The Calvary at Plougonven (commune at
Plougonven
Plougonven (; br, Plougonven) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.
Population
Inhabitants of Plougonven are known in French as ''Plougonvenois''.
International relations
Plougonven is twinned with I ...
) is located within
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
Background
This calvary is part of the Plougonven "enclos paroissial". On an octagonal base, the structure is 4 metres high and on the two
corniche
A corniche is a road on the side of a cliff or mountain, with the ground rising on one side and falling away on the other. The word has been absorbed into English from the French term ' or "road on a ledge", originally derived from the Itali ...
s running around this base are a series of sculptural groups which depict scenes from the life and death of
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
. Erected in 1554, the sculptural work was executed by the workshop of the "ymageurs", Bastien and Henry Prigent (see note 1) who also worked on the
calvary at Pleyben
The Calvary at Pleyben, dating from 1555, is located in the village of Pleyben in Brittany, northwestern France.
Background
The Calvary dates to 1555 and most of the sculpture involved was executed by the workshop of Henry and Bastien Prigent who ...
. The calvary suffered considerable damage in 1794 during the aftermath of the French revolution after which the statues were hidden away in the cemetery grounds by the local people for safe-keeping. In 1810 the calvary was re-erected but with a wooden cross, this replaced in 1836 by a cross in stone. Then from 1897 to 1898, the sculptor
Yann Larhantec carried out a substantial restoration, taken further in 2009 by Pierre Floc'h. The Calvary is dedicated to
St Yves the parish's patron. The enclosure church itself dates to 1523 and is designed in the shape of a
Latin cross
A Latin cross or ''crux immissa'' is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a mu ...
with a nave and eight side chapels. It contains many sculptures and interesting features.
The "enclos" was listed as an historic monument in 1916.
The summit of the calvary
Three crosses reach up from the upper platform of the Calvary, that involving
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
's crucifixion and the crosses of the good and the bad robber. Jesus' cross has two crosspieces, on the first of which are back to back statues depicting the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
with
St Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
and his sword and
John the Evangelist with St Peter and his key. On the second crosspiece are statues of two horsed cavaliers, St Longinus on the right of Jesus and St Stephaton, who reached up to Jesus with a sponge, on the left. These crosses and the statuary involved were created as part of Larhantec's restoration.
[
There is a ]pietà
The Pietà (; meaning "pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus after his body was removed from the cross. It is most often found in sculpture. The Pietà is a specific form o ...
at the base of the central cross showing the Virgin Mary distraught and in tears with the body of Jesus across her knee, her hands clasped together. She is surrounded by St John and Mary Magdalene. The pietà was the work of Bastien Prigent.[
]
The north west face
On the upper platform, the subject dealt with is Christ carrying the cross
Christ Carrying the Cross on his way to his crucifixion is an episode included in the Gospel of John, and a very common subject in art, especially in the fourteen Stations of the Cross, sets of which are now found in almost all Roman Catholic ...
, the composition including Jesus bending under the weight of the cross and accompanied by three Roman soldiers, Simon of Cyrene helping and holding a rope, St Veronica
Saint Veronica, also known as Berenike, was a woman from Jerusalem who lived in the 1st century AD, according to extra-biblical Christian sacred tradition. A celebrated saint in many pious Christian countries, the 17th-century ''Acta Sanctorum' ...
with her veil, another soldier, the Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
distraught and in tears, supported by John the Evangelist. To the right of the scene depicting Jesus carrying the cross is the "mise au tombeau"; Jesus being prepared for burial.[ On the lower corniche of the north west facing side, we commence with Jesus in discussion with the lawyers, ]John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
baptizing Jesus (he wears an animal skin) whilst an angel holds Jesus' robe, Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
presenting bread to Jesus in the "temptation" scene and finally Jesus praying in Gethsemane
Gethsemane () is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus underwent the agony in the garden and was arrested before his crucifixion. It is a place of great resona ...
with John the Evangelist asleep at his side.
* In the "mise au tombeau", seven people surround Jesus and against normal convention Nicodemus stands at Jesus' head whilst Joseph of Arimathea is at his feet. John the Evangelist, the Virgin Mary, a female saint and Mary Magdalene look down on the body whilst Gamaliel is shown to be speaking with his index finger placed on his thumb. All have three tears running down each cheek. The "mise au tombeau" is the work of Bastien Prigent.[
]
Images of statues on the north west face
File:Plougonven (29) Calvaire Détail 35.JPG, Tears run down the cheeks of two of the onlookers at the "mise au tombeau".
File:Plougonven (29) Calvaire Détail 19.JPG, Christ is mocked by a group of soldiers ("Christ aux outrages")
File:Plougonven (29) Calvaire Détail 28.JPG, Jesus is flogged.
File:Plougonven (29) Calvaire Détail 23.JPG, Another view of Jesus being flogged.
File:Plougonven (29) Calvaire Détail 13.JPG, Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane
Gethsemane () is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus underwent the agony in the garden and was arrested before his crucifixion. It is a place of great resona ...
.
File:Plougonven (29) Calvaire Détail 08.JPG, The young Jesus speaking with the lawyers in the temple
Image:FR-29191 detailcalvaire05.jpg, Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
who is wearing an animal skin. The animal's head is at John the Baptist's feet. An angel kneels on the left side of the scene. She is holding Jesus' robe.
File:FR-29191 detailcalvaire02.jpg, On the left is a depiction of Satan tempting Jesus and offering him bread. He has lifted his cloak and we can see his cloven feet. On the right is Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane
Gethsemane () is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus underwent the agony in the garden and was arrested before his crucifixion. It is a place of great resona ...
. The apostle St John is fast asleep at his feet, his head cupped in his left hand. All the sculpture here is by Bastien Prigent although Yan Larhantec re-sculpted Satan's head.[
File:Plougonben calvari 7414 resize.jpg, Jesus baptized by John the Baptist
File:Plougonven_(29)_Calvaire_Détail_38.JPG, Tears falling at the "mise au tombeau"
File:Plougonven_(29)_Calvaire_Détail_37.JPG, Tears falling at the "mise au tombeau"
]
The south east face
On the upper platform we have a scene showing four soldiers applying the Crown of thorns to Jesus' head, Jesus brought before Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...
behind whom a servant prepares a towel and a pitcher of water from which Pilate will subsequently wash his hands, whilst a soldier waits and we finish with three soldiers leading Jesus off, Pilate having declared his verdict. On the lower corniche we have depictions of the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi
The Adoration of the Magi or Adoration of the Kings is the name traditionally given to the subject in the Nativity of Jesus in art in which the three Magi, represented as kings, especially in the West, having found Jesus by following a star, ...
and Jesus talking with the lawyers.
* In the Nativity scene Jesus lies on some straw surrounded by his parents who are kneeling. Jesus holds a terrestrial globe in his left hand and gives a blessing with his right hand. It was Bastien Prigent who executed the Nativity scene. Henry had sculpted that at Pleyben.[
* The Adoration of the Magi scene is the work of Bastien Prigent, as was the case with the Pleyben calvary.
* In the scene where Jesus is in discussion with lawyers in the temple, Jesus is standing on a pedestal as was the case at Pleyben. This helps to underline his ascendancy. At Plougonven, there are four lawyers, two on each side of Jesus whilst at Pleyben there were just two, one each side of Jesus. At Plougonven the sculpture of this scene was divided between the two Prigent brothers, Bastien sculpted the figure of Jesus, Henry the rest.][
* The scene showing Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist was not repeated at Pleyben.][ John pours the Jordan river water used in the ceremony from a shell. Jesus is kneeling and the sculptor carves stripes into the ground to suggest the waters of the river Jordan.][
* In the scene depicting Satan tempting Jesus, Larhantec had to redo the devil's head and critics have been complimentary as to the way this head integrates with the existing body sculpted by the Prigents. The devil pulls up his robe slightly to show his cloven feet.][
* In the scene depicting Jesus' arrest, Judas stands beneath Malchus' lantern holding his purse. Peter and James are sleeping but Peter's hand rests on his sword. Judas appears again when Jesus is shown standing between two soldiers who have arrested him. Judas leans towards Jesus ready to kiss him and thus betray his identity. Then is Peter with Malchus crying out in pain laying at his feet, a hand to the wound where Peter had cut off his ear.][
* In the scene showing Jesus being mocked, one of the soldiers is carved back to back with another looking in at the "mise au tombeau" scene.][
]
Images of statues on the south east face
File:FR-29191 detailcalvaire03.jpg, Mary and Joseph look out from the stable. Mary is holding the baby Jesus. The heads of the donkey and the cow poke out behind them
File:Plougonven_(29)_Calvaire_Détail_29.JPG, Soldiers manhandle Jesus and force the Crown of thorns down on his head
File:Plougonben_calvari_7420_resize.jpg, Jesus' body has been brought down from the cross
The south face
At the foot of Jesus' cross there is a statue depicting a kneeling Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...
