Some Observations on Sculpture at Airvault

Abstract

The Romanesque church of Airvault in Poitou is very rich in architectural sculpture. The central problem in a study of this sculpture is an apparent contradiction between the date offered by documents and that based on an assessment of the sculptural styles, especially in the chevet. The former date is of the late 11th century, whereas the latter seems to some scholars to be well into the 12th. Past attempts at a solution embraced the idea of a prolonged campaign. A new examination of the documents confirms the evidence for a late 11th-century date. A new assessment of the sculptural forms by comparison to other monuments eliminates the contradiction between documents and carving style. Furthermore, these comparisons help to define an artistic context within the large and varied Romanesque school which centered on the Loire Valley.