ST GERMANICUS OF AUXERRE
CHURCH

Annet-sur-Marne, France

TYMPANUM
IN VARNISHED TERRACOTTA

The project

The Great Commission – from Mt 28 16-20

This original creation in varnished terracotta is intended to complete the facade of the church, which was left unfinished at the time it was built, at the beginning of the last century.

It was designed in the spirit of the Florentine Renaissance terracotta bas-reliefs, in particular those by the sculptor Andrea Della Robbia. This artwork, with its refined polychromy, highlights the sobriety of the church's exterior with its contribution of colors.

The main theme, "The Great Commission", taken from Mt 28 16-20, which is very rare for a tympanum, was proposed by the Diocesan Commission of Sacred Art of Meaux, and presents the Risen Christ sending his eleven apostles to evangelize the nations.

This work, as much by its theme as by its material, is unique in France, apart from the enamelled terracotta decorations from the Toulouse region.

Above the tympanum, a statue of St Germanicus of Auxerre, patron saint of the church, was also added.

A small polychrome cross is placed above the right-hand side door and helps to integrate this realization organically into the whole building.

Working with earthenware

Beyond its visual simplicity, this realization was, in some points, a technical challenge that required a lot of attention.

As its dimensions did not allow the tympanum to be made in a single piece, the whole ensemble was first modeled in its entirety and then, after being cut into thirteen pieces, each of these was moulded in plaster, moulds in which the final pieces were then embossed in clay.

After a natural drying period of two months, a first firing at 950 °C, known as "biscuit" firing, was carried out, then the glazes were delicately applied with a brush and the whole was fired again at 1170 °C.

The niche of the Saint-Germain required the taking of an elastomer mould. From this, an enlarged copy, which took into account the final shrinkage of the clay after firing, of around 7 %, was used to make the elements.

A frost-resistant earthenware compatible with the use of low-temperature glazes was specially adapted by SOLARGIL company.

Characteristics

Varnished terracotta

Tympanum : 2m15 by 1m45 / 7 ft by 4.8 ft

Statue of St Germanicus of Auxerre : 1m00 / 3.3 ft

The Annet-sur-Marne Tympanum was awarded the Geste d'Argent Prize 2013 and the Loiret County Prize for Arts and Crafts 2013.