ROMANESQUE ART
ROMANESQUE AND GOTHIC
MEDIEVAL, CHRISTIAN AND
BYZANTINE REVIEW
• Early Christian basilicas were long brick buildings with timber
roofs
• Atrium in front, surrounded by covered walkway.
• Worshippers stood in nave, front of nave- altar.
• Churches designed from this setup, long narrow nave and
raised altar in front
• Floor plan- Greek cross
• Roman mosaics made of polished colored stone, a lot of times
on floors. Byzantine mosaics made of brightly colored glass
pressed into wet plaster
• Egg tempera as medium for painting
• Symbolic, two dimensional poses
• Religious thought or idea more important than realism
• Hagia Sophia and Emperor Justinian and Attendants two great
works in architecture and mosaic
ROMANESQUE
ROMANESQUE
• Almost all Romanesque art sacred
• Highly expressive, emotional style
• Influenced by ancient Roman, Christian and
Byzantine styles
• Religious intensity infused Western Europe during
Middle Ages
• Religious pilgrimages to holy sites
• Crusades
ROMANESQUE
• Term Romanesque coined in 19th century
• 11th-12th century
• Growth and development of Romanesque artthreat of Islam waned, northern barbarian raid
subsided, Christianity triumphing everywhere in
Europe
• Monasteries exert influence into businesses and
social service
• Religious fervor
• Pilgrimages to holy sites
ROMANESQUE
• Crusades happened, well over into other periods
• Crusades moved people back and forth across
Europe
• Great mingling of cultures and ideas
• Movement of people and artists and influence of
Church providing opportunity for artistic ideas and
innovations
• Constructing churches and carving sculpture to
decorate them- architectural sculpture main
importance in this period
• Activity and religious enthusiasm in Medieval life
from 1050 into 1200.
ROMANESQUE DRAWING TIME!
ROMANESQUE
• Sculpture intended to help people understand
teaching of the Church
• Tympanum- arched area below arch and above
lintel of doorway filled with scenes in relief
• Enter into narthex, then see tympanum
• One of most famous tympanums- Sainte Madeleine
in Vezelay, France
• Built 1120-1132
• Most closely associated church of the Crusades, 2nd
and 3rd
ROMANESQUE
ROMANESQUE
ROMANESQUE
• Pilgrimage routes
• relics
ROMANESQUE
• Economic value of relics
• Reliquary of St. Foy at Conque
Abbey
• Relics of Mary Magdalene
ROMANESQUE
• Barrel, Ribbed and
groined vaults used
to add height and
add strength over
aisles
• Windows kept small
to not weaken walls
• Dark interior
ROMANESQUE
• Sainte-Sernin in
Toulouse
• Largest
Romanesque
Church in Europe
• Huge tower over
crossing
• Pilgrimage church
• Large apse and
ambulatory to help
with crowd
movement
ROMANESQUE
• Worms
Cathedral in
Germany
• Strong
geometric
forms
• Apse on each
end
• Turret like
towers
ROMANESQUE
• Sainte-Madeleine
in Vezelay
• Buttresses and
groin vaults
• Clerestory
windows
• Allowed light to
come in
• Two color effects
similar to Islamic
mosques
ROMANESQUE
• Notre Dame de la
Grande in Poitiers,
France
• Heavy and dark
• Frieze of many figures
illustrating life of
Christ
• Helmets added later
• Do they go?
• One portal, smaller
than others
ROMANESQUE
• Cathedral and
Campanile, Pisa
• Campanile- bell
tower
• White marble with
inlaid green
marble
• Campanilefamous Leaning
Tower of Pisa
• Started leaning
during
construction
• Latin cross plan
church with apse
at each end
• Rows of columns,
wooden roofinfluence of Early
Christian basilicas
ROMANESQUE
• Giselbertus
• The Last
Judgment
• 1130
• West Typmanum,
St. Lazare Autun
France
• Inscription across
top of lintel
Gislebertus Hoc
Fecit
• Bones of Lazarusrelics
ROMANESQUE
• One of great achievements of Romanesque artists
was reviving technique of large scale stone sculptures
• The Prophet Jeremiah
• 1115-1135
• South Portal
• St. Pierre, Moissac France
• Thin and elongated
• Legs, garments
• Lost in thought
• Stretched limbs and obvious pietyemotional response
ROMANESQUE
Bayeux Tapestry
1073-1083
Wool embroidery on linen
Made completely by
women artists
• Battle of Hastings- Bishop
Odo of Bayeux, France
commissioned illustration of
William the Conquerors
invasion of England in 1066
• 230 ft long 20 in high
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ROMANESQUE
• Master of Pedret
• Virgin and Child
Enthroned
• Fresco
• Placed in mandorla
• Rendered
symbolically
• Archangels Michael
and Gabriel
• Painted on half dome
of apse
• Removed fresco for
display
ROMANESQUE
• Chalice of Abbot
Suger of Saint-Denis
• 1140
• 7 ½ in
• Created from
ancient Roman cup
• Works crafted in
service of Church
• Sardonyx
• Used by French kings
for 300 years
ROMANESQUE
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What is happening in the scene on the tympanum at SainteMadeleine in Vezelay? Why is this appropriate for this particular
church?
What is a tympanum?
Describe a typical Romanesque church. Include the vocab in your
description. You may use drawings.
Who influenced Romanesque art?
What was the name of the wars that permeated this time?
Why did people take pilgrimages?
What are the three vault types?
What was the largest Romanesque church?
What church had buttresses, and what is a buttress?
What is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, specifically?
Why was Giselbertus’ Last Judgment unique?
What was one of the greatest achievements of Romanesque art?
Describe the Bayeux Tapestry, why was it made and how big was it?
Why were works like the Chalice of Abbot Suger created?
What is a mandorla?
ROMANESQUE