romanesque and gothic art

what was going on during the 6th-8th century?

• dark ages

• europe lost touch with classical learning and science

• few documents survived to shed light on this era

what are the 4 iconographies

• st mark

• st john

• st luke

• st matthew

what is the book of kells (800)

• celtic style of manuscript that takes us far from nature vs classical traditional of realism and portray of real world

• written and decorated by Irish monks in Kells, escaping Viking attacks

• perfection sought on the smallest scale humanly possible: fine technical execution

• lack of concern for the accurate representation of the human body

• moving away from physical representation (greek and romans) to spiritual; secular tto religious → reflects the growing power of the Church

st john’s significance on the book of kells

• seen from the front, appears flat

• 2D decorative design that gives little hint of a solid body beneath

• stylised human figure treated as a pattern of lines

• curvilinear drapery falls in impossible folds

what is the significance behind the Bayeux Tapestry?

• unique in medieval art

• related to Romanesque manuscript illumination

• depicts Norman (northern france) defeat of the Anglo-Saxons in the Battle of the Hastings in 1066

• the battle united all of england and much of france under Norman’s rule

• tapestries are rare in general

• depicts in full detail an event at a time shortly after it occured (similar to roman art)

• conqueror’s version of history, proclamation of national pride

• depicts the whole chronicle of events including war preparations like cooking, working on trees for boats

• animal motifs throughout the embroidery (dead and wounded animals below)

• Harold’s face pierced by an arrow and killed

what was happening in romanesque europe in the 11th and 12th century?

• barrel and groin vaults based on the round arch and revival of stone carving sculpture

• thousands of churches and monastaries remodeled or newly constructed

• religion was a key centerpoint for everyone → obsessive construction of churches

• new feudal society led to full-fledged monarchies after Charlomagne’s death in 814 → france and england rose to real and lasting prominence

what were key features of romanesque architecture

• rounded arches, vaulted ceilings, piers, columns for support, thick walls

• relies on basic roman elements of the basilica plan

• thick and heavy walls with less windows (sharp contrast to medieval architecture)

• churches in the shape of a cross

• narrow windows: less light and dark buildings

• composite pillar-column (rome influence)

• stone barrels (tunnels?)

what was the key features of romanesque culture?

• appearance of monasteries and castles in the middle of agricultural lands to impress and show power

• pilgrimages → social phenomenon of medieval life (Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago) → would worship relics (objects associated with saints, Jesus, Mary; part of their bodies?)

• pilgrimage churches

describe the architectural design of the Saint-Sernin

• latin-cross plan, proportions mathematically (1 long arm, 1 short arm)

• exterior reflects the interior (v v different from islamic mosques)

• each section of space is clearly and neatly separated

• large interior, thick walls, closely spaced piers, engaged columns on the walls, stone vaults

• barrel / tunnel vault system covers the nave based on the semicircular arch

• superb acoustics → voices will echo through the vaulted space

• no wooden ceilings → less threat of fires

• require thick walls due to the pressure of the large vault, small and few windows, lack of direct light into the nave

• nave elevated into 2 stories → typical from pilgrimage churches

why were sculptures important duing the romanesque period?

• vast majority of ppl were illiterate

• mission: decorative and didactic

• equivalent of picture books

• concentrated on Church Portals, tympanum (semicircular section above the doorway with horizontal lintel at the bottom)

• tympanums usually has Jesus in the centre, in majesty and surrounded by a mandorla

what was the significance of the Moissac?

• important stop church in the pilgrimage route to Saint James in Santiago de Compostela

• elaborated series of relief sculptures

• most prominent sculpture: apocalyptic vision of Christ’s second coming as king and judge of the world

describe the key features of this sculpture

• enthroned christ → larger than life, Christ as the door to salvation

• 4 Evangelists (authors of the Gospels) → symbols of winged man, bull, lion, eagle

• angels holding their scrolss to record human deeds for judgement

• 24 crowned elders musicians making music in praise of Christ, all facing him

on the pillars

• six roaring interlaced lions on the front of the trumeau greet worshippers → protectors, ppl believed they slept with 1 eye open

• trumeau’s right side: prophet displaying a scroll with long locks of hair and beard, passionate in his dreaming mystic

what is the significance of the vezelay mission of the apostles (1120-1132)

• allegory of the mission to spread christian message and jesus’s ideas to the apostles and everyone

• second archivolt: signs of zodiac and the labours of the months; message must be spread at all times

• innermost archivolt and the lintel depict various types of ppl believed to inhabit the distant regions of the earth, based on ancient literary sources (like being half human, half animal; being tiny)

describe the relationship between pilgrimages and the veneration of relics

• shrines housing body parts, objects (clothing, instruments of martyrdom) associated with the holy family or saints

• pilgrims will travel thousands of km to visit a church and proclaim their faith in the power of saints and hope for a special favour (cure for disease, disabilities, repentance of sins)

• source of revenue for churches → built grander and more luxurious shrines, modifications to architecture (longer and wider naves and aisles, additional chapels)

describe the key features of italian romanesque architecture.

