The Basilica of Sainte-Madeleine in Vézelay, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, is home to some of the most stunning sculptures of the medieval period. Among its many remarkable features is the Nave Capital Salet Number 56, an intricately carved capital dating between 1120 and 1138. This particular sculpture depicts the dramatic Old Testament story of Moses and the Golden Calf, a powerful scene from the Book of Exodus (Exodus 32:15-19).
In the story, the Israelites, growing impatient during Moses’ prolonged absence on Mount Sinai, create a golden idol in the form of a calf and begin to worship it. When Moses returns with the Ten Commandments, he finds the people in the throes of idolatry. Furious, he smashes the tablets and condemns their sinful behavior. This pivotal moment is beautifully captured in the capital’s sculpture, where Moses is shown confronting the Golden Calf, a symbol of disobedience and moral corruption. The calf is depicted with a demon perched atop it, signifying the malevolent influence leading the Israelites astray.
Exodus 32: 15-19:
Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war in the camp.” Moses replied: “It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear.” When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.
