Un arte de la palabra en la Cataluña del siglo XII

Abstract

In this article the author deals with a cultural approach of some manuscripts and artistic images during the 12^th century in Catalonia. Behind this pages there is an intention of not no approaching to the so called Historicism and to check to what extent it is possible to make a History of Medieval Catalan Culture from a more hermeneutic point of view. Primary sources as liturgical manuscripts, wall paintings, altar pannels and inscriptions are used in order to understand the fact that behind all of these 'material culture' there is a "mental habit" of producing cultural and religious ideas in connection with three main aspects: a particular conception of the feudal Promise creating strong relations of power between lord and vassal; a eschatological mentality of being at Iast judged in an Apocalyptical context; and a particular connection of these Promise and Judgement through concepts as Memory and Time. The principal issue that is embodying feudal Promise, last Judgement, Memory and Time is the Art of Word, considering this 'word' as an aesthetic consequence of the historical fact of the Incarnation of Christ as Logos and Wisdom believed as Pantocrator (Omnipotens) during the whole European Medieval period.