Sanctuary Notre-Dame des Fontaines, La Brigue
- View of the choir -
- Whole decoration : cycle of the Virgin's life -
The whole choir, with its gothic vaults, was painted by
Jean Baleison around 1460.
He has probably used the in tempera technique.
The « Transitus Mariae », that is to say the
lasts moments of the
Virgin's life, is illustrated on the walls :
- « the Second Annunciation », which is the annunciation of
her approaching death.
- Saint John's visit to Mary
- The Dormition of the Virgin
- The transport of the Virgin's body
The Assumption and the additional scenes
are represented on the apse's wall.
On the vaults, the four Evangelists are represented.
The Doctors of the Church are situated on the inner surface of the gothic
arch, establishing a communication between the choir and the nave.
The triumphal arch and the lateral walls of the nave were
painted by Jean Canavesio and finished on the 12th of October of 1492, according
to an inscription situated on one of the panels of the decoration.
This second painter used the in fresco
technique.
The triumphal arch bears eleven panels illustrating the Virgin's life and
Christ's Childhood.
On the lateral walls, twenty six panels illustrate the cycle of the
Passion.
They are disposed on two superposed registers, except for the Crucifixion
which occupies the whole height of the wall.