of the Christ child. The donkey is quite naturally portrayed.
The Suicide of Judas
This capital portrays the moment that Judas, full of guilt and despair at his betrayal of Jesus, hangs himself. His tongue hangs out and the head falls grotesquely to one side as two demons pull the rope, forming a balanced triangular composition (Fig. 1.29).
Figure 1.30 The Dream of the Magi capital.
Imagine you are a pilgrim in the 12th century and you have been walking towards Santiago de Compostela for two years or more. How do think you would react to the imagery in the sculpture of these Romanesque churches?
Art Elements and Design Principles
Architecture
Shape Romanesque architecture had a massive, solid appearance.
Figure 1.29 The Suicide of Judas capital. The Dream of the Magi
The story is told in three simple gestures. The angel points to the star, gently touches a hand and a king opens one eye. This is a warning not to return to King Herod after they have seen the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. The semi-circular lines of the bed cover unite the composition (Fig. 1.30).
CHAPTER 1 ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE AND SCULPTURE
Pilgrimage churches were all quite similar. The shapes were geometric and they were symmetrical in plan.
Typical characteristics included:
l rounded Roman-style arches on doors, windows and towers
l thick walls to hold the weight of heavy stone vaulting
