Iconography and monumental art in "feodal space" from the 10th to the 12th century : the depiction of the Three Kings and its spread
This dissertation deals with the iconography of the Three Kings from the Xth to the XIIth century, by means of a study of its adaptation on monumental decoration in Latin Europe, so as to unravel how it was adapted by feudal society. In order to do so, the first question is that of the new royal status acquired in the Xth century by the Magi from the Gospel of Matthew, analyzed thanks to the concept of “ruler figure” that emerged at the time and was depicted by Marc Bloch in Les Rois thaumaturges (1924) and Ernst Kantorowicz in the The King’s Two Bodies (1957). The aim is to define where the newly defined Three Kings stand in the intricate network of “ties between man and man” theorized by Marc Bloch. The second question is that of the notion of feudal space, studied in depth by Robert Fossier, with his concept of “encellulement” (1982), and Alain Guerreau, who applies this idea to the sacred space. The notion of feudal space informs the corpus of studied pictures, their integration in the ecclesial space and the conception of the iconic space itself. A phenomenological analysis reveals the features of the characters in the “feudal imaginary”, fully invested with their royal function and its aura, and finding their place in a mental system whose mode of functioning can be unveiled thanks to the study of great iconographic sets. Being abstract universal figures, the Three Kings constitute a clear picture of the notion of social group, modulated according to various unifying consciences, from the most basic unit to Christian Holism.