The painting depicts the aftermath of the excommunication of Robert II of France by Pope Gregory V for refusing to separate from his wife, Bertha of Burgundy, who was related to him within the prohibited degrees of kinship. The scene sets in a dimly lit medieval throne room immediately after the papal envoys have pronounced the sentence of excommunication and begun to depart. On the right side of the composition is the departing clergy while Robert and Bertha are in the foreground overwhelmed with despair. Robert looks visibly shattered because his sceptre that signifies his authority, is lying abandoned on the floor. An extinguished ceremonial candle is emitting a thin trail of smoke nearby. This detail refers to the ritual of excommunication, in which a candle was snuffed out to symbolize spiritual separation from the Church. The vast and sparsely furnished hall reflects a sense of loneliness and abandonment. Robert abd Bertha are portrayed as a star crossed lovers who are caught between their affection for one another and the authority of the medieval Church. Laurens was known for his historical paintings and his critical view of religious intolernce. His painting explores themes of conscience, duty, and human suffering.
“The Excommunication of Robert the Pious” is a striking work of art by the French artist Jean-Paul Laurens, one of the last traditional painters of Europe. The work depicts the excommunication of the Capetian ruler of France, Robert the Pious. Despite his reputation for piety as evident by his epithet, he faced an excommunication for refusing to repudiate his second wife. We see the King and the Queen sitting together on the throne, in the elegantly depicted court room. A group of clergymen can be seen exiting the court. This work is especially known for its use of inanimate narration, where inanimate examples such as the extinguished candle pointing at the monarch and the royal sceptre fallen from the King’s hand, convey the gravity of the excommunication.