. In front of her is the Resurrection
Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...
scene with Jesus emerging from his Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...
, his right hand raised and giving a blessing and a "Resurrection cross" or "Triumphal cross" in his left hand. A kneeling soldier sleeps on the right hand side of the tomb and another soldier, also sleeping, sits to the right, holding on to a musket, an anachronism explained by the fact that this part of the scene was by Larhantec. Behind him two other soldiers look on. On the right of the resurrection scene is Jesus being mocked and ridiculed by four soldiers ("Christ aux outrages") and then a scene showing Jesus being flogged. Next to the depiction of Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross is a pietà
The Pietà (; meaning "pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus after his body was removed from the cross. It is most often found in sculpture. The Pietà is a specific form o ...
and around this are the figure of a standing man and John the Evangelist. On the other side of the cross from the pietả, there is an "Ecce Homo". To the right of the pietả there is a depiction of the open mouth of Hell Harrowing of Hell. Adam
Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
has already emerged but a demon is stopping Eve
Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
from joining him. On the lower corniche
A corniche is a road on the side of a cliff or mountain, with the ground rising on one side and falling away on the other. The word has been absorbed into English from the French term ' or "road on a ledge", originally derived from the Itali ...
the depiction of Jesus' arrest includes Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...
shown holding a purse, St Peter
) (Simeon, Simon)
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire
, death_date = Between AD 64–68
, death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire
, parents = John (or Jonah; Jona)
, occupation ...
asleep by the side of a colleague then Peter drawing his sword, Malchus
Malchus (; grc-x-koine, Μάλχος, translit=Málkhos, ) was the servant of the Jewish High Priest Caiaphas who participated in the arrest of Jesus as written in the four gospels. According to the Bible, one of the disciples, Simon Peter, b ...
struck and falling to the ground and Judas embracing Jesus. These sculptures are then followed by a depiction of St Yves standing between a depiction of a rich man and a poor man. We finish with a depiction of the Annunciation
The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ange ...
and finally the Visitation (Christianity)
* Bastien Prigent carried out the work on the scene depicting the descent into hell. The mouth has teeth unlike that at Pleyben and dragons guard it. A demon armed with a fork tries to stop Eve leaving. Adam is slumped in Jesus' arms having already left.[
* In the ]Annunciation
The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ange ...
scene, the angel of the Annunciation leans on one knee and holds a banner saying " AVE MARIA GRATIA PLENA". The Virgin Mary kneels before a Prie-dieu with hands clasped. There is a face carved on the side of the Prie-dieu.[
* The "Visitation" scene was the work of Henry Prigent who also executed this scene for the Pleyben calvary.][
]
Notes
Note 1. The brothers Bastien and Henry Prigent were sculptors whose workshop was active between 1527 and 1577. Best known for their work on the great monumental calvaries of Pleyben
Pleyben (; ) is a commune in the Châteaulin arrondissement of Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The calvary in the churchyard dates from 1555.
Population
Inhabitants of Pleyben are called in French ''Pleybennois''.
...
dedicated to St Yves and Plougonven dedicated to St Germain and statuary in the church porches of Pencran, Landivisiau
Landivisiau (; br, Landivizio) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The journalist Luc Le Vaillant, winner of the 1998 Albert Londres Prize was born in Landivisiau. Landivisiau is twinned with Bideford i ...
and Guipavas plus the decoration to the upper part of the porch at Lampaul-Guimiliau
Lampaul-Guimiliau (; br, Lambaol-Gwimilio) is a commune in the Finistère department and administrative region of Brittany in north-western France. It is noted for its parish close.
Etymology
The place name element ''lan'' or ''lam'' (''llan'' ...
. They were also responsible for sculptural decoration on some smaller calvaries and crosses.[ The Prigent workshop also worked on the gisant of Laurent Richard at ]Plouvien
Plouvien (; br, Plouvien) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The journalist and writer Jean Bothorel was born in Plouvien on 12 May 1940.
Population
Inhabitants of Plouvien are called in French ''Plou ...
.
Note 2. Yan Larhantec's restoration involved work on up to thirty of the existing sculptures and the three crosses were entirely his work. Only the two cavaliers on one of the central crosses' crosspiece were original. Larhantec strove to replicate the style of the Prigent brothers. The dedication inscription has been moved during the various restorations and repairs and is now located at the back of the base of the central cross. It reads
Images of statues on the south face
File:Plougonven_(29)_Calvaire_Détail_42.JPG, Jesus steps from his tomb in the scene at Plougonven depicting the resurrection. He gives a blessing with his right hand and he carries a cross in his left hand. Beside the tomb two soldiers sit sleeping.
File:Plougonven_(29)_Calvaire_Détail_45.JPG, Jesus has emerged from the tomb and gives a blessing with his right hand whilst in his left hand he holds a "triumphal cross"
Image:FR-29191 detailcalvaire06.jpg, Jesus has already rescued Adam from the mouth of hell, and a demon wraps his fork around Eve's leg to try to stop her leaving. Two other lost souls wait their chance to escape. A dragon sits at the top of the mouth.
File:Plougonven (29) Calvaire Détail 16.JPG, Jesus' arrest.This sculpture on the Plougonven calvary's south side depicts Jesus' arrest. On the left is Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betraye ...
holding a purse and below him an apostle sleeping, whilst a second, St Peter is also asleep his hand on his sword. Then is Judas embracing Jesus to identify him. He is held by two guards. St Peter now puts his sword back in its sheath having struck Malchus
Malchus (; grc-x-koine, Μάλχος, translit=Málkhos, ) was the servant of the Jewish High Priest Caiaphas who participated in the arrest of Jesus as written in the four gospels. According to the Bible, one of the disciples, Simon Peter, b ...
who lies on the floor
File:Plougonven (29) Calvaire Détail 01.JPG, The Annunciation and the Visitation
File:Plougonven (29) Calvaire Détail 51.JPG, St Yves stands between a poor and a rich man.
File:Plougonven (29) Calvaire Détail 02.JPG, A depiction of the Visitation (Christianity) with Mary meeting Elizabeth.
File:Plougonven (29) Calvaire Détail 52.JPG, The rich man standing next to St Yves. Part of the scene where St Yves stands between a poor and a rich man.
File:Plougonven_(29)_Calvaire_Détail_41.JPG, In the Harrowing of Hell scene, a demon hooks Eve's leg with his fork to stop her escaping
See also
*List of the works of Bastien and Henry Prigent
List of works of Bastien and Henry Prigent.
The sculptors or "Ymageurs", Bastien and Henry Prigent ran a workshop (atelier) in Landerneau, Brittany, France from 1527 to 1577 and records show that at least fifty parishes passed orders to them, the ...
*Plougonven Parish close
The Plougonven Parish close (Enclos paroissial) is located at Plougonven in the arrondissement of Morlaix in Finistère in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in north-western France. The parish close comprises the church, an ossuary, the ...
Additional notes on the Calvary
In the folds of some of the clothes worn by the characters depicted in the calvary, traces of paint and gold gilding have been found suggesting that at one time the figures had been painted.
Yann Larhantec's restoration
Larhantec was commissioned to carry out a restoration in July 1897. He created three new crosses. He repaired the horses and their riders, restored all the statuary and, under strict instruction from the clergy, he changed the order of the statues bringing them into line with the text of the gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
.
The costumes
Apart from Jesus and the Virgin Mary, the characters depicted wear the clothes worn in the 16th century by Breton peasants and the bourgeoisie. The guards wear helmets, breastplates and leggings. Pontius Pilate wears ermine and has a mortar on his head looking much like a bailiff of the time. The depiction of the devil wears the attire of a pilgrim which he raises slightly to display his forked feet. Mary Magdalene wears the dress of a châtelaine of Henry II's time, with heavily pleated robe, slashed sleeves and a lace guimpe
Further reading
* Yves-Pascal Castel. "Guide des sept grands calvaires Bretons / Ar seizh kalvar braz" published August 2005 ISSN 1148-8824.
* Victor-Henri DEBIDOUR, "Grands Calvaires de Bretagne". Éditions d'Art Jos Le Doaré. 1998.
References
External links
{{commons category, Calvaire de Plougonven
Website covering 7 of the Breton calvaries
Plougonven
Plougonven (; br, Plougonven) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.
Population
Inhabitants of Plougonven are known in French as ''Plougonvenois''.
International relations
Plougonven is twinned with I ...
Monuments historiques of Finistère