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| Dragon swallowing a Christian Chauvigny, Church of Saint-Pierre http://www.wga.hu/art/zgothic/1romanes/cap-12c3/04f_1167.jpg |
What is Romanesque?
The style of art known as Romanesque first began to take shape near the collapse of the Roman Empire around 568 AD. As Huns and Germanic tribes took over land, their culture collided with that of the disappearing Romans. Efforts to revive Roman art and architecture were made around 800 AD by Emperor Charlemagne, and after his empire collapsed and years of fighting between the conquering tribes passed, a new period of prosperity and cultural exploration was born. The traditional Roman art mingled to varying degrees with the artistic approaches of the newer cultures, which led to the development of Romanesque art around 1000 AD (Charles, 7-12).Characteristics of Romanesque sculpture:
- Heavily tied with architecture
- Often in relief (high or medium relief were most common)
- Lots of symbolism, particularly with animals (Toman, 256-257)
- Typically Religious (Minne-Seve, 14-18)
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| Poitiers, Notre-Dame-La-Grande https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7100/7181408207_27194e1fbc_b.jpg |
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| Mary Rests with Infant Jesus Poitiers, Notre-Dame-La-Grande http://www.paradoxplace.com/Photo%20Pages/France/West/Poitiers_Poitou_Charentes/Poitiers/ Notre_Dame_la_Grande/Images/800/Mary-Sept07-DE9587sAR800.jpg |
Sculpture and Architecture
Sculpture and architecture were heavily tied together due to the increasingly popular practice of adorning religious structures with sculptures (Toman, 256-257). After years of war and difficulty, people increasingly turned to the church for spiritual salvation and protection. Monasteries became increasingly popular, drawing more funds and support, which in turn allowed more churches to be built. Originally, sculptures that were incorporated into the buildings were used to emphasize the architectural design, such as a pattern of leaves moving across a lintel, but the focus eventually shifted to the storytelling abilities the sculptures possessed. Prominent areas of the buildings, such as arches above the doors, were filled with human and animal figures as well as decorative vegetation (Minne-Seve, 14-28). Since the artwork was carved into buildings, most of it was carved in relief, meaning that the art has a raised surface that remains attached to the background area, as opposed to sculpture in the round, which does not have a background surface and can be viewed from all angles.
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| Lion as a Persecutor of the Good, Taking a Lamb Mariental near Helmstedt monestary church http://www.wga.hu/art/zgothic/1romanes/re-2/2g1_1101.jpg |
Symbolism
The connection between sculpture and architecture also accounts to some degree for the symbolic nature of the art. Since the artwork was tied to the churches and had the role of conveying religious themes, symbols were extremely useful in adding depth of meaning to the art in a way that most people would understand, though not all symbols were completely clear and direct. Several religious symbols were developed during this time, and appeared numerous times in the sculptures adorning churches and cathedrals (Toman, 328-345).
Some popular symbols included:
Some popular symbols included:
- Animals
- There was a great variety of animal imagery in the Romanesque period, and many animals had different meanings attached to them. For instance, the phoenix was thought to be a symbol of Christ, as it would periodically die and come back to life.
- Entertainers and Players
- Traveling performers were considered to be morally twisted, as their strange talents, such as a contortionist's ability to bend his or her body into impossible poses, could be seen as a reflection of the soul.
- The Human Body
- Sexuality was viewed very negatively during the Romanesque period, and several statues adorning the churches warn against the evils of sexual behaviors.
A Lasting Message
Though the period leading up to Romanesque Art was not the most peaceful, it brought a lot of cultures together and gave birth to new ideas. Coupled with some of the architectural and artistic techniques of the Romans, this culturally blended style blossomed on the walls of churches and cathedrals, teaching Biblical messages to all who passed. Various ideas were able to be portrayed through these sculptures, as symbolic associations allowed stronger meanings to be tied in with the figures. These images continue to spark interest in those who see them, displaying the lasting power of well-made sculptures and well-told stories.
Sources:
Schapiro, Meyer. Romanesque Architectural Sculpture. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Print.
Minne-Seve, Viviane, and Herve Kergall. Romanesque and Gothic France. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Print.
Toman, Rolf, ed. Romanesque: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting. Konemann. Print.
Charles, Victoria. Romanesque Art. New York: Parkstone International, 2008. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web.
Lots of really good info here and you cover a lot. I like that you start with the history so we get a good picture of how Romanesque sculpture and architecture began. I really enjoyed your enthusiasm in your presentation. Romanesque sculpture is really wonderful, whimsical and playful. You talk about a lot of good things, the animals, entertainers, etc... the one thing that would be super helpful to your blog are lots more images of what you are talking about. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteYour blog post is organized very nicely which is something that I really appreciate. Sections are well labeled and the post is easy to follow. There are some interesting facts that you have shared with us, and the photos compliment the content nicely. Although, like Tim said, you could have used more photos to support your info in the latter half of your post. The fact that I find most interesting was how the artists carved right into the architecture... no pressure ;) Overall great job on your post.
ReplyDeleteYou posted a lot of really good information on Romanesque architecture and sculpture in a well organized fashion. I like the pictures you chose but I do wish there were a few more towards the end of your post. I especially found the one of Mary resting with baby Jesus interesting, because there isn't a specific Biblical narrative of that (that I can think of at least). However, the art is portraying something that all mothers did with their children, making the story of the gospel more relatable to those viewing it. Very interesting stuff! Nice job!
ReplyDeleteI super appreciate the fact that you reviewed exactly what Romanesque art is. Overall I think this blog post is well organized and well put together. I liked how your researched covered both the architecture and sculptures alike as well as the symbolism behind them. I found it all very interesting, and not to beat a dead horse, but it was also in my notes during your presentation that with all the fun things you were telling us, it would have been awesome to see some pictures of those things! But overall very nice, well thought out, and really enjoyable to read! :)
ReplyDeleteI can't get over the first relief/sculpture. The dragon looks so happy to be gnawing on some Christian's head, and the Christian just seems to be complaining mostly about something he ate earlier. Such cheerful violence! The bed that Jesus is in as Mary is chilling next to him, is that from the Romanesque period, or is it actually portraying something He may have been in? I know that the York Minster, when it had a section burn down in the Victorian times they replaced an image of Mary nursing Jesus with an image of Mary using a Victorian bottle to feed Jesus. I would have liked to know more about the Lion as the persecutor. Whenever I see a lion and a lamb I think of the "Lion will lay down with the lamb" saying and so I instantly think peaceful harmony, not "look out baby sheep!" Lots of interesting information, thank you.
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