• retained timber roofs (unlike the stone in French Romanesque)

• shows regional diversity

• bell tower is detached from the cathedral

• rich marbel incrustation (wall decoration consisting of bright panels of different colours)

how did the gothic era come about?

• sustained peace in europe

• widespread prosperity

• deep spirituality

• urban centers gained importance → prosperous merchants formed guilds → society becoming more complex

• knowledge shifts from monasteries to universities

• extraordinary technological innovation (esp in architecture)

what was the main differences between gothic and romanesque architecture?

gothic

• look up to the skies

• verticality emphasized

• walls became thinner

• vast windows of stained glass

• pointed arches and vaults (ribbed vaults, fan vaults)

• flying buttresses (reinforces the wall)

romanesque

• solid

• heavy

• broad

• buildings created a sense of security

• semicircular arches, thick walls, closed spaced supports with few windows and dark interiors

• “bound to earth”

describe french gothic architecture

• located in city centres

• rely on flying buttresses for structural support

• rounded aspe, ambulatory, radiating chapels

• altar oriented to the East, Church entrance West

what is the significance of the notre-dame (1163-1250)

• population boom in paris due to rapid urbanisation → needed a new cathedral

• early gothic → equilibrium of horizontals (romanesque) and verticals (gothic) → goes towards high gothic in 1194-1220

• arch-shaped flying buttreses added after initial construction

• naturalism of sculpture and stained-glass

• gargoyles were glorified waterspouts

• exception to the usual iconographic restrains of medieval art

• irreverent → grotesque

• built in the highest part of the city too bring mother mary closer to heaven (intended to be a terrestrial palace for her)

• relic of mary: sancta camisia → a piece of cloth mary wore when jesus was born → extremely popular pilgrimage site

• obsession with light

describe the architecture of the notre dame

• facade with 4 buttresses, 3 portals, 2 towers, 1 rose window

• towers strikingly dissimilar → 1 built in 13th century, 1 in 16th century in Flamboyant gothic

• flying buttresses used throughout the whole building

• minimal stone, maximum glass

• famous stained-glass windows that allow for changing and flickering lights

what was the significance of stained glass during the gothic era?

• educate an illiterate population about Christianity

• pieces of coloured glass held by lead strips

• added metallic oxides while glass was molten to create coloured glass

• interior decoration → intended to be illuminated from behind by sunlight

• help to transmit light into the cathedral

• light with mystical qualities as an attribute of divinity (st augustine called god light)

• used to document medieval tools, materials and working methods (chartres cathedral)

name some scenes depicted in stained glass in the notre dame

• new testament: the life of jesus

• blue virgin window: scenes from the life of virgin mary and jesus

• st martin blessing the sick and wounded (scenes from the life of saints)

• scenes from historical figures such as charlemagne (propaganda)

• at the bottom of some stained glass windows: daily life scenes of those who contributed to the building → reflected catholic teachings still

• bakers preparing bread → catholic teachings: bread becomes the flesh of Christ in the Eucharist ; bakers forming loaves → 12 loaves of bread, twelve apostles of christ + 11 silver loaves → the original 11 disciples

describe the architecture structure of the Amiens Cathedral (1220)

• high gothic

• almost complete elimination of heavy masses and thick walls

• self-sustaining skeletal architecture

• allows a lot of natural light in

describe early gothic statues

• “pillar ppl”

• elongated to fit narrow columns that house them

• drapery lines as thin and straight as the bodies

• stiff and disproportionate figures → few traces of naturalism

describe the key features of high gothic statues

• in-the-round sculptures

• acted out biblical scenes → figures turned to each other in conversation

• contrapposto postures: rhythm of mvt, swaying hips, knees bent → roman portraits

• naturalistic → wrinkles, drapery

describe the architecture of the westminster abbey

• high gothic architecture → reached extremes of eccentricity beyond anything found in france

• radiating ribs of fan vaulting

• pendant vaults hanging down in knobs, denying gravity

• elaborate designs cover the entire surface

• chapel of Henry VII by roberto and william vertue (1503-19), tomb behind a grill

what is the significance of this painting? (giotto, 1305)

• first paintings since the roman period to render human forms suggesting weight and roundness

• anatomical structure beneath the drapery