Calvary at Tronoën is a

calvary Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...

located at Saint-Jean-Trolimon in the Quimper arrondissement. It is located in the "pays bigouden", a particularly wind swept area of Brittany; the nearby chapelle was called the "cathédrale des dunes". The calvary dates to between 1450 and 1460 and stands on the grass verge ("placitre") in front of Saint-Jean-Trolimon's Notre-Dame Chapel which dates to the 15th century. It replaced an ancient Romano-Gallic temple dedicated to the goddess

Venus (mythology) Venus (; ) is a Roman goddess whose functions encompass love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory. In Roman mythology, she was the ancestor of the Roman people through her son, Aeneas, who survived the fall of Troy and fled ...

and was thought to have been commissioned by the Pont barons.. It is the oldest of

Finistère Finistère (, ; ) is a Departments of France, department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. Its prefecture is Quimper and its largest city is Brest, France, Brest. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090.Scaër Scaër (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Scaër are called in French ''Scaërois''. Scaër's population peaked at 7,838 in 1946 and has since declined to 5,245 in 2020 ...

, mainly that of the "Maître de Tronoën".

Differences between this calvary and others

Several differences emerge when this calvary is compared with the others in this region. Firstly there are two scenes devoted to Jesus' baptism. In the nativity scene, the statue of the baby Jesus shows him standing and aged about seven rather than as a new-born child. There are three crosses depicted, with those bearing the two robbers being a part of the composition. The calvary also depicts two angels collecting Jesus' blood. A "mise au tombeau", the scene showing Jesus being prepared for burial, a standard feature of other such calvaries, is not included and neither is the "Flight into Egypt", nor Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and his arrest. Conversely the subjects of the

Last judgement The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...

and

Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden (; ; ) or Garden of God ( and ), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the biblical paradise described in Genesis 2–3 and Ezekiel 28 and 31.. The location of Eden is described in the Book of Ge ...

are covered.

Description of the calvary

The calvary has suffered much erosion over the years, not surprisingly in view of its proximity to the sea and the sea's winds. This erosion does make some of the parts of the statuary difficult to interpret although it was restored in 2001. The calvary comprises a large rectangular granite pedestal or base which measures 4.50 m by 3.15 m. Around this base are two friezes on which are various sculptures, single or in groups, which recount some incidents in Jesus' life beginning with the

Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

when the

Archangel Gabriel In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...

tells the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

that she is pregnant with

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

Christ. The bulk of these statues are in granite except for the Visitation, the Nativity and the

Adoration of the Magi The Adoration of the Magi or Adoration of the Kings or Visitation of the Wise Men is the name traditionally given to the subject in the Nativity of Jesus in art in which the three Magi, represented as kings, especially in the West, having fo ...

where the local Kersanton stone was used. Kersanton is easier to carve and very resistant to erosion. Research suggests that several masons and workshops were responsible for these sculptures. There is clear evidence that the calvary was originally painted. Another oddity is that many of the sculptures are carved in blocks and some have suggested that they were originally carved for display as part of a church wall rather than for a calvary. Also, there is evidence that there had originally been some form of altar table on the eastern side of the calvary.

The three crosses

There are three crosses involved at Tronoën, the central cross bearing

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

with the pietà at its base whilst the two smaller crosses carry the two robbers executed alongside Jesus. At the base of the cross on the right of Jesus' cross is a sculpture showing St Veronica holding up her veil bearing Jesus' image and on the left is a depiction of

James, son of Zebedee James the Great ( Koinē Greek: Ἰάκωβος, romanized: ''Iákōbos''; Aramaic: ܝܥܩܘܒ, romanized: ''Yaʿqōḇ''; died AD 44) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was the second of the apostles t ...

, wearing the typical dress of a pilgrim to Santiago del Compostella, a pilgrim's staff and a sea-shell worn on his chest. * In the pietà the sculptor has added two angels at either side of the Virgin Mary. They appear to be tenderly lifting her veil from her forehead with one hand whilst the other hands rest on Jesus' head and knee. * Jesus is accompanied by five angels who are collecting his blood in chalices, whilst one is positioned above Jesus' head.

The east face of the calvary

On the upper surface, the scenes cover the Descent into Hell, Jesus' appearance before

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...

and Jesus'

flagellation Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, Birching, rods, Switch (rod), switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, floggin ...

whilst on the frieze below we have a scene showing Jesus washing his disciples' feet ( Foot washing) followed by a depiction of Jesus in the garden of

Gethsemane Gethsemane ( ) is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem, where, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus Christ underwent the Agony in the Garden and was arrested before his crucifixion. The garden is ...

and the

in which the

kneels at a

prie-Dieu A prie-dieu ( French: literally, "pray oGod") is a type of prayer desk primarily intended for private devotional use, but which may also be found in churches. A similar form of chair in domestic furniture is called "prie-dieu" by analogy. S ...

