Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: mouthpuller

The former church of a priory, built 1150/1170, got remodelled quite often over the centuries. This was done not only by architects, but as well by clerics. The church was dedicated to St. Genesius first, then to St. Limin, followed by Saint-Martin. In the 19th century the dedication changed to Saint-Bonnet and some decades ago to Saint-Bénilde, a saint born in Thuret in 1805 under the name Pierre Romançon. There are interesting carvings here. Ever since the art history discovered them as specific works of art, they have been a subject in the literature. B. Craplet ("Auvergne roman", 1992) describes the carvings just as "unskilled". He in general disagrees with Z. Swiechowski ("Sculpture Romane D'auvergne", 1973), who sees this as the work of "naive folk art". A. Gybal ("L´Auvergne, berceau de l´artroman", 1958) describes a specific "Thuret-style" being a totally simplified work of art. Only to be found here. For him, the simplification is the result of the artists inspiration. He makes totally clear, that this is not "folk art" ("l`art populaire"), but the result of artistic work of very skilled monks ("moines tres cultives"). All corbels in Thuret are done by carvers, that worked in the more "orthodox" style of the Auvergne. So their works are not in the center of discussion. Here is a "mouthpuller", eyes wide open. He is making a grimace - showing the rows of his front teeth.

In the center of Le Douhet, a village just 12 kms north east of Saintes, is Saint Martial, a 12th century structure, that had to be stabilized by buttresses within the 15th century, when a steeple was built. The western facade is richly decorated with friezes and archivolts over the portal and the flanking blind arches. There are as well some remarkable corbels. Here is a mouth puller, presenting his ivories.

Early morning in Solignac, where a convent had been founded mid 7th century by Saint Eloi ("Saint Eligius"), who was a kind of senior adviser for the Merovingian kings Clotaire II and his son Dagobert I, the last of the Merovingian kings. The monastery thrived and soon more than 100 monks lived here. But during the 8th century it suffered from Saracen raids, followed by the Normans, who arrived here and looted the monastery a century later. When more and more pilgrims walked along the Via Lemovicensis, they all passed through here - and so the convent´s wealth and importance grew. Even a (still existing) bridge over the near river Briance got constructed during that time. The monks started the erection of the abbey-church, seen here, in the first decade of the 12th century. The structure was completed already about a century later. During the Hundred Years´ War the buildings of the abbey got partly destroyed, Calvinistic iconoclasts were here several times during the Wars of Religions. All formerly monastery buildings next to this church date back to the 18th century and now serve as a retirement home, only the impressive church survived the times and by now is well preserved. The nave is covered by a row of four cupolas on pendentives. There are not many of Romanesque churches with such wonderful domes. I do remember Soulliac, Cahors, Saintes, Perigueux.. The medieval architects had their inspiration from San Marco in Venice, completed around 1100. To plan and built such a church here was really ambitous. Choir, transepts and nave of Saint-Pierre have many corbels and capitals. At least two different studios of carvers have worked here. One workshop created the comples capitals around the apse. The second one created the granite corbels, like this one, in a rougher style. This onlooker seems really shocked by the exhibitionistic neighbour (previous uplaod).