Consider the bronze panel doors of Saint Michael’s in Hildesheim, Germany. How are the human forms depicted? Is there particular importance placed on realism and naturalism? Or is the focus on gesture and symbolism? How do the Hildesheim panels compare to classical sculptural examples? Select one panel from St. Michael’s and compare it to an example from Ancient Greece or Rome. Discuss what a comparative study of the reliefs can tell us of purpose, message, and literacy.
