MedievalArt.org.uk - Photographs by Stuart Whatling

Amiens Cathedral - the Portal Sculpture

Work in Progress!

The external sculptural programme at Amiens is one of the most comprehensive and coherent of any Gothic cathedral.
The west facade, constructed in the second and third decades of the 13th century, boasts 52 major jamb figures
(each around 2.3 m high), plus three great trumeau figures (2.6m), all with elaborate canopies and socle carvings.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the facade is the dado area beneath the jamb figures, which is filled with 118
large quatrefoil reliefs which provide a sense of formal unity across the whole of the vast structure.
The quatrefoils are in four main groupings, illustrating the major and minor prophets, the virtues and vices,
the zodiac and labours of the months and scenes from the infancy of Christ.

To navigate through the many groups of sculptures, please use the following index pages;

• The West Facade
  • the dado quatrefoils
• the prophet quatrefoils
• the virtues and vices
• the zodiac/labours of the months
• infancy of Christ
• jamb figures
• tympana
• archivolts
• The South Transept Portal
  • the archivolts
  • general details

As an alternative way of navigating the site, there is also an all-in-one key to the Amiens west facade sculpture.
It's rather ugly but it does help contextualise the various parts of the sculptural programme. Click here to explore it.