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This head is from the portal of the Abbey of Saint Pierre, Cluny. The very moving remains from the portal of Cluny, terminated in 1115, are filled with a sense of elevated spirituality. The small head of a young and beautiful Virgin, from the lintel, is one of the most refined in Romanesque art. Confidently carved, it unites mystical purity with monumental grandeur. The subtle modelling of details enlivens the simple mass of the face, which reflects a humanism alien to the usual dramatic conception of faith. The almost classical aesthetic of the Cluniac school results from the conjunction of a well-tried technique and a lofty iconographical inspiration evincing a preoccupation with theology.
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