The Gateway of Santa María de Sangüesa
By Clara Fernández-Ladreda Aguadé
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THE ARTISTS. THE WORKSHOP OF SAN JUAN DE LA PEÑA AND THE WORKSHOP OF SCHEMATIC FIGURES |
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The tympanum
It is dedicated to the Last Judgment (Mt. 24, 29-31, and 25, 31-46), which is fully developed, making the cover of Sangües the first Hispanic cover to offer a Judgment of these characteristics, that is to say, taken to its ultimate consequences -sentence and reward or punishment-.
In the center we see the judge, the risen Christ, showing the wounds, enthroned, crowned and nimbus, blessing with the right hand and carrying a book in the left -disappeared-. He is flanked by four trumpeter angels summoning men. On the sides, closing the set, the blessed and the damned, who are distinguished by their status, posture, clothing and expressions. The former are to the right of Christ -from agreement with what is indicated in the Gospel text- towards whom they advance, they stand upright, they are dressed and their faces reflect a serene happiness and even smile. On the other hand, the condemned, to the left of the judge, slump backwards, towards the hell below, and are naked. Exceptionally, we find to the left of Jesus three figures that, despite their location, must be identified as blessed because of their similarities with them.
Also to the left, under the reprobate, are located the weight of the souls by St. Michael -Psychostasis- and hell. The latter is incarnated by the head of the monster Leviathan mentioned in different books of the Old Testament -in an inverted position, which makes it difficult to perceive- on which the damned are camped, among them a couple of lustful men, easily recognizable as such by the presence of snakes that bite them at critical points of their Anatomy.
Finally, the lintel is occupied by thirteen personages, framed by arches. In the center, the enthroned and crowned Virgin, with the Child in her arms, as intercessor in the Last Judgment and titular of the temple. On the sides, a combination of apostles and evangelists, identified by the inscriptions engraved on the arches and attributes. The whole should be interpreted as a representation of the heavenly Jerusalem, of heaven.
