In choro, ad occidentem spectans. Les peintures de Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe d’un autre point de vue

A novel perspective on the painted nave of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe Abbey reveals that the spatial organization and perception of its murals were significantly influenced by the monastic closure, which separated the clergy from laypeople. The study identifies a previously understudied partition in the third bay, marked today only by a painted bestiary, which defined the monks' space and altered their view of the western paintings. This finding challenges conventional interpretations of the nave's cycle of Old Testament scenes and sheds light on lesser-known murals visible only when exiting the church after facing west. By integrating the monastic closure into the analysis, the research offers a fresh understanding of the distribution of paintings and the function of the western tower-porch.

Boisseau, C. (2025). In choro, ad occidentem spectans. Les peintures de Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe d’un autre point de vue. Frontière·S, 11. https://doi.org/10.4000/15jyy