καιρός remembered

Medieval wood carving

On the underside of the hinged seats of the choir stalls in medieval churches often a ‘misericord’ was carved, a small wooden seat on which the clergyman could lean while he was supposed to stand during long parts of the different services. So normally a misericord was hidden from view, either because the hinged seat was down or because it was covered by the unholy bum of the clergyman. It’s probably for this reason the medieval wood carvers were allowed to indulge in profane witticism for this part of the choir stalls.

In the Romanesque and Gothic churches from medieval Europe we can admire the exceptional quality of the wood carving on the choirs, choir stalls, pulpits etc. And as the second photo shows, certain statues of the Pietà – and of the Virgin Mary with or without child – belong to the greatest works of art of the time.

Photos of the week: Choir stall misericord and Pietà, Order of the Holy Cross Monastery, Ter Apel, The Netherlands 2017