Afgietsels van twee pilasters met reliëf van de Collégiale Notre-Dame te Mantes-la-Jolie c. 1875 - 1900

Adolphe Giraudon captured these plaster casts of pilaster reliefs from the Collégiale Notre-Dame in Mantes-la-Jolie. Notice the recurring motif of the human head encircled by swirling tendrils; this can be traced back to ancient fertility symbols, re-emerging in Romanesque art as a symbol of life’s cyclical nature. These heads, almost lost within the vegetative ornamentation, are evocative of the ‘Green Man,’ a pagan symbol of nature’s regenerative power, often found in medieval churches. This motif transcends its original pagan context, becoming integrated into Christian iconography, suggesting a deeper, perhaps subconscious, connection between the natural world and spiritual renewal. The emotional resonance of these faces, peering out from the foliage, touches on a primal awareness of life's mysteries. This is an enduring symbol; it resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings across different historical contexts.