Romanesque Art-1
Chapter 15
Theme Card
“Build it (block by block) and they will come.”
• This theme borrows a line from the film, Field of
Dreams: “Build it and they will come.”
– Romanesque period as a time of building churches.
– The “block by block” refers to the use of stone for
building, the development of new vaulting
techniques, and the “blocky” appearance of the
Romanesque style.
– “They will come” refers to the advent of pilgrimage
and the impact it had on the scale of Romanesque
churches and their locations.
Romanesque Culture
• 11th and 12th Century European style
• Means “Roman Manner”
– Refers to the Architecture- return to
“Clunky”
• Begin to see nations forming
• Inherited Power and putting friends into
power
• 1095 Pope Urban II demands the taking
back of the holy lands- CRUSADES
• First Universities formed- roman scrolls
found
France and Northern Spain
• France begins consolidating power
• Iberian peninsula (Spain & Portugal)
remained divided between the Christians
and the Muslim Rulers
The pilgrims journey
•People would take a
pilgrimage to
religious places and
stop at specific
places along the way
•Relics would be
houses in this
stopping points that
would have things
like …
•The bone of this
Saint
•Or the virgin’d
dress when she
gave birth
•Etc…
Santiago
Compostela
Title: Transept, Cathedral of Saint
James, Santiago de Compostela.
View toward the crossing
Date: 1078–1122
•Roman Catholic cathedral in the city
of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia,
Spain.
•The cathedral is the reputed burialplace of Saint James the Greater, one
of the apostles of Jesus Christ.
•It is the destination of the Way of St.
James
•97 m long and 22 m high.
•It preserves its original barrel-vaulted
cruciform Romanesque interior.
•a nave, two lateral aisles, a wide
transept and a choir with radiating
chapels.
•is the largest Romanesque church in
Spain
Title:
Reconstruction
drawing (after
Conant) of
Cathedral of Saint
James, Santiago de
Compostela
Title: Plan of Cathedral of Saint James,
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
•The barrel-vaulted nave
•the groin-vaulted aisles
•Nave and Aisles consist of eleven bays,
•wide transept consists of six bays.
• Every clustered pier is flanked by semicolumns
•Lit galleries run, at a remarkable height,
above the side aisles around the church.
Title: Cross Section of The
Cathedral of Saint James,
Santiago de Compostela (Drawing
After Conant)
Compound pier- a column or pier
with attachments
Sanctuary- sacred or holy
enclosure used for worship
Tympanum- lunette over doorway
Choir-section of church used for
clergy usually fitted with screens
and stalls/seats
•The Sainte-Foy abbey-church in Conques was a popular stop for pilgrims on their way
to Santiago de Compostela
•It was built in Romanesque style, using a warm-colored local limestone infilled with a
local gray schist.
•draw for medieval pilgrims at Conques were the remains of Sainte Foy, a martyred
young woman from the fourth century.
•double purpose:
• to accommodate the flock of pilgrims
•a community of monks to gather for the divine office seven times a day
Title: Abbey Sainte-Foy in Conques
Date: 900-1120
Title: Reliquary Statue of Sainte Foy
(Saint Faith)
Medium: Silver gilt over a wood core,
with added gems and cameos of
various dates
Size: Height 33" (85 cm)
Date: Late 9th or 10th century with
later additions
A HOLY RELIC
Stolen from Saint Ages in a “holy
Robbery”
Holy robbery was when the “Saint”
said she wanted to be moved
The skull of Saint Foy also referred to
as Holy Faith, young martyr girl from
the 4th century
Face made of a roman parade mask
Inlayed jewels and cameos
Gold repousse, over wood core
Title: Reconstruction drawing of the Abbey at Cluny, Burgundy, France. 1088–1130.
View From The East.
Title: Reconstruction drawing of the
Abbey at Cluny, Burgundy, France. 1088–
1130. View From The East.
Cluny independent status answering only
to Rome
Influential and prosperous
Attracted successive patronage from
rulers
300 monks and many went on to found
more than 200 priories
Monks were well disciplined and
educated
Landholding made it wealthy
Build Cluny III which was the largest
church in Europe at 98 ft high, 40 ft span,
and 450 ft long
Widely influential
Title: Plan of The Abbey of Notre-Dame, Fontenay, Burgundy, France, 1139–47
Title: Nave, Abbey Church of NotreDame, Fontenay
Date: 1139–47
Oldest surviving Cistercian structure
Simple geometric plan
Long nave with rectangular chapels
in the square ended transept
Despite simple plan, architectural
elements still reflect those of their
time
Harmonious proportions and fine
stonework, not lavishly decorated
Pointed ribbed vaulting over nave,
pointed arches in nave arcade
Compound piers
Very few window
Title: Doubting Thomas
Medium: Pier relief
Size: figures nearly life-size
Date: c. 1100
Known as Architectural sculpture
This relief sculpture is on a pier
Christ invited Thomas to touch his
crucifixion wounds
Strong diagonal formed by hand
Christ larger
Name this building? Which religion is this building directly associated with?
Discuss the buildings structure and ornamentation in relation to its religious
significance.
Title: South Portal and Porch, Priory
Church of Saint-Pierre, Moissac
Date: c. 1115
Source/ Museum: Tarn-et-Garonne,
France
Romanesque portal- stop on
pilgrimage
Carved Tympanum- complex works
of folklore, religious symbolism, and
biblical narratives
Still bears traces of original paint
Jesus with halo and mandorla large
and in the center
4 evangelists along the sides
2 angels
24 crowned elders- motion
2nd coming of christ
Title: Trumeau, South Portal, Priory Church of
Saint-Pierre, Moissac
Date: c. 1115
Source/ Museum: Tarn-et-Garonne, France
Trumeau- is the post between the doors
Lions and the prophet Jeremiah
Saint Paul on left
2 pairs of Lions cross in an “x” shape in the
front
Body made to fit the curve of the post,
Decorative rosettes and scallops resemble
Islamic art
This sculptures were made shortly after the
first crusade
Twisting body, stylized lions and vegitation
Artist: Gislebertus Title: Last Judgment, Tympanum on West Portal, Cathedral (Originally
Abbey Church) of Saint-Lazare, Autun Date: c. 1120–30 or 1130–45 Source/ Museum:
Burgundy, France
judgment day, terror reigns down on the human souls, hands scoop
up souls, Jesus still large and in charge, with halo and mandorla, very expressive twisted faces
and bodies, delicate web like detailing much like illuminated manuscripts
Title: Capital: Suicide of
Judas, Cathedral of SaintLazare, Autun
Date: c. 1125
From a capital ,
underneath would have
been a Corinthian column
Stylized plant life adorn
background
Flying demons or beasties,
judge and help
The Gospel of Matthew
says that Judas
returned the money to
the priests and
committed suicide by
hanging himself