Romanesque and Gothic Periods

Romanesque Period time. Who invented this term?

1000-1200 CE

invented by art historians in 19th century

for Roman-like art but not constructed by Romans

How were arches constructed in Romanesque period? What did this cause for art and architecture?

arches made of stone instead of concrete

form of arch was preserved but not technology for producing them

arches were shorter, squatter, thicker shafts, arranged in clusters or pairs

columns held heavier loads

more fortress-like/defensive and smaller windows

sturdier

What was the ‘boom of church building’? What four factors (list) was it caused by?

bigger churches and more of them

driven by:

1. increase in pilgrimage

2. monastic expansion

3. renewed religious fervour

4. political stability and economic growth

What was the increase in pilgrimage?

e.g. Santiago del Compostela (network/route for pilgrims)

demanded larger and more durable churches along Pilgrim routes

Pilgrimage traffic

What was the Monastic expansion?

powerful monastic orders (e.g. The Cluniac’s, The Cistercians)

build larger churches to show their orders

monastic orders multiplied so needed more churches

Why were there more need for religion and churches?

many believed profound change was happening in year 1000

Millenia anxiety

mental reliance on acts of devotion to alleviate one’s own faith

What was the political and economic growth caused by? What did it allow for?

allowed for more ambitious building projects

better transportation of building materials

craftsman organized into gilds

perfected construction of buildings and honed skills

How did Romanesque architects also find ways to extend their churches and allow for larger crowds and traffic control?

extended space by adding galleries/balconies over side aisles

also allowed for additional chapels to house relics

created radiating chapels for pilgrims with access via ambulatory

• this didn’t cause disruption to main altar

Saint-Sernin, Toulouse, France, ca. 1070-1120

Romanesque architecture

displays galleries/balconies to accommodate more people

shows additional chapels for relics

What are relics?

objects related to saints or martyrs

in devotion, this way you have palpable or physical connection to Christianity

objects thought to possess some spiritual power (healing power)

What are 1st, 2nd, 3rd class relics?

classified based on their proximity to the person

1. First-Class Relic

A physical part of a saint’s body.

• Examples: Bones, blood, hair, or a fragment of flesh.

2. Second-Class Relic

• Definition: An item that the saint personally used or wore during their life.

• Examples: Clothing, a book, rosary, or other personal belongings.

3. Third-Class Relic

• Definition: An object that has touched a first- or second-class relic.

• Examples: Pieces of cloth used to wipe over 1st class relics

St. Foy’s Golden Reliquary Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy Conques, France, c. 1010

first class relic

contains skull of Saint Foy (young Christian martyr)

decorated with gold, gemstones, enamels, etc.

seated figure to make more relatable

What architectural feature did Romanesque churches use to display visibility?

must symbolize ‘We have most wanted relics’

towers grew taller

entry way was taller and more richly sculpted

What is a portal?

relief on front of church to encourage pilgrims to enter

communication on portal was simple

• you were meant to directly enter church so message on tympanum had to be clear

How are pilgrims identified?

have purses and shells on purses

shown favourably

Gothic period time.

1140-1194

What occurred during Early Gothic period? How did this change church construction?

Catholic church accumulated immense wealth in 12th century

• via pilgrim donations

Bishops, Abbots, congregations competed against each other to build larger churches

encouraged innovation to building styles and techniques to make churches stand out

What were four characteristics of the new gothic churches?

1. pointed arches instead of round arches

2. ribbed vaults instead of barrel vaults

3. flying buttresses

4. stained glass windows

Abbey church, Saint-Denis, France, remodelled beginning in 1135; east end dedicated in 1144

Abbot Suger decided to remodel and replace church in gothic style

introduced height and light into architecture

walls are more transparent

more windows and larger windows

he believed that it improves spiritual experience in a church

verticality and luminosity

What did pointed arches allow for?

more slender and elongated

distributes weight more efficiently

• allows for thinner walls

What did ribbed vaults allow for?

ribbed vaults with semicircular and pointed arches make vertical supports thinner

light can penetrate more easily without so many thick vertical supports

What was the use of stained glass windows for?

designed to transform the light that penetrates

adding colour to the light

uses glass that is stained (changes colour of light and gives it substance)

physically alters space and architecture

enriches spiritual experience

creates other worldly atmosphere

Chartres Cathedra, Chartres, France, 1194-1220

use of flying buttresses

• external supports in apes areas

• exoskeletal features that pull the building out

• eliminate number of vertical supports on interior

increases elongation of form

• emphasis on verticality

• same qualities in other visual culture

• e.g. the jambe of the portal

  • sculpted exterior of human figures

  • kings and prophets elongated unnaturally

  • slender figures

  • they echo the architecture

  • they are symbolic since they are too stretched out to be naturalistic

  • conveying spiritual meaning

How did stained glass windows reflect the elongated forms?

complex biblical stories told through narrow figures

drapery is stylized and angled

medium determines figures however simplification of human form was to reflect theologically

emphasized primacy of soul over body

• Body was susceptible to decay while soul was eternal and divine

• Encouraged degree of abstraction in representation of human figure

Were there many paintings in Gothic era? Why or why not?

not much painting since windows occupied walls so no room for wall art

pictorial art moved to smaller scale

• manuscript illuminations and graphic arts

  • these show references to Gothic architecture and rose windows

  • graceful elongated figures and richly adorned

What were the two main points of Green Reading?

1. What did medieval body look like?

2. How did Medieval people visualize and imagine the body