Pygmalion’s Power: Romanesque Sculpture, the Senses, and Religious Experience by Thomas E. A. Dale

Romanesque sculpture, particularly in sites like Vézelay and Moissac, was not solely a revival of classical art but reflected a profound shift toward spiritual embodiment and affective piety during the late 11th to 12th centuries. Thomas E. A. Dale challenges traditional narratives that attribute its resurgence to a desire for Roman authority, instead emphasizing its role in religious experience through sensory engagement, ritual veneration, and liturgical drama. The study employs cultural anthropology, liturgical studies, and historiographical analysis to reinterpret familiar works—such as the Madonna and Child, crucifixes, and monsters—revealing their affective qualities and connections to devotional practices. Dale's interdisciplinary approach, drawing on the work of scholars like Mary Carruthers and Caroline Walker Bynum, provides fresh insights into how these sculptures evoked religious emotion and spiritual meaning.

Collard, J. (2022). Pygmalion’s Power: Romanesque Sculpture, the Senses, and Religious Experience by Thomas E. A. Dale. Parergon, 39(1), 233–234. https://doi.org/10.1353/pgn.2022.0020