MIDDLE AGES: Medieval (500-1500 A.D.) and Romanesque Art (1000-1200 A.D.)

The Periods of the Middle Ages The Middle Ages can be broken down into the following eras Early Medieval (500-1500 A.D.) Romanesque (1000-1200 A.D.) Gothic (1150-1500 A.D.)

The Dark Ages After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Europe entered into a period known as the Dark Ages. Much of the advancements fostered by Roman ingenuity disappeared. The disintegration of the Roman Empire also brought about the loss of thousands of books gathered from the great ancient civilizations like that of Greece. Libraries that contained the wisdom of the ages were abandoned, destroyed or simply left to ruin. A time characterized by a lack of culture and advancement in Europe.

Illuminated Manuscript Many of the works that filled these libraries disappeared , and only a few books were preserved by being hand copied by educated monks & priests. If not for these medieval scribes, the light of ancient knowledge would have been extinguished forever. This was known as the ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT and became a major art form of the early medieval era

Illuminated Manuscript The Illuminated Manuscript is a handwritten book with pictures and decoration painted or drawn in gold & silver leaf & bright colors. This “lit” up the page. As paper was not invented until the 12th century, vellum (parchment made from thinly scraped calf, goat or sheep skin) was used for the pages of manuscripts. A calligrapher or scribe would copy the text on the parchment with a reed or quill pen. As most of the European population was illiterate, it fell to the religious orders to preserve written knowledge.

Illuminated Manuscript

Spread of Christianity Missionaries and monks from the north and from Rome eventually Christianized all of Western Europe. The church was the most powerful influence since the collapse of the Roman Empire. Almost everyone was born into faith and all were expected to place loyalty to the Church above everything else.

The Role of Charlemagne Charles the Great (Charlemagne) was crowned emperor in the year 800 A.D. He created a cultural revival in the tradition of ancient Rome. Charlemagne was also responsible for: the reinstatement of the political organization of ancient Rome the establishment of a unified code of laws the creation of libraries educational reform He emphasized the learning of languages as well as arts and culture in the monasteries and schools and was responsible for the preservation of ancient manuscripts. It is because of him that we have access to old texts.

Monasteries A monastery was a religious and administrative centre as well as school. It produced agriculture and therefore performed an economic function. MONASTICISM refers to the way of life in which individuals gather together to spend their days in prayer and self-denial.

Monasteries ARCHITECTURE The exterior of the monastery has the look of a fortress with thick stone walls and small windows. The interior of the building is dark and damp, walls are marked with smoke stains from torches that were used for light. The interior housed a CLOISTER (an open court or garden and the covered walkway surrounding it). Most prayer and contemplation practices were done in this area of the building.

The Romanesque Period The Romanesque art was a fusion of Roman and Byzantine styles. Romanesque art tended to dominate in France; but the style was used all over Europe during the 10th through 12th centuries. During this time in Europe, religion was a focal point in people’s lives. The Catholic Church had unified Western Europe in a manner unparalleled since Roman times. Church buildings, art, and sculpture, were all used for the purpose to spread the Christian Gospel. The Romanesque period was a time of expansion, population growth, the development of commerce & the spread of knowledge.

The Church Triumphant As the first millennium (1000 AD) drew to a close, the Catholic Church eventually became the dominant influence and promoter of art and culture throughout all of Europe. The Catholic Church was the only church in Europe during the Middle Ages, and it had its own laws and large income. Church leaders such as bishops and archbishops sat on the king's council and played leading roles in government.

