Reims Cathedral facade
The labours of the months in Champagne country
Reims cathedal has a very eroded and damaged set of Labours of the months surrounding the main west door. Unlike most other French Gothic sets, they don't have an architectural framework, but stand proud against the flush surface of the building.
Reims is the centre of the Champagne trade. This method of making sparkling wine hadn't been invented in the Middle Ages - Dom Perignon is supposed to have started production in about 1700. But Reims was one of the major towns of a wealthy wine growing district in the middle ages - and the carvings here reflect that fact.
For instance, there's a lovely scene of vintage.
The grapes and vine leaves are shown in great detail - foliage patterns
are a particular strength of the late Gothic style, usually applied decoratively
but here used as the main theme. But I can't help thinking there's a specific
emphasis given to the vine in this carving just because of where it is -
as if the carver, perhaps, was well used to seeing the neatly ordered rows
of vineyards on his way to work every day.
Some of the other scenes make me wonder if Gothic
sculptors welcomed the subject matter of the labours of the months as a
means of enabling them to carve the naked human body. 
The man in his underwear
is similar to the figure at Notre-Dame, Paris. But the other sculpture is
quite different, with a sense of dynamism in the drapery and the posture.
Back to the list of images of labours of the months