and receives the greeting of an angel. A book lies in front of her and other books are laid out on the tables behind her. * In the Descent into Hell scene, Jesus stands at the mouth of Hell

Leviathan Leviathan ( ; ; ) is a sea serpent demon noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, and the pseudepigraphical Book of Enoch. Leviathan is of ...

from which three figures are emerging. * In the scene depicting Jesus' appearance before Mary Magdalene, three trees are added to show that the action takes place in a garden. Jesus holds a pilgrim's staff in his hand. A large

Speech scroll In art history, a speech scroll (also called a banderole or phylactery). is an illustrative device denoting speech, song, or other types of sound. Developed independently on two continents, the device was in use by artists within Mesoamerican cu ...

is wrapped around the central tree. * In the flagellation scene, Jesus is chained to a tree trunk and is being beaten by two soldiers. * In the scene depicting the washing of the disciple's feet, Peter sits with his feet in a wash basin, Jesus kneels before him and the other disciples watch. They have formed two orderly lines. Some are kneeling some standing. * In the scene in Gethsemane, Jesus is shown at prayer. Three of the disciples are with him, all kneeling. * In the Annunciation scene the angel carries a banner on which is written "AVE.GRATIA.PLENA". The Virgin Mary's response on another banner reads "ECCE ANCILLA DOMINI" ("I am the servant of the Lord."). She kneels at a

The south face of the calvary

The scenes on this face of the calvary are in granite and in

high relief High may refer to: Science and technology * Height * High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area * High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory * High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift t ...

and deal with

Original sin Original sin () in Christian theology refers to the condition of sinfulness that all humans share, which is inherited from Adam and Eve due to the Fall of man, Fall, involving the loss of original righteousness and the distortion of the Image ...

, the

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...

and the Last Judgement. * In the resurrection scene Jesus emerges from the tomb whilst two soldiers are shown sleeping and another two have fallen to the ground. A fifth soldier stands leaning on his lance. * The scenes covering the "Last Judgement" and the area of "original sin" are complex compositions and the depiction of the

Temptation of Christ The temptation of Christ is a biblical narrative detailed in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. After being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus was tempted by the devil after 40 days and nights of fasting in the Judaean Desert. At the ...

shows the devil and a snake is shown wrapped around the

tree of life The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythology, mythological, religion, religious, and philosophy, philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The ...

. In a reference to the

apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE) but persisting in Christianity and Islam. In apocalypse, a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a ...

, Jesus is shown on an arc in the sky surrounded by the

Chosen people Throughout history, various groups of people have considered themselves to be the chosen people of a deity, for a particular purpose. The phenomenon of "chosen people" is well known among the Israelites and Jews, where the term () refers to the ...

. The Virgin Mary prays at a

misericord A misericord (sometimes named mercy seat, like the biblical object) is a small wooden structure formed on the underside of a folding seat in a church which, when the seat is folded up, is intended to act as a shelf to support a person in a p ...

. * In the scene depicting the

Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, ''The Last Supper (Leonardo), The Last Supper'' (1495-1498). Mural, tempera on gesso, pitch and mastic ...

we see John the Evangelist, Jesus and just four of his apostles. On the table is the pascal lamb. It is thought that part of this last supper scene is missing, that which would have shown the other disciples at the table.

The north face of the calvary

Saint-Jean-Trolimon Calvaire Tronoen Josef Betlehem

On the upper surface we have a depiction of the distressed

being supported by

John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( – ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, although there is no consensus on how ...

and two female saints ("Pamoison de la Vierge"),

and

Mary Salome In the New Testament, Salome was a follower of Jesus who appears briefly in the canonical gospels and in apocryphal writings. She is named by Mark as present at the crucifixion and as one of the Myrrhbearers, the women who found Jesus's empty ...

. In the next scene Jesus is being flogged by two soldiers who tighten the blindfold as they apply their whips. On the frieze below the first sculpture on the left is shown

Elizabeth (biblical figure) Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist, the wife of Zechariah and a relative of Mary, mother of Jesus, according to the Gospel of Luke. She was past normal child-bearing age when she conceived and gave birth to John. She is revered as a sa ...

visiting the

(the Visitation), the one pregnant with

and the other with

John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

, this being followed by three scenes relating to the nativity. Firstly we see

Saint Joseph According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern O ...

sleeping in the stable with two cattle next to him. Then we see the Virgin Mary laying in a bed and at the end of this bed is a depiction of a standing Jesus aged about 7 years, this followed by the

. The first wise man is kneeling before the bed whilst the second, dressed in the doublet worn in the reign of Charles VII, is pointing with his finger to the star which led them to the stable and addressing the third wise man who is smaller in stature. * In the visitation scene Elizabeth tenderly lays the flat of her hand on Mary's stomach. * In the nativity the Virgin Mary is shown bare-breasted. Jesus holds a globe of the world in his hand and is blessing the three wise men. Strangely Jesus appears as a young adolescent rather than a new-born baby. * The three wise men wear the dress of aristocrats ("grands seigneurs").

