Romanesque art

Historiography

Novel and Gothic

For a long time, the historians of art opposed a Romanesque art, product of a company submitted to frightening God and a Gothic art loan of an optimism triumphing over a company glorifiant the Creator. One identified simply the Romance style with the form of his arc S, with his modest rise and his Barrel vault; however of many buildings of the Romance time very early adopt the Intersecting ribs . The attentive observation of the buildings contradicts the thesis of the rupture. In XIIe century, during the experimental phase of the Gothic, the Romance elements remain in the new cathedrals; in the south of Europe, there exists indeed a continuity of the novel which continues to be used at the 13th century: the Cathédrale of Albi offers a very massive silhouette and few stained glasses whereas the cathedrals of north know the Gothic dash; Colette Deremble rather evokes a “change of the novel in Gothic”. The Romanesque art arrives only at the 13th century in England and will persist until 15th in the east of Europe. In addition, the first Gothic buildings appeared about the years 1130-1150 in Ile-de-France. This is why this style is called by its Latin contemporaries francigenum opus or art of French origin , French art . The “Gothic” word was used at the romantic period to name this architecture a posteriori, in a pejorative meaning. The Gothic art was the art of Goths, in other words “barbarians” who would have forgotten the Roman techniques and guns. A certain number of historians of art refute this judgment today and show that the Gothic architecture is not in rupture with the Romanesