Divine power
Never before in the history of Portuguese sculpture was there such a proliferation of images associated to a building as in the west portal of Batalha. Corbels bearing the twelve apostles on either side were carried out by sculptors of the earliest building period. However all the remaining works and the general design reveal the art of France, previously transmitted to the territories of the Crown of Aragon where Huguet certainly worked before coming to Batalha. In the late 19th century the portal was massively restored and the apostles, lower evangelists and many other figures and elements replaced by copies.
Archivolts and tympanum of the west portal of the church (1420/1440) by HuguetBatalha Monastery
The west portal is aligned with the most sacred place in the church, the choir, and provides access to a superior dimension. A court of celestial, biblical and Church creatures welcomes the faithful.
St. Bartholomew the Apostle (1420/1440) by Second workshop of the west portalBatalha Monastery
At either side the twelve Apostles appear as pillars of the Church who spread the word of God after Christ's Ascension. The original sculptures are kept in the Monastery collection.
Archivolts of the west portal of the church (1420/1440) by HuguetBatalha Monastery
The importance in holy hierarchy decreases from inside to outside archivolts (left to right): seraphs, musician angels, Prophets, Kings of Judah, male saints and confessors and female saints and martyrs.
Archivolts of the west portal of the church (1420/1440) by HuguetBatalha Monastery
Ellaborate canopies distinguish each figure and support other ones. Wrinkeld brow, almond-shaped eyes and heavy, folded drapery were combined to convey simultaneously serene and solemn attitudes.
Tympanum of the west portal (1420/1440) by HuguetBatalha Monastery
The four Evangelists and their winged symbols around Christ in Majesty witness the passage of Huguet also through Castile where the model of the Puerta del Sarmental in Burgos was very popular.
Musician angel (1420/1440) by Second workshop of the west portalBatalha Monastery
Figures replaced in the 19th century are kept in the Monastery collections. This musician angel played a shawm, a forerunner of the oboe, considered most suitable to propiciate celestial harmony.
King of Judah (1420/1440) by Second workshop of the west portalBatalha Monastery
Kings of Judah wear crown and mantle and bear different objects symbolizing their power. In this case an orb (globe) that stood for the world was held in the left hand and pointed by the right one.
Coronation of the Virgin - west portal of the church (1420/1440) by HuguetBatalha Monastery
The Coronation of the Virgin at the apex of the portal honours the monastery patroness, St. Mary of the Victory. It may also be a distant echo of a comparable composition in Reims Cathedral.
Earthly power
Above the portal the coats of arms of the founder, King João I and his wife, Philippa of Lancaster, are borne by four angels each. Earthly power is taken to an aethereal instance which in fact is no more than a strong statement of legitimacy made by an illegitimate descendant of King Pedro I. João I was widely supported by middle and lower social classes and eventually acclaimed after the death of King Ferdinand I whose legitimate descendant was Beatriz, married to Juan I, King of Castile, Batalha monastery is the fulfilment of a vow made by João I to the the Virgin Mary on the eve of one of the most determinig armed conflicts of that time - the Batlle of Aljubarrota - fought nearby.
Tomb of King João I and Queen Philippa of Lancaster (1415/1434) by Unidentified artistBatalha Monastery
The workshop of the west portal had a definite influence on relevant subsequent sculpture works. The most immediate and outstanding ones are the tomb effigies of King João I and Queen Philippa of Lancaster.
Photograph: Luís Pavão, José Paulo Ruas
Text: Pedro Redol
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.