Romanesque

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Romanesque

• 1000 -1200
• Eastern Europe

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Historical Context-Europe-1000-1100

• Orthodox Christianity (Byzantine) converts a
  largely pagan Russia (remember Constantinople
  modern day Istanbul)
• Further divided long standing rivalry between
  Roman (ie Roman Catholic- centered in Rome), and
  Orthodox (Byzantine)
• The Pope also increases his authority over
  central and eastern Europe
• They eventually split in 1054- Orthodoxy in the
  decline and has an exposed frontier with Islam
• - Roman Catholicism would expand and grow
• Growth of the cult of the saints and the habit of
  pilgrimage that was growing around their relics
• The church grew more wealthy, and new buildings
  appeared along pilgrimage roads

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• We can see the similarities of the Byzantine,
  Greek Orthodox and Russian church architecture
  and how they differ from the castle and tower
  churches of Medieval Europe

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Romanesque Architecture

• Romanesque is the first international style
  since the Roman Empire 1000-1200
• Romanesque architecture is massive, low, and
  solid-looking
• Competition among cities for the largest
  churches, which continues in the Gothic period
  via a quest for height.

• Religious in theme and designed to evoke wonder
  and powerful response from the viewer

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• Art and architecture were used to demonstrate the
  churches powerful role as political, religious
  and cultural leader of the West
• Masonry (stone) the preferred medium. Craft of
  concrete essentially lost in this period.
• Rejection of wooden structures or structural
  elements.
• East end of church the focus for liturgical
  services. West end for the entrance to church.
• Church portals as billboards for scripture or
  elements of faith.

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Pilgrimage church

• Cruciform plans. Nave and transept at right
  angles to one another. Church as a metaphor for
  heaven.
• Crossings (where the nave and transept crossed)
  where often topped with towers, or domes, or
  laterns
• Ambulatories , or walkways, were built around the
  apse to allow for large processions needed to
  view the relics
• Columns separate the nave from the side
  aisles-create strong feeling of rhythm
• Interior space could not get great height because
  of problems of weight and thrust
• windows were small so not to weaken walls

Stè Sernim Toulouse France
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Towers on side of entrance
Abbey Church Jumieges France
Durham Cathedral
Worms Cathedral
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• Roofs replace by masonry barrel vaults
• Groin vaults were often used to stabilize naves

Ribbed groin vaults of Durham Cathedral, England
began 1093
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• Rounded arches were used throughout including
  over windows and niches that contained sculpture

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• These heavy structures spanned large naves and
  created a lot of tremendous outward pressure,
  requiring massive exterior buttresses and thick
  walls for support.
• Buttresses a massive support built against a
  wall to receive the lateral thrust (pressure)
  exerted by the vault, roof or arch.

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Pisa and its Leaning Tower

• Another important feature of Romanesque
  architecture was the use of a separate bell
  tower, or campanile, that was built beside the
  main church.
• Made up of a cathedral, the baptistery, and the
  campanile ( or bell tower-leaning tower)
• White marble with horizontal band of green marble
• Tower will eventually fall over as it tilts more
  each year
• Cathedral- latin cross plan- apse at each end of
  the transept and a pointed dome over the center
  crossing
• Façade tiers of superimposed arches

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CASTLES

• Found in Germany, France, England, Italy and
  Spain
• Marksburg Castle (Germany) typical for 12th
  century
• Stands on a cliff 495 ft above the Rhine river
• Main tower reaches 130 ft more into the air
• Resembles churches

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ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE

• Associated with church
• Large in scale, attached to architecture
• mostly on capitals of columns, portals of doors,
  or niches
• Expressive and placed to evoke an emotional
  response from the viewer

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tympanum-arched area above the doorway lintel and
the arch- used for bas relief sculpture

• Mission of the Apostles, Sainte-Madeline in
  Vezelay-
• Christ sending his disciples to teach out into
  the world
• Appropriate for many Crusades left from here
• Rays of holy spirit pouring down on the apostles
  (they all have their copies of the Gospels
• Lintel had grotesque figures the heathen
  (infidels) dog-headed, pig like, dwarf, also the
  blind and lame all awaiting conversion for
  salvation
• Also contains zodiac signs

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• The Bayeux Tapestry is preserved and displayed in
  Bayeux, in Normandy, France. Nothing is known for
  certain about the tapestrys origins.
• Some historians argue that it was embroidered in
  Kent, England.
• It is a very long and narrow hanging on which are
  embroidered figures and inscriptions comprising a
  representation of the conquest of England".
• The Bayeux Tapestry was probably commissioned in
  the 1070s
• It is over 70 metres long and although it is
  called a tapestry it is in fact an embroidery,
  stitched not woven in woollen yarns on linen..

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1000-1100 Chart Western Europe Near East India Far East
Events Norman expansion First Crusade Rapid increase of population Lands recovered by the Byzantines 1025 Then defeated 1071 by Seljuks Capture of Jerusalem by knights of the first crusade NW India invaded by Mahmud of Ghnzni- zealous Muslim Punjab annexed to to his central empire Great prosperity under Norther Sung Dynasty Large increase in population Rice introduced
Technology Greek medicine Astrolabe Water power- mills More refined astronomical instruments Improved navigational tables Gunpowder first used in warfare Printing with movable type First compass Astronomical instruments perfected Water driven clock Confucian decline of Buddhism among governing classes
Religion Spiritual power of Pope extended Pilgrimage routes established Split between Roman and Byzantine churches Revitalization of Islam brought about by the emergence of the Seljuks Decline of the tolerant Fatimid dynasty of Egypt South- Hindu cult of Shiva NW- Islam established Gunpowder first used in warfare Printing with movable type First compass Astronomical instruments perfected Water driven clock Confucian decline of Buddhism among governing classes
Architecture Romanesque churches Westminster Abbey Pisa Cathedral Tower of Victory, Afghanistan Mosque of al- Juyushi, Egypt Temple of Shiva Mount Abu temples Colour of the iron Pagoda, China Tèien-ning temple Peking
Art Bayeux Tapestry Bronze Doors St Michales Constantinople famed for silks and ivories Seljuk brickwork Erotic sculptures of Khajuraho Jain sculptural decorations Period of unsurpassed excellence in Chinese ceramics and painting Realism in Sung painting