tympans sculptés

English translation: sculpted/carved tympana

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	tympans sculptés
English translation:	sculpted/carved tympana
Entered by:	Hermien Desaivre

15:08 Nov 24, 2008

French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Architecture / History of Christian Art

French term or phrase: tympans sculptés

The context is an artistic feature of a church. I can find explanations of what it is in French, but not the English term.

Hermien Desaivre KudoZ activity Questions: 209 (3 open) (6 without valid answers) (12 closed without grading) Answers: 17 South Africa
Local time: 12:02

sculpted tympanum

Explanation:
Hope this helps

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Note added at 5 mins (2008-11-24 15:14:13 GMT)
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or in the plural 'tympana'

tympanum : (plural, tympana): The basically semicircular area enclosed by the arch above the lintel of an arched entranceway. This area is often decorated with sculpture in the Romanesque and Gothic periods.

http://www.pitt.edu/~medart/menuglossary/tympanum.htm

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Note added at 7 mins (2008-11-24 15:16:49 GMT)
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Created under the impact of Heinrich Parler, the renowned master from Schwäbisch Gmünd, the sculpture at the Minsters of Augsburg, Freiburg-im-Breisgau, Thann, and Ulm constitutes the southwestern branch of the Parler School of sculpture. This school initiated a unique visual culture during the second half of the 14th century. In a period when sculpted tympana were characterized by clear, concise iconographic programs and, therefore, a scarcity of figures, southwestern German tympana reveal an entirely different approach: laden with strongly expressive robust, dwarfish figures, they reflect a predilection for lavish plenitude, a tendency toward concrete depictions that rely on contemporary ordinary life, as well as an unprecedented unfolding of the Gothic narrative.

http://www.ruthkikin.com/assaf/?page_id=8

ELEVATION TO SAUCHIEHALL STREET: 10-11-10 bays with centre
section breaking forward. 1st floor windows consoled with
segmental pediments in central section and triangular
pediments in centre 4 bays of outer sections. 2nd floor
windows with cills, consoled and corniced. Blocking course to
western section; parapet with piers to central and eastern
section.
Polygonal dome at SE corner (Rose Street/ Sauchiehall Street)
with broken segmental pedimented aedicule windows with
sculpted tympana and alternate arched windows with sculpted
friezes.
http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/hsstart?P_HBNUM=33192

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Note added at 1 hr (2008-11-24 16:55:27 GMT)
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http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=4qFY1jpF2JAC&pg=PA405&lpg...

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=dZsW7-KwfBkC&pg=PA112&lpg...

All the important Gothic churches in northern France, beginning with St. Denis, were intended to have two-tower west facades. Here at Reims as well as at Laon and Chartres two towers were also intended over the transept facades but were never completed. The rose window is a usual feature of 13th-century west fronts, but the portals are exceptional in substituting rose windows for sculpted tympana.

http://english.ncu.edu.tw/susanna/online.htm

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=om4olQhrE84C&pg=PA893&lpg...

This wide variety of sources will demonstrate that this is in very frequent use. I am hugely surprised at my esteemed colleagues reactions and their claims that it is otherwise. As a sculptural historian I do know what I am talking about here!

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Note added at 5 days (2008-11-30 12:05:28 GMT) Post-grading
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Thank you for the points, Minnie.

Selected response from:

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:02

Grading comment

All the responses gave me a wealth of information, thank you all. I ended up using this one.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +2

sculpted tympanum

Helen Shiner

carved tympana

Juliette Scott

sculpted/decorated spandrels

Jenny w

4 -1

carved tympanums

Tony M

4 -2

sculpted tympani

Ellen Kraus

Answers

11 mins confidence:

sculpted/decorated spandrels

Explanation:
I think this is what you're looking for. See Wikipedia definition

Jenny w
France
Local time: 12:02
Native speaker of:

English

18 mins confidence:

carved tympana

Explanation:
Sorry to differ but I think carved may be more usual.

Reference: http://www.cpat.demon.co.uk/projects/longer/churches/radnor/...
Reference: http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/hsstart?P_HBNUM=25591

Juliette Scott
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:02
Native speaker of: English

15 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -2

sculpted tympani

Explanation:
I found the term backed in the www.

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Note added at 21 Min. (2008-11-24 15:30:07 GMT)
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the plural<tympana> is correct, but you´ll find the form tympani widely used as well.
<Elaborate sculpted scenes on tympana above church entrances and on the drums supporting the domes are popular in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. ...
www.hyeetch.nareg.com.au/culture/sculp_p1.html - 19k - Im Cache - Ähnliche Seiten

Ellen Kraus
Austria
Local time: 12:02
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 3

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you all - I'll wait the obligatory 24 hours before choosing and closing. Much appreciated. Minnie

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

disagree

Tony M: tympanum is neuter, so the plural should be tympana; tympani makes it a kettle-drum (of which you will no doubt find countless examples on the Net!)

3 mins

-> The exterior appearance is marked by cusps, tympani and tabernacles, ... Tympanum may mean: The eardrum; or A sculpted panel that stands within the recessed ...

disagree

Helen Shiner: As Tony/I now understand what you intended, but it is confusing since you appear to offer it as a legitimate solution. As we all know, there are many incorrect usages of terms and mis-spellings on the web, as you say.

1 hr

-> all I can say is, , I made it clear from the very beginning that next to the grammatically correct plural, frequent use is being made of the incorrect plural with exactly the same meaning (as backed by an example)

17 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

carved tympanums

Explanation:
I think in architecture we often speak of 'carved' rather than 'sculpted'.

Note that OED acknowledges both the strict latin plural in -ana and the anglicized plural in -ums — which i think I prefer in anything other than an erudite text.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-11-24 17:14:55 GMT)
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Here's just one of some 10,300 Google results for 'tympanums':

Vezelay Tympanums and Narthex Sculptures

Vezelay Tympanums and Narthex Sculptures. ... Vézelay's Tympanums and Narthex Sculptures (this page). Vézelay's Medieval Narrative Capitals ...

www.paradoxplace.com/Photo Pages/France/Burgundy Champagne/...

I'm not for one instant sa

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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-11-24 17:17:50 GMT)
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...saying that tympana CAN'T be used (and as you'll note, I have not disagreed with those who have suggested it) — but I think it is important to acknowledge that an alternative exists, which is applied more specifically to the architectural meaning of 'tympanum' (note that 'tympana' seems to be the plural almost exclusively used in scientific auditory contexts)

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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-11-24 17:28:47 GMT)
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In terms of 'carved' vs 'sculpted', both terms seem to get an astonishingly similar number of Googles, suggesting that they are probably used with about equal frequency; once again, I was not trying to claim that 'sculpted' is wrong, but merely to remind us all that FR uses one term for both, so it is as well keep one's mind open and bear in mind that there is an alternative in EN.

I feel sure that with any luck Hermien will be able to research some pictures that will enable her to see for herself just what these are like.

While we're at it, the fact that it is used here in the plural might indeed suggest that Jenny's idea of 'spandrels' might be right after all. Most churches will have more than one spandrel, though not necessarily more than one tympanum.

And as a final aside, if you've never seen it, do take a look at the amazing carved tympanum of the abbey church in Conques — truly magnificent!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Conques_JPG03.jpg

Tony M
France
Local time: 12:02
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 143

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks again all of you - what a lively discussion. I must have been going at it too long today already, because I could find fine examples of the feature under discussion but somehow I just couldn't find them in English - didn't know how to search for them. You are right - they are truly beautiful. I am enjoying this job very much. I only have to hand it in in a few days, so I might take my time reading all the comments and closing the question. I envy you all your knowledge and am grateful for it. Now that I about all of you, I might post a few more this week! Minnie

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

disagree

Ellen Kraus: you of all persons disagree with my plural which nonetheless is better than an s after the ending

7 mins

-> I'm afraid, Ellen, that I have the OED on my side; two variant plurals are accepted, but your version sadly changes the word into a completely different word. Perhaps you'd care to reconsider your 'disagree'? Or take it up with the mighty OED...

agree

Juliette Scott: Thanks for your "agree" Tony. As usual my slow Internet meant I didn't see your answer when I added mine.

1 hr

-> Thanks, Juliette!

disagree

Helen Shiner: on both counts/On carved see my comments to Juliette. Perhaps you will help the Asker by providing examples of the use of the clumsy and ugly tympanums, which really does not sound right or to be favoured over tympana, whatever the OED says.

1 hr

-> I think your 'disagree' is a little unjustified; 'carved' certainly CAN BE used, and IS quite widely; likewise the plural, in -s, even though less common, is certainly perfectly valid and quite widespread.

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

sculpted tympanum

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:02
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 110

Grading comment

All the responses gave me a wealth of information, thank you all. I ended up using this one.

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you... it's been a long day of searching for terminology... I googled and googled but nothing happened in English LOL.

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English translation: sculpted/carved tympana

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