Active analysis THE PULPIT OF SANT ANDREA ARTIST GIOVANNI PISANO TITLE The Pulpit of Sant Andrea DATE/YEAR 1298-1301 MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUE marble and porphyry (for the columns) DIMENSIONS h 455 cm LOCATION Pistoia, Church of Sant Andrea A pulpit is a sort of balcony located inside a church. The priest celebrated Mass in the pulpit, so he could be seen and heard by everyone. The Pulpit of Sant Andrea, a masterpiece by the sculptor Giovanni Pisano (Pisa, 1245 ca. - Siena, 1318), is a six-sided structure. The hexagonal floor is on columns and surrounded by a parapet, a low wall to prevent people from falling. The parapet is made of stone slabs carved with bas-relief decorations. These sculptures tell five stories from the Life of Christ. The parapet runs around five of the six sides: one side is open to provide access to the pulpit. Each of the corners is accented with a statue of an Old Testament figure: an invitation to walk around the pulpit to see them all. The floor is supported by columns, one of which is at the center. Observe the pulpit and answer the questions below. 1 How many columns support the pulpit? Five. Six. Seven. 2 Two of the columns rest on animals. These are: Eagles. Bulls. Lions. 3 One of the columns rests on an architectural element, widely used in Classical art, called a Telamon . It is: a figure of a man. a serpent. an ox. Choose the correct word or phrase. 1 The scenes shown on the parapet panels are flat / in relief and seem to push outward from the foreground / back- 48 ground thanks to a play of light and shadow. This technique gives the figures a static quality / sense of movement and heightens their expressivity. Answer. 1 Do you think that the richness of the decoration of the parapet distracted the churchgoers YES NO listening to the priest? 2 What was the function of the decoration? Talk about this with your classmates. .................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................