Black-eyed Jesus, thick red hair framed by a golden halo, raises his right hand in a gesture of blessing. Head and shoulders detail of a Christ in Majesty fresco, painted in the early-1100s, in the cathédrale Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte at Nevers, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France.
Nevers, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France: this black-eyed Christ was painted in the early-1100s with his searching stare directed straight down at the congregation in the ancient cathédrale Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte de Nevers standing above the River Loire. However, as the massive fresco fills the Romanesque western apse and the cathedral has since been rebuilt with an east-facing nave and eastern apse, his gaze must now fall - perhaps more unsettlingly - on the backs of some worshippers’ heads. The massive medieval fresco depicts a Christ in Majesty or Christ in Glory with reddish hair, right hand raised in a gesture of blessing, sitting on a throne to symbolise his status as ruler of the world. The figure has a golden halo or nimbus and is surrounded by a painted mandorla or pointed oval. Nevers is unusual among French cathedrals in that it is really two structures in one. The western apse is part of the first Romanesque cathedral, built in the 11th century with a west-facing chancel. Much of that building was destroyed by fire in the 13th century and another cathedral was then added to those parts of the Romanesque building still standing. By the 1500s, the building had gained an eastern apse and Gothic chapels radiating from its east-facing choir. The cathedral was badly damaged by Second World War bombs, but has since been extensively restored. Contemporary stained glass now fills the windows and the Christ in Majesty fresco has undergone thorough conservation and restoration work.
Size: 3872px × 2592px
Location: Nevers, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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