Medieval - Romanesque and Gothic

Merovingian Looped Fibulae: (Early Medieval)

• Merovingian Dynasty = France + Germany

• silver gilt, semi precious stones

• A clamp-like pin used to fasten cloth together (used on togas)

• Cloisonne technique: thin bands of medal with colored areas between

• zoomorphic (animal) elements (fish, birds)

• Significance: Rome has fallen → a new style emerging

  • showing influence of Visigoths

Lindisfarne Gospels: (Early Medieval)

• Lindisfarne, England (island that created bibles, constantly raided)

• Hiberno Saxon (Ireland and England)

• ink, pigments, and gold on vellum (animal skin) parchment

• most likely written and decorated by Eadfrith (Bishop of Lindisfarne)

• blends both Latin and English script (oldest known Bible with English

• contains four gospels, each with an incipit, portrait, and cross page

• Cross Page:

  • Book of Matthew

  • horror vacui

  • dog headed snakes and birds

  • Cloisonne designs throughout

  • mixes local Celtic imagery and Christian imagery

• Saint Luke Portrait Page:

  • Calf = symbol for luke

  • he sits writing on a school (symbolic of his gospel)

  • in Greek: “Hagios Lucas”

  • Cloisonné designs at each corner

• Saint Luke Incipit Page:

  • opening words of St. Luke’s gospel

  • Large letter Q leading into Quoniam Quidem

    • celtic patterns in q

  • teeming with animal life (cat eating birds)

Difference between basilica, romanesque, and gothic interior

Basilica:

• wooden roof over nave

• shallow ceiling

• transverse arches

• apse

Romanesque:

• nave is a barrel vault

• very dark due to small windows, lots of candles

Gothic:

• nave is a series of groin vaults, stronger vaults

• lots of windows, lots of natural light

• stained glass

Difference between Basilica, Romanesque, and Gothic models

Basilica:

• Smaller

• Shorter

• Apse

• Based on Roman arch

Romanesque:

• Taller

• Based on Basilica

• Small windows

• Based on Roman arch

Gothic:

• Tallest

• Based on Basilica

• Massive windows

• Based on pointed Goth arch

Church of Sainte-Foy: (Romanesque)

• Conques, France

• Stone

• Pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela

  • a church on the way that held relics

• very large church (built to handle lots of pilgrims)

• basilica w/ transept (cross section)

• Apse has ambulatory built/added to it with radiating chapels, hold relics

Last Judgement Tympanum: (In Church of St. Foy - Romanesque) (sacred image)

• story being told for the illiterate as they walk through the entrance

• Christ as the judge between Hell and Heaven

  • right hand welcomes into heaven

  • left hand banishes downward

• reminds people entering the church to stay faithful

• originally painted, horror vacui

• translation: “oh sinners, change your morals before you might face a cruel judgement”

Sainte-Foy Reliquary: (In Church of St. Foy - Romanesque)

• Wood sculpture covers in gold, silver, gemstones, and enamel

• major draw of the pilgrims to St. Foy (would sit in the main radiating chapel - ambulatory)

• martyred girl who refused to sacrifice to Roman gods

• contains relics of her body (Child’s skull)

• jewels, gems, and crown added over the years by wealthy donors

• head may be spoil (reusing elements from older art) from an earlier roman sculpture

Bayeux Tapestry: (Romanesque - secular)

• Bayeux, France

• Embroidery on linen (made by women like tapa cloth)

• patron: Odo, bishop of Bayeux (half-brother to William)

• narrative

• story of William the Conqueror’s conquest of England at the Battle of Hastings

• three registers/sections:

  • bottom and top contain animals

  • middle is the main narrative

• not really a tapestry

• similar to column of Trajan

Pisa Cathedral Complex / Piazza Dei Miracoli (God’s Miracle Square): (Late Romanesque)

• Tuscany, Italy

• Pisa: wealthiest area in Europe at the time, coastal, merchants, with a large navy and military. Traded by sea with Byzantine Empire

• Church: testament to the wealth of Pisa

• Cathedral Complex: appropriation from Hagia Sophia, specially the dome

• even though there are 3 structures, they are one complex

Cathedral and Duomo:

• much larger and more decorated than other Romanesque churches in France, a sign of wealth

• transition from Roman to Gothic

• has duomo at the transept

• coffered ceiling (wood) like a basilica (Santa Sabina)

Baptistry and Campanile (bell tower)

• Italian churches traditionally have the baptistry as a separate structure near the cathedral

• Pisa baptistery is stylistically alike with the cathedral

• a grand building to welcome converts and infants to Christianity

• Campanile are also a separate structure in Italian churches

• Tower is leaning due to a settling soil under the foundation

Transition from Romanesque to Gothic

• Pilgrimages will continue through France and Spain for centuries to come

  • towns that innovated their churches could count on pilgrims to come through their towns

• One French Parisian priest and architect named Abbot Sugar will architecturally innovate a smaller Romanesque church in northern Paris, St. Denis, in a manner to let in more light and bring in stained glass windows

  • changes made to St. Denis will spark the move from Romanesque to Gothic architecture

  • he removed the radiating chapels of ambulatory and open up the room will wall of stained glass

    • pointed arch forced the weight of the walls down to have thinner walls and more windows

Chartres Cathedral:

