Romanesque 2
Chapter 15
Title: Virgin and Child
Medium: Oak with polychromy
Size: height 31" (78.7 cm)
Date: Late 12th century
Painted wood- oak
Mother and Full grown “Baby” Jesus sit erect
and rigid
Regal
Jesus held book- Word of god
Sits on bench symbolizing the thorn of
Solomon
These statues became very common
Mary represents the language and Jesus the
Word incarnate
Title: Crucifix (Majestat Batlló)
Medium: Polychromed wood
Size: height approx. 37 ¾" (96 cm)
Date: Mid-12th century
Wooden crosses became popular…Why?
Unlike byzantine, Christ he still wears the robe
of royalty
His faces displays emotion and sorrow, with
deep set eyes and downward gaze
Islamic type plant stylizations adorn his robe
No thorn crown
Most of these crosses were displayed over
church altars and were carried in processions
Title: Church of Saint-Savin-Sur-Gartempe,
Poitou
Date: Choir c.1060–75; nave c. 1095–1115
Tunnel-like barrel vault was perfect for fresco
painting
New Testament and scenes from local saints
were painted
Inspired by manuscripts
Several teams of artist took several years to
complete
Have a soft powdery tone in stead of bright
bold colorings
Architectural elements?
Title: Tower of Babel, detail of painting in nave vault
Date: c. 1115
Source/ Museum: Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, Poitou, France
Biblical story of the tower of Babel
God turns away from the people trying to build a tower to heaven
He scatters them to wind and messes with their language
Workers haul heaven stones to the tower and the people plead with him
Title: Christ in Majesty, detail of apse
Date: c. 1123
Fills the curve of the apse half dome
Halo and mandorla
Strong outlines and bold colors
Christ is the ruler and judge of the world
Alpha and omega symbols
Angels grasping evangelist symbols
Vigin mary is holding a bowl
Flanking lower registers are columns with
stylized capitals
People are very symmetrical and straight
forward. Geometrically simple forms
Details and of faces, hair, and muscles are
turned into patterns
Title: Page with The Tree of Jesse, Explanatio In Isaiam (Saint
Jerome’s Commentary on Isaiah)
Medium: Ink and tempera on vellum
Size: 15 X 4¾" (38 X 12 cm)
Date: c. 1125
Monastic and convent scriptoriums still present
This is from a Cistercian- very simple and modest, few
embellishments, also devoted to the Virgin Mary
Jesse sleeps under a tree
The virgin stands on a forked branch holding the mini “man” Jesus
who is adorned with a cruciform halso
Angel bring a crown for Mary the queen of heaven and a building
Mary as the Christian Church
She hold a branch a Christ symbol
A dove symbolizes….
Title: Nave, Durham Cathedral
Medium: n/a
Size: Vault height about 73' (22.2
m)
Date: 1087–1133. Original east
end replaced by a Gothic choir,
1242–c. 1280
Columns have chevron, spiral
fluting a diamond patterns
Arcade with compound
piers/columns
Gallery space above
Groin vaulted ceilings ,
decorations adorned the ribs of
the groin vaulting
All ornamentation was originally
painted
Title: Nave, Church of Saint-Étienne, Caen
Date: c. 1060–77; vaulted c. 1130
Double arcade, both aisle and gallery
St. Etienne is a good example of the
Norman style of Romanesque architecture.
The style developed during the rule of
William the Conqueror, he's buried here at
St. Etienne.
Buttresses divide the facade into three
bays - tripartite
- there are also 3 horizontal divisions
The spires were added during the Gothic
period.
St. Etienne is seen as a precurssor of the
Gothic style of church architecture that
emerges in 1140 with the re-building of St.
Denis in Paris.
•Ribbed groin vaults replace
barrel vaults
•These vaults at St. Etienne
are some of the earliest
ribbed vaults.
•They are supported by large
complex piers covered with
pilasters and engaged
columns
•there are 6 elements to
each rib vault