Places and Purposes for Sculpture. Much like painting, sculpture appeared primarily in churches and in the homes of great secular and ecclesiastical lords. It was possible, however, for less-wealthy individuals to enjoy small-scale sculptures, such as the wax models known as ex votos, or to whittle small wood carvings for their personal use. The majority of sculpture commissioned from professional artists had two interrelated purposes: pedagogical and decorative. The sculpture that adorned churches was intended to communicate Christian messages to the illiterate and to reinforce Christian doctrine among the literate and illiterate alike. In addition, stone carvings, metalwork, and other sculptural forms were increasingly used to decorate the houses of the noble and the wealthy during the Middle Ages. Sculpture could serve as an offering to God, a visible testimony of God's favor and a gift of a grateful beneficiary. The twelfth-century leader of the...