Medieval art is silent in modern times. It is neither displayed nor analytically considered within the envelope of sound, chant, prayer, and recitation. Excising this aural atmosphere in which these images once lived, has drained them of their energy to signify and to elicit affect. This paper turns to and recuperates the sonic environment of one famous imago – the late ninth-century golden statue of Holy Faith or Sainte Foy at Conques. Focus is on the eleventh-century Office of Ste. Foy, its design, and its interaction with the golden statue, with the narrative reliefs, and with the architecture at Conques. The analysis uncovers the figure of the crown, which signals the glorification of the saint, in the ring compositions of the chants and in the visual program. This audiovisual manifestation of the corona invites an engagement with the medieval fascination with form.
Online Lecture: ‘Medieval Formalism: The Corona-Crown in the Chants & Images of Ste. Foy at Conques’ with Dr Bissera V. Pentcheva, Institute of Historical Research, 3 October 2022, 5:30PM-7:30PM (GMT)
Medieval Art Research 