Architectural Sculpture of the 13th Century in Santiago de Compostela

• Applicant: Dr. Anke Wunderwald
• Subject Area: Art History
• Term: from 2010 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 170907804

The Portico de la Gloria in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela stands out as one of the most significant artworks of its age. The figured portal by Master Mateo in the west end of the pilgrimage basilica influenced the subsequent sculptural decoration within the ensemble of the cathedral in iconography, style, and ornamentation, as well as having a long-lasting effect on the artistic landscape of the city and the region. In the research project the impact of this epochal portal on Gothic architectural sculpture in Santiago of the 13th century will be analysed between the poles of the new stylistic idioms and the development of the repertory of forms traditionally derived from the Ile-de-France. In the first phase, the question of the relationships within the workshop in the cathedral area will be examined from stylistic and iconographic viewpoints, in order to conduct a revision of the previous dating and a more precise art historical classification, based on recent architectural research and studies of historical sources. This reconsideration promises an extraordinary gain in knowledge. The policies of the bishopric moreover were transformed by the growing pilgrimage movement and the increasingly successful reconquista. Iconographic traditions and innovations will be identified and discussed within the field of ecclesiastical policies. In a second phase, the artistic appeal of the centre of pilgrimage on sacred spaces in Spain and on comparable European examples will be studied.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants