Notre Dame - Tympanum, main portal

Notre Dame de Paris Tympan Portail Central

The tympanum over the main portal is the privileged space for representing the Last Judgment. Its graphic depiction over the entryway serves as a poignant reminder that one's purpose in church is to earn a place among the elect, to Christ's right. In the upper portion, Christ, enthroned, judges the world on Doomsday. In the center of the tympanum we witness the weighing of souls. The saved, on Christ's right, are destined for paradise, while the damned, on His left, are bound and led off to Hell. In the lower portion, finally, we observe the resurrection of the dead.

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