Capital, Moissac Abbey, France 1060

This is a stone capital, made sometime between 1000 and 1250 CE, from Moissac Abbey in France. Architectural sculpture from this period, specifically in religious settings, often served as a visual tool to communicate moral and spiritual lessons. Here, the disturbing imagery of beasts devouring smaller creatures can be interpreted as a metaphor for the destructive nature of sin. It represents a world where the strong prey on the weak, a concept that resonates with broader social hierarchies and power structures. Consider how the grotesque nature of the forms challenges our aesthetic expectations. The Romanesque period was a time of rigid social structures, and works such as this reflect an engagement with themes of morality, sin, and redemption. These were central to the monastic experience and the broader cultural mindset of the time.