Apocryphal Sources Research Articles

The Iconography of the Virgin Portal at Amiens

The sculpture of the Virgin Portal of Amiens Cathedral is composed of generally common iconographic elements, but they are in a unique combination. The Coronation, or Triumph, of the Virgin in the tympanum is one of the most prevalent scenes of the thirteenth century, the Virgin being symbolic of the Church as well as being the Bride of Christ. The jamb figures create a sharp contrast between royal figures on one side (Sheba, Solomon, Herod, and the Three Magi) and Biblical figures on the other (the Annunciation, the Visitation, and the Presentation of Christ). On the dado, 24 quatrefoil reliefs drawn from Biblical and Apocryphal sources illustrate events or prophecies related to the jamb figures above them. Beneath the Magi, six reliefs tell of the search for Christ, emphasizing the Gentiles' recognition of the True Faith. Even royalty, then, bow to the Virgin (i.e., the Church) who is crowned in the tympanum; Sheba came to Solomon for the wisdom of the True Faith as shown in the quatrefoils. The opposit...