The labours of the months at Notre-Dame
Parisian images of the medieval year
Notre-Dame has a fine set of labours of the months on the left door of the west facade. I've always been amazed by just how many people come out of the cathedral through this door and don't even look at these lively sculptures. This door was created about 1210, when Frenc Gothic was a fully formed style, but to me the scenes always carry a feeling of springtime; it's a youthful art and a delicate one.
I particularly like the little summer figure just putting his outer clothes down on to the ground; he's stripped to his underwear. The artist shows the typical narrow folds and pleats of the braies, held together by a drawstring at the top.
These scenes have a classical feeling; each scene is focused on a single figure and a single action. There's nothing extraneous in any of them. Each one fills a simple, rectangular space - there's no spare room, but overall, there is a sense of spaciousness perhaps because the backgrounds have been left plain rather than filled with detail.
This shows quite well where the labours of the months sculptures are placed; on the jambs of the door, turning in both directions to face outwards to the west, and into the door. On the right you see the first of the sculptures that form a band across the facade - John the Baptist, holding the symbol of the Lamb of God and wearing his camel hair coat.
The images of the labours of the months show, from bottom to top, the grapetreading (September), and two harvest scenes (July and August). As so often, the higher scenes are better preserved; people couldn't reach to vandalise them, and they weren't exposed to the risk of accidents from passing worshippers. At the top, the peasant is sharpening his scythe before he goes to work - a lovely scene as he reaches up to the blade.
The panels facing outwards show the zodiac signs - you may just be able to make out Scorpio at the top.
Here you see the little half-naked figure in its context. At the bottom, a man brings firewood on his back.
What's particularly interesting here is that we see at the bottom right the story of Adam and Eve. This is the creation of Eve out of Adam's rib - you can see Adam sleeping, his head on his hand - and God on the left is blessing Eve. This sets the labours of the months in the context of the story of the Fall - it is only owing to the original sin of Eve that mankind was reduced to having to labour, according to medieval theology. So the iconography contains quite an erudite theological message - it's not so much the paupers' bible, as you often hear, but an intricate and learned presentation aimed at the clerks and canons of the cathedral. Who, of course, paid for the work.
Back to the list of images of labours of the months