Patrons and Artists of the Sculptural Program of the Church of Saint-André-le-Bas: Meanings and Identities

The paper examines a long inscription framing a pilaster in the Romanesque church of Saint-André-le-Bas in Vienne. The inscription, containing the date of 1152, is part of the campaign of renovation that produced the program of capitals adorning the nave. Mentioning a certain “Guillaume Martin”—who may have been the sculptor working in the church or a patron responsible for its architectural and sculptural renovation—the inscription raises intriguing questions concerning the agency and patronage of Romanesque sculpture. This paper analyzes the inscription in light of the literature on the complex meanings and status of signatures in Romanesque art, as well as the emerging scholarly discourse on structures of agency in medieval art. Finally, the paper studies how different identifications of Guillaume Martin affect our possible interpretations of the cycle of capitals.