Staying with form and texture for the B&W Bookclub - this is a detail of the statue of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus in her arms, which is to be found above the western entrance to Paimpont Abbey. In this detail view, we see the head of the devil and the head of an an angel, both of them beneath Mary's feet testifying to her position in the hierarchy of Heaven. The muzzle of the devil-beast and its paw are slowly being eroded away by the elements.
The statue dates from the 17th C and is based on the one to be found above the main entrance of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris.
@joansmor Thanks Joan, but don't be overawed... I'm like the duck sliding serenely across the pond - under the water my little legs are paddling ten to the dozen!
How supremely interesting! I've heard about these statues and have seen a few similar ones of the Madonna and Child, in which Mary is the one standing on the devil. It's intriguing to note that the actual Bible verse reads that Jesus is the one who would crush the serpent, not Mary (Genesis 3:15). The Douay-Rheims translation of the Bible switched their roles in this verse, saying that the woman would be the one to do so. Throughout ever era of religion - from Babylon to ancient Egypt to ancient Greece, and onward - there has been a divine mother and son pair, and the woman was always more powerful than her son. It quite boggles my mind! Many thanks for sharing this one, Richard!
thanks to doctor who statues of angels scare me