Tudela - West Side - W10PP51

N E W S

  Tudela
West Side
W10PP51

N E W S
W10PP51S S

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W10PP51SW SW

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W10PP51W W

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W10PP51NW NW

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W10PP51N N

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W10PP51NE NE

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W10PP51E E

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W10PP51SE SE

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Bear Hunt

On both the north and south side of the capital a bear lies at the foot of two hunters, who each have a spear and an axe in their hands, and are accompanied by a hunting dog. The bodies of the four hunters stretch into the adjacent sides of the capital and form a perfect symmetry. Between their backs, on the east and west side, a pattern of interlaced foliations alludes to a forested environment.
In medieval art the boar hunt represented the metaphorical image of the victory of good over evil, and the bear was the symbol of death (physical and spiritual). At the same time hunting scenes could also indirectly allude to war, since the hunt was traditionally conceived as a form of military training.
The figures are notably volumetric in form, and some still preserve traces of coloured paint in their eyes and eyebrows. The buckles of their belts and the straps of their shoes are particularly detailed in their carving.
This capital is attributed to a later sculptor who was only active in the cloister towards the end of work on its building and decoration. The same master also finished other capitals in the west wing and has also been connected with the naturalistic style of the capitals in San Miguel de Estella.

Bear Hunt ax spear dog