← Back to Digital Collection
France (Saint-Denis, Île-de-France)
Impost Block with Acanthus Decoration
2221
Romanesque-Gothic Transition (12th Century), c. 1140–1150 CE
An architectural impost block from the Saint-Denis workshops (c. 1140–1150 CE), densely wrapped in interlacing scrolling acanthus fronds and volutes in two registers, with deep channel undercutting creating dramatic chiaroscuro contrasts between crisp convex ridges and shadowed recesses; now at The Met Cloisters.
Full Access Required
Subscribe to unlock the complete art historical analysis, historical context, philosophical interpretation, sources, and vector downloads for every ornament in the archive.
Subscribe — from $4.99/month