Romanesque and Gothic Art

kings gallery

The band of statues running the full width of the facade of a Gothic cathedral directly above the rose window. These were the kings of Judah and Israel.

ambulatory

a place for walking, especially an aisle around the apse or a cloister in a church or monastery.

Archivolts (Romanesque)

a band of molding, resembling an architrave, around the lower curve of an arch.

bar tracery

Tracery which is composed of thin stone elements rather than thick ones as in plate tracery The glass rather than the stone dominates when bar tracery is used. It gives a more delicate, web-like effect

plate tracery

A type of tracery; uses thick areas of stone to separate glazed areas; the stone dominates the window rather than the glass

Barrell Vault

a continuous arched shape that may approximate a semi-cylinder in form. It is typically formed by a series of arches or vaults placed side by side or by a continuous shell.

campanile

A bell tower of a church, usually, but not always, freestanding.

cathedral

The major church of a diocese, where the bishop has his seat

cruciform plan

a cross-shaped floor-plan; not typically seen until the Gothic era

embroidery

decorative needlework

facade

(n.) the front or face of a building; a surface appearance (as opposed to what may lie behind)

groin vault

a vault formed when two barrel vaults meet at right angles

Jambs

In architecture, the side posts of a doorway.

Last Judgement

Jesus Christ's judgement of the living and the dead on the last day when he comes to fully establish God's Kingdom

lux nova (new light)

Latin, "new light." Abbot Suger's term for the light that enters a Gothic church through stained-glass windows.

Martyr

A person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs

Pilgrimage

A journey to a place considered sacred for religious purposes.

pilgrimage church

a church that attracts visitors wishing to venerate relics as well as attend religious services

Radiating Chapels (Romanesque)

In medieval churches, chapels for the display of relics that opened directly onto the ambulatory and the transept.

Relics

Bones or other objects connected to a religious person; considered worthy of worship by the faithful.

reliquary

A container where religious relics are stored or displayed (especially relics of saints)

rose window

a circular window with stained glass and stone tracery used on the facades and the ends of the transepts in Gothic cathedrals

Transept

is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building

transverse arch

an arch that spans an interior space connecting opposite walls by crossing from side to side

triforium

a gallery or arcade above the arches of the nave, choir, and transepts of a church.

Clerestory

the upper part of the nave, choir, and transepts of a large church, containing a series of windows. It is clear of the roofs of the aisles and admits light to the central parts of the building.

trumeau

In church architecture, the pillar or center post supporting the lintel in the middle of the doorway.

tympanum

the space enclosed by a lintel and an arch over a doorway

vault

a curved ceiling made of arches

Voussoirs

a wedge-shaped or tapered stone used to construct an arch.

Bishop Odo

Half Brother of William the Conqueror, many believe him to be the man who commissioned the Bayeux Tapestry in recognition and celebration of William's victory over Harold Godwinson.

Sainte- Foy (Saint Faith)

Early Christian martyr who was killed for her religious beliefs.

William the Conqueror

Duke of Normandy who invaded England in 1066 and claimed the English crown

Abbot Sugar

influential first patron of Gothic architecture; architect of St. Denis; emerged/'created' the Gothic style

Archivolts (Romanesque)

a band of molding, resembling an architrave, around the lower curve of an arch.

Christus Triumphans

Latin for triumphant Christ; a cross with a representation of a living Christ, eyes open and triumphant over death

Christus Patiens

Latin for "suffering Christ." An image of Christ depicted dead on the cross.

Flying Buttress (Gothic)

arch built onto the exterior of a building that transfers the thrust of the roof vaults at important stress points through the wall to a detached buttress pier

gargoyle

waterspout carved in grotesque figures on a building

jamb figures

these are figures carved on the jambs (vertical support structure found on both sides of an opening) of a building. Chartres Cathedral

lancet window

A tall narrow window crowned by a sharply pointed arch, typically found in Gothic architecture.

pier

a vertical support that holds up an arch or a vault

stained glass

In Gothic architecture, the colored glass used for windows

Pieta

A painted or sculpted representation of the Virgin Mary mourning over the body of the dead Christ.

Giorgio Vasari

Italian painter and art historian (1511-1574); wrote The Lives of the Artists. Massive patronage of the arts came from this and was lead by families like the Medici's and also the churches, who saw art as a means of glorifying God.

ribbed vault

A vault that features a framework of ribs or arches under the intersections of the vaulted sections

Church of Sainte-Foy

Artist: Unknown

Period: Romanesque Europe

Dates: Church 1050-1130 C.E., Reliquary of Sainte Foy 9th century w/later additions

Culture: Conques, France

Material: Stone (architecture); stone and paint (tympanum); gold, silver, gemstones, and enamel over wood (reliquary)

Bayeux Tapestry

Artist: Unknown

Period: Romanesque Europe

Dates: 1066-1080 C.E.

Culture: English or Norman

Material: Embroidery on linen

Chartres Cathedral

Artist:

Period: Gothic Europe

Dates: 1145-1155 C.E. orig. construction, 1194-1220 reconstructed

Culture: Chartres, France

Material: Limestone, stained glass

Dedication Page with Blanche of Castile and King Louis IX of France and Scenes from the Apocalypse, from a Bibles moralisée (moralized bible)

Artist:

Period: Gothic Europe

Dates: 1225-1245 C.E.

Culture:

Material: Illuminated manuscript (ink, tempera, gold leaf on vellum) (2 images, each from a separate manuscript)

Röttgen Pietà

Artist:

Period: Late Medieval Europe

Dates: 1300-1325 C.E.

Culture: Middle Rhine, Germany

Material: Painted wood