The graphic language of prisoners on the walls facing inward and outward in the late Middle Ages
Type de matériel :
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At the end of the Middle Ages, some prisoners brought images, in addition to written words, into their confinement space, such as in Selles Castle in Cambrai. They decorated the walls of their cells by engraving or tracing various themes. Here and there, religious scenes are next to characters, the animal world, domestic or heraldic, all alongside written markings. This conquering of prison spaces through graphic practice is a communication strategy by the prisoners. Graffiti fulfills a need for expression both inside and out. These signs assume an individual and collective identity and are the decoration of a social “entre-soi.” They show a preoccupation with resisting the outside world. These unpublished images also give us an insight into the dreams of escape that these isolated men had toward the outside, a familiar human and divine eschatological world. They also serve as memorials as they are accessible to a range of readers.
Réseaux sociaux