La litre, ceinture de deuil ou trait ultime

Abstract

A black band painted on the circumference of the walls of the church and on which appear the seigniorial coat of arms, called litre, reveals a funeral custom. This rite was abolished with the Revolution, erased and forgotten, it is today a crucial issue for restoration, historical monuments and our memory. We analyze the history of the right of litre in relation to the sacred space in its political, social and anthropological dimension. Black as a mourning color refers to the irrepresentable; as an ultimate line, it announces the space of abstraction.

Keywords

• anthropology of images
• art and history
• representing mourning
• life and death of images
• ultimate line of abstraction
• restauration