Santiago cathedral, Pórtico da Gloria, central doorway, Elders of the Apocalypse, symbol of St. Matthew
On the central doorway of the Pórtico da Gloria, the tympanum presents the Second Coming of Christ as judge, displaying his wounds and accompanied by figures of the four evangelists and their symbols, angels bearing the instruments of the Passion, and the souls of the blessed. The framing arch displays the twenty-four elders of the apocalypse holding flasks and a remarkable variety of musical instruments (Revelation 4: 4; 5: 8). At the center of the arch, these are the twelfth to fifteenth elders, counting from the left, and their instruments are shown in great detail. In the most exalted position – just above the crowned head of Christ, two elders play an organistrum with a richly decorated surface. The next two elders (no. 14 and 15) each hold a three-stringed fiddle in a figure-eight shape played with a bow. See: El Pórtico de la Gloria: Música, Arte y Pensamiento. Ed. Carlos Villanueva. Santiago de Compostela: Xunta de Galicia, 1988.
D'Emilio photo archive no. b19803735u (13.05.08/JD)Galleries:Archivolts with figural decoration, Galicia 1180s, Galicia 1190s, Musical Instruments, O Pórtico da Gloria, the west porch and portals of Santiago cathedral, St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist, String Instruments, Twenty-Four Elders of the ApocalypseKeywords:fiddle, flask, organistrumPhoto Location: Santiago de Compostela (Galicia)Photographer: Dr. James D’EmilioDevice Make: NikonDevice Model: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 5000 EDOriginal Dimensions: 5671×3562Picture Orientation: LandscapeGPS Coordinates:Picture Number: 22746
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