The botanical decoration of Estibaliz “Devant le temps”: Fluctuations of iconographic meaning in the light of artistic historiography

Abstract

The Speciosa portal of the church of Our Lady of Estíbaliz (Álava) has a rich and varied botanical decoration. The researchers who have studied it have, however, developed radically opposed interpretations, dividing those who consider the decoration merely as ornament and those who appreciate complex symbolisms connected with sacred texts. This case study will allow us to think about the very act of historicising and about how the images are linked with time and with the people involved in every stage in which the images are reactivated. In a case such as this, where it is not possible to know the motivations or intentions of the builders of the portal, we will appreciate the value of considering those other instants in which the images are reappropriated to give them a new use, study or interpretation.