Melchior Melchior is the name traditionally given to one of the biblical Magi appearing in the Gospel of Matthew. There are many notable people with this name, or close variations. As a first name * Melchior Anderegg (1828–1914), Swiss mountain guide * ...

is the wise man on the left and is kneeling before Jesus. The next wise man

Balthazar Balthazar, Balthasar, Baltasar, or Baltazar may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Balthazar (novel), ''Balthazar'' (novel), by Lawrence Durrell, 1958 * ''Balthasar'', an 1889 book by Anatole France * ''Professor Balthazar'', a Croatian a ...

stands in the middle. He turns his back on the nativity scene and faces the third wise man Gaspard.

The west face of the calvary

On the upper surface we have the statue of a kneeling monk, a depiction of the Virgin Mary, and

. Below the scenes on this face of the calvary comprise blocks of granite carved in

high-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

. The first positioned on the left depicts

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; ) was the Roman administration of Judaea (AD 6–135), fifth governor of the Judaea (Roman province), Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official wh ...

washing his hands as Jesus, held by two soldiers, is brought before him. Next we see the two thieves and Jesus, all three carrying their crosses. On the frieze below we see the

Presentation of Jesus at the Temple The Presentation of Jesus is an early episode in the life of Jesus Christ, describing his presentation at the Temple in Jerusalem. It is celebrated by many churches 40 days after Christmas on Candlemas, or the "Feast of the Presentation of Jes ...

with Jesus standing on a small stool and two depictions dealing with baptism. The first shows the

baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

of Jesus by

and the second Jesus baptizing the faithful as recounted in John 3, Verse 26. Finally Jesus is shown holding discussions with the elders in the temple. * In the scene showing Jesus being tried by Pontius Pilate, the servant pouring the water for Pilate to wash his hands wears a béret or faluche. * In the scene where Jesus is presented at the temple the Virgin Mary stands behind him and before them is a priest wearing a mitre. Joseph stands patiently behind the Virgin Mary and a servant is attending to the priest's needs. * Between the two baptism scenes is a statue of an angel holding a robe.

Gallery

File:Saint-Jean-Trolimon Calvaire Tronoen Schmaehung.jpg, Jesus is blindfolded and mocked by two guards who hit him whilst asking "who hit you?". See Luke 22.63. File:Bretagne Finistere StJeanTrolimon 11063.jpg, A bare-breasted Mary lies in a bed in the "nativity" scene. Joseph can be seen on the left. He is fast asleep. The new-born Jesus stands at the foot of the bed but he is depicted as a 7-year-old boy. He carries a globe of the world and gives a blessing. On the right of the bed we see one of the three wise men. File:Saint-Jean-Trolimon Calvaire Tronoen Heimsuchung.jpg, The visitation: Elizabeth, told by Mary of her pregnancy, touches Mary's stomach. File:Saint-Jean-Trolimon Calvaire Tronoen Veronica sainteface.jpg, The image of Jesus on Veronica's veil File:Tronoen Pieta03.jpg, Detail from the calvary of the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Tronoën. The

pietà The Pietà (; meaning "pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Mary (mother of Jesus), Blessed Virgin Mary cradling the mortal body of Jesus Christ after his Descent from the Cross. It is most often found in sculpture. ...

on the base of the central cross. Note that the two angels are lifting Mary's veil. This was very much a trademark of the Maître de Tronoën's atelier, what art historians have called "la marque de douceur". Angels are shown lifting Mary's veil or touching Jesus' hair in a gesture of tenderness. File:Saint-Jean-Trolimon Calvaire Tronoen Madeleine Christ.jpg, The apparition of the risen Christ appears before

as recounted in John 20, Verses 11-18. The words "Ne me retiens pas!" "Noli me tangere" are written on a banner across the tree in the middle of the sculpture. These large banners were the forerunners of the modern "thought bubbles" ("bulles de bande dessinees"). File:Calvaire de Tronoën, détail base sud-est.JPG, The Last Supper as depicted on the south east base of the Tronoën calvary File:Calvaire de Tronoën, détail flagellation (1).JPG, Jesus is whipped File:Calvaire de Tronoën, détail les 3 mages.JPG, One of the three wise men points up to the star which had led them to the stable. File:ND de Tronoën Calvaire Détail 1.jpg, St James wearing a pilgrim's hat and with the "shell of Compostella" pinned to his chest. Below we see Jesus being mocked by two soldiers. We also see the pietà. File:ND de Tronoën Calvaire Détail 5.jpg, Jesus washing a disciple's feet

References

External links

Website covering 7 of the Breton calvaries
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calvary at Tronoen Calvaries in Brittany Buildings and structures in Finistère Sculptures of the Annunciation