frightening scenes of judgment and damnation.