• Begun in Romanesque, rebuilt after fire and turned into Gothic

• Chartres, France

• Stone

• Appropriates from St. Denis

• Fire destroyed Romanesque church leaving only the west facade (front) and masonry of the crypt standing

• Architects rebuilt the church using High Gothic model, first of the High Gothic Churches

  • Tall thing walls supported by flying buttresses allowed for stained glass clerestory

• Meant to be symbolic of heaven, entering the portal viewers eyes are drawn upwards

• Relic was the tunic of Mary

Royal Portal at Chartres: (Early Gothic)

• Stone

• Survived the fire

• Early Gothic, not High Gothic like the rest of the cathedral

• Called the Royal Portal because the statues of Old testament kings and queens on the sides of the portal

• Right portal tympanum: Baby Christ in the lap of the Virgin, appropriates from Theotokos and countless other images of Mary and baby Jesus

• Left Portal tympanum: Christ’s ascension into heaven.

• Center portal: Second coming of Christ, Christ as judge, symbols of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John appear around Christ

  • Last Judgement theme like at St. Foy

  • Gothic last judgement was more of a theme of salvation than the Romanesque damnation

  • Lintels below the three tympanums shows scenes from the life of Christ

    • romanesque sculptures (Kings and queens of Old Testament)

Notre Dame de La Belle Verrière: (Chartres, High Gothic)

• Stained glass

  • No stained glass in the Romanesque

    • Thinner walls and buttressing allowed for much more glass in the walls, much more light

    • Light was considered divine, gave color to the grey stone throughout

  • Appropriates Cloisonne technique

  • Mary is young, haloed, crowned, Christ Child on lap, dove the Holy Spirit above

  • compared to Byzantine mosaics at Ravenna, and Theotokos

  • Mary is more important in the Gothic period

    • Mary is a pillar of faith

    • Our Lady of the Beautiful Window

  • roundels = circles

Dedication Page with Blanche of Castile and King Louis IX of France: (Gothic)

• Ink, Tempera, Gold Leaf (very expensive), on Vellum

• A moralized Bible: Bible with expensively decorated art to explain scripture (decorated with images to teach morals)

• France known for illuminated manuscript (showing an image/story)

• top left: Blanche of Castile (mother to king and regent) (Patron)

• top right: Louis IX as teenager (Patron)

• bottom: older monk dictates to a younger monk (artists)

• Commissioned during Blanche’s regency after her husband’s death

  • had a lot of political strife at the time

  • shows status of women at the time; Queen Blanche has high power in ruling until her son is old enough to (put at the same level as the king)

• has architecture similar to Paris in the background

Scenes from the Apocalypse:

• ink, tempera, gold leaf on Vellum

• illuminated manuscript

• eight roundels, similar to stained glass

• each scenes has text with a summary of what is depicted (biblical and commentary text)

• tells story in Book of Revelations

• temptation of clergy, clergy engaging in sin

  • devils on the backs of clergy

Rottgen Pieta: (Gothic)

• Rottgen, Germany

• painted wood sculpture

• Madonna (mom): Mary holding a baby Jesus VS Pieta (pity): Mary holding a deceased Jesus

• Gothic is ending, Renaissance is beginning (renaissance = emotion)

• Used for private devotion, not in a church, focal point for private prayer

• Expressed the sadness and horror of the crucifixion of Christ

• Humanizing effect to religion, you see the suffering in both Mary and Jesus

  • Earlier depictions of Jesus show him painlessly on the cross, not human

• Blood, agony, and sadness are felt

Golden Haggadah (Story): (Gothic)

• Barcelona, Spain

• pigment on Vellum, gold leaf backgrounds

• Story of Passover in a very Gothic medium and style

• European style of art: (but a Hebrew story)

  • gold leaf background

  • medieval characteristics

  • Ramses depicted as a French/European King

• read right to left, Hebrew

• very expensive, cross cultural borrowing styles

• points to large and diverse Jewish community in Spain that could afford and produce this art

• medieval Spain was an intercultural mix of Christians, Jews, and Muslims

Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel and Lamentation: (Late Gothic/Early Renaissance

• Patron: Scrovegni, Banker

  • Family made a fortune through loaning money for interest, which is the sin of usury

  • To atone for the sins, Enrico built the chapel which contains many images, some of which are related to usury or stealing, and his guilt as a banker that charged interest on loans

• Giotto’s Lamentation:

  • Fresco

  • Artist: Giotto di Bondone (artist that moves us out of the medieval and into the renaissance)

    • Moves away from flat, frontal, and floating

  • Debate: is it Medieval, or is it Renaissance? (transitional piece)

  • Jesus has just been brought down off the cross, now Mary is holding him

    • She has one leg down and one leg up (very realistic and Renaissance)

    • Numerous displays of emotions

  • Lament: to have deep sorrow

  • All halos are gold, as all people are saints

  • Giotto painted the interior, numerous scenes from the Bible.

  • Mary and Jesus are not in the middle of the painting, the diagonal mountain leads the eyes down to them

  • Jesus’ followers mourning his death

  • Emotion, St. John’s head and hands show emotion

  • Mary Magdalene weeps while cradling Jesus’ feet

  • Painting to the left was Jonah being swallowed by the whale. Parallel explored in early Christian art

  • Early use of perspective and multiple positions

  • Indication of light and the way it falls seems natural, shadowing

  • Sadness conveyed through mourning angels and barren tree

  • Figures shown from the back, not flat, frontal, and floating like in Byzantine art