Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: folk art

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.

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"). This is the most cryptic capital in Thuret. A woman and a man in very luxurious garments are holding hands in front of a pillar. This is a wedding attire, as it is widely agreed, that this depicts a wedding scene. The pillar often is a symbol for palace, our at least a prestigious house built from stones. So seen here is the wedding of a very high ranking, wealthy couple. And on the left side - a round face with an open mouth. Snakes creep out of the mouth -. and one of them even bites into the lady´s derrière. Further left a man with a pole. He may be a warrier holding a lance. Craplet describes this as a wedding scene, where a "devil´s head is spitting snakes", as a symbol of lust. If this is right, then it can be understood as a warning. Then this proves, that even in the highest ranks, the devil can infect a woman with sinful lust. Two more snake can be seen in the church. One is just being eaten by a stork, the other one is communicating with Eve. About an apple.

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"). Just a small detail from on of the many capitals. A shepherd carrying a sheep on his shoulders. Probably referring to the "Parable of the Lost Sheep" (Matthew, 18:12-14 / Luke 18:12-14). This shepherd-theme ("Pastor Bonus") is very typical for the Auvergne (Issoire, Biozat,..), but the style here is pretty different. - Bernard Craplet wrote "Is there a hidden message within the unskilled sculptures? This is probably not the case. Neither here nor somewhere else."

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"). There are more than 50 carvings in Thuret and most of the floral decorated capitals in Thuret are carved in the "conventional" style, that was nomal in the area around 1150. Most, but not all. This one has the "Thuret-Touch". The theme, "tendrils sprouting out of a head" is very common all around. Here the tendrils create no symmetry (like mostly). The style is very simplified .The faces are similar to the faces seen on the "Garden Eden"-capital.

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 implification 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"). A long legged wader-bird (stork? crane?) with large bills has caught a very long snake. A small lion (?) on the side. All set in a floral composition.

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 implification 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"). According to the literature this capital depicts "Daniel in the lions' den". I am not really sure. It does not have the "common" composition, where Daniel "holds" the lions. In the center is a person standing in the gesture of praying, "protected" by two angels (the right one is lost) from two animals (only one can be seen from this pov). This carving does not have that minimalistic approach just seen at "Adam and Eve". Bernard Craplet wrote "Is there a hidden message within the unskilled sculptures? This is probably not the case. Neither here nor somewhere else." Sorry for the bad quality of the photo.

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"). So this is what André Gybal describes as the "Thuret style" of total simplification. The same capital as before, now from another angle. Adam in the center. Eve, the snake, the apple to the right. Reflective Adam scratches his chin. On the left the third of the skeletal trees, that form the whole of the Garden of Eden. Very minimalistic! Bernard Craplet wrote "Is there a hidden message within the unskilled sculptures? This is probably not the case. Neither here nor somewhere else."

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"). So this is what André Gybal describes as the "Thuret style" of total simplification. Eve, the snake, the apple. That tells the whole story. The Garden of Eden exists out of exactly three trees (one is behind the corner). These trees not even have leaves, just stem, branches, apples. Exactly one apple per branch. The right tree seems somehow "anorganic", standing on a base. Eve, a huge head on a skinny body, has a very strange look in her eyes. Bernard Craplet wrote "Is there a system within the obviously incoherent sculptures? Is there a hidden message within the unskilled carvings? This is probably not the case. Neither here nor somewhere else." Maybe there is at least one question to ask here. There are 3 trees, 18 branches and 18 apples. Where does the 19. apple come from? The apple the snake offers to Eve.

The former church of a priory, built from local limestone 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. Within the 19th century the dedication changed to Saint-Bonnet and just some decades ago to Saint-Bénilde, a saint born in Thuret in 1805. This church has very interesting carvings, but the title "Le Vezelay de la Limagne", that I found on a local leaflet, is too ambitious. As the carvings in Thuret are extraodenary, they have been a subject in the literature ever since. The tympanum, over the southern portal, is a first example. A very common scene: Christ in a mandorla, holded upright by two angels. The arms and the hands of the angels are too long, the trees on the side are very simplistic while the large wings even have feathers. Christ, in a blessing gesture, is sitting in a very stiff position. B. Craplet ("Auvergne roman", 1992) identifies the angels as the archangels Gabriel and Michael and describes the work as "unskilled". He disagrees with Z. Swiechowski ("Sculpture Romane D'auvergne", 1973), who sees this as the work of "naive folk art". Craplet points out the delicately carved clothing of the three sculptures (hard to see here) - and so has a proof, that the artist was "able" to do "better". A. Gybal ("L´Auvergne, berceau de l´artroman", 1958) describes a specific "Thuret-style" being a totally simplified work of art. 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"). Note the cat on the right capital.

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. Standing in the nave, facing east to the choir. The structure is a basilica, with transepts and three apses, what is very common in the area. The church probably had a wooden ceiling in the early days, the vaulting seen today was done in the 15th century. Aymon Gilbert Mallay, the architect of the diocese, "over" restaurated the church in 1864, when he hightened the walls and enlarged the clerestory. Bernard Craplet ( "Auvergne romane") still laments this impact. New as well the large photos on both sides of the altar depicting Saint Bénilde, born in Thuret in 1805 under the name Pierre Romançon. The title "Le Vezelay de la Limagne", that I found on a local leaflet, is too ambitious. There are interesting carvings (see the capitals) 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 implification 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").

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. The title "Le Vezelay de la Limagne", that I found on a local leaflet, is too ambitious. 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"). A large ape, having a rope around the neck. Pegged to the ground. The ape has the typical round mouth and his look is pretty aggressive, what is no wonder. This icon "man/rope/ape" (here without "man") can seen more often in the Auvergne. The French call this "singe cordé". I have learned, that within the Auvergne are about 20 (!) similar carvings, depicting apes/monkey roped.

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. The title "Le Vezelay de la Limagne", that I found on a local leaflet, is too ambitious. 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"). The same capital again, seen from another angle. A large, hairy ape, having a rope around the neck. Pegged to the ground. This icon "man/rope/ape" (here without "man") can seen more often in the Auvergne. The French call this "singe cordé". I have learned, that within the Auvergne are about 20 (!) similar carvings, depicting apes/monkey roped.

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. A backbending mermaid (maybe mermen?). I have to admit that I am not really sure, as I never found a "winged mermaid" sofar. There are three "indications" for a mermaid. The lower body is covered with scales. The mouth reminds on the mouth of a fish. Over the head is a large fishtail.