Modena Cathedral
Wiligelmo (active early 12th century), Cain and Lamech, Noah, relief from the west facade, c. 1100. Height about 36 in. (91.4cm). Cathedral of Modena.
Adam and Eve, Modena Cathedral

Wiligelmo (also known as Wiligelmus, Gulielmo da Modena, Cousin of Elmo or Guglielmo da Modena) was an Italian sculptor active between c. 1099 and 1120. He was among the earliest sculptors in Italy to produce large-format architectural sculptures.[1]

Wiligelmo carved four relief panels on the west facade of Modena Cathedral (ca. 1110): two flank the central portal and two others sit above the side portals. They collectively depict scenes from the Book of Genesis, and originally formed a continuous frieze on each side of the central portal (they have since been relocated to their current positions).[1] Others have theorized that they were sculpted to adorn the entrance of the crypt.[2] The reliefs are made of marble and measure about one meter tall. These are considered to be revivals of ancient Roman relief sculptural traditions, and are prime examples of Romanesque sculpture. Wiligelmo's name is known from an epigraph carved as a postscript to the Latin inscription over the foundation date on that facade: "Among sculptors, your work shines forth, Wiligelmo".[3]

One panel illustrates the story of Cain, Lamech, and Noah. This relief contains two separate stories, one of Lamech shooting Cain in the eye with an arrow, blinding him, and the other of Noah and his family on Noah’s Ark and then departing the Ark. Wiligelmo’s sculpting style depicts the people in a dramatic way by packing them tightly into the relief.[1] The sculpted people were inspired by Roman sculpture in the Constantinian era, as their feet and legs all tightly fit together and point in the same direction, as well as having densely proportioned bodies.[1] Another panel illustrates the Creation and Temptation of Adam and Eve.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Stokstad, Marilyn (2004). Medieval Art (2nd ed.). Colorado: Westview Press. p. 200.
  2. ^ Fernie, Eric (1995). "Notes on the Sculpture of Modena Cathedral". Romanesque Architecture: Design, Meaning and Metrology. London: The Pindar Press. p. 153.
  3. ^ Gardner, Helen; Kleiner, Fred S. (2009-01-08). Gardner's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective. Vol. 1. Cengage Learning. p. 330. ISBN 9780495573609.


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