Changes in Church Design To allow for the large crowds of people, Romanesque churches were constructed in the shape of a Latin cross by adding transepts at the altar end of the nave. This shape was both practical & symbolic of the crucifixion of Christ. The area where the Nave & Transepts intersected is called the CROSSING. Often a bell tower was constructed over the crossing. An AMBULATORY is an area that circled behind the altar area to allow pilgrims to visit small radiating chapels and see the relics without disturbing the ceremonies going on at the main altar. The holy relics of the church would be held & displayed in the area of the main altar.   AMBULATORY Radiating chapels main altar APSE transept Crossing transept NAVE

Holy Relics Physical remains or belongings of a saint or known religious figure preserved for the purpose veneration and memorial. Holy nails Shroud of Turin Veil of Veronica Holy Grail Buddha’s tooth St Catherine’s head

Romanesque Architecture The architects of this era emulated ancient Roman structural devices, utilizing rounded arches, barrel vaults & groin vaults in their fortress-like, solid stone construction. St. Sernin, Toulouse, France: barrel vault of nave ceiling. ca. 1080-1120 The walls of Romanesque buildings were often of massive thickness (up to 12 feet) with few and comparatively small openings.

St. Sernin, Toulouse, France c. 1080 – 1120 exteriors were rather plain except for sculptural reliefs around the entrances that featured religious images that were instructive to the mostly illiterate parishioners. windows & doorways were rounded Roman arches

Saint-Sernin Basilica Toulouse, France AD 1080 - 1120. : Saint-Sernin Basilica Toulouse, France AD 1080 - 1120. St. Sernin is the largest remaining Romanesque church in the world. It takes its name from Saint Saturnin, a Christian martyr, who was tied to a bull and dragged to his death in 250 AD.

The interiors of Romanesque churches were shadowy caverns enclosed by thick walls, pierced by small windows that emitted little light. The problem was that the architects of the time did not quite know how they could place larger windows in the walls without the walls collapsing. The long naves were flanked by thick piers that were needed to support the heavy vaulted stone ceilings. PIERS

The nave of the abbey church of Saint-Georges, Boscherville constructed with a groin vaulted ceiling. Abbey Church of Vezeley, France (1104 -1120’s) Built with a barrel vaulted ceiling

Groin Vaulted Ceilings Clustered Piers Ambulatory

Aerial view of Saint-Sernin, Toulouse, France ca 1070-1120

The Pisa cathedral is the basic cross shape with a bell tower. Pisa Cathedral "Leaning Tower” ca. 1174-1271 AD The Pisa Complex is a prime example of Italian Romanesque architecture that employs decorative arcades. (rows of closely placed arches)

Romanesque Sculpture Romanesque sculpture was most often made in stone and was tied to architecture. Friezes filled places on portals, tympanums and niches that were made specifically for it. Topics for Romanesque stone sculpture were biblical.

Romanesque Sculpture The church portals often acted as “billboards” for scripture or elements of faith Scenes of Christ Enthroned or the Last Judgment complete with demons gobbling or torturing the souls of sinners were typical “lessons in stone” depicted on the tympanums.

The Blessed & The Damned

Romanesque sculptors were not concerned with naturalistic figure representation. Figures were stylized and symbolic.

The design of the tympanum area was symmetrical with the large central figure of Christ (usually) surrounded by a crowd of angels, saints or symbols, particularly the four gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John).

ROMANESQUE ART Wiligelmo, Creation and Temptation of Adam and Eve, Modena Cathedral, Italy, 1110. ROMANESQUE

Symbolic sculptures were also placed along the door jambs of church entrances to further instill faith.

Here again, proper proportions & natural positions are disregarded in favor of religious meanings. The garments were carved more like linear patterns than actual draping cloth. This stylization was similar to manuscript illustrations. The Prophet Jeremiah’s gauntness is symbolic of holiness. During the Middle Ages fasting was practiced as a means of penance & a sign of devotion.

Romanesque Style Painting The Romanesque style was marked by the following: Art contained a great deal of religious symbolism and almost exclusively found in churches Fresco technique Artists were not at all concerned with perspective or even of depicting events or people in a realistic way. Hierarchy of figures, important ones were large

Figures appeared 2-D because of the lack of shading. Thick black outlines Figures appeared 2-D because of the lack of shading. Important figures seen inside almond shape. Elongated features Deformed-looking Lines were combined to create patterns of all sorts. Lines also suggested folds in cloth.

Backgrounds were often gilded (gold leaf applied) or had architectural elements (ex. doorways, columns) but no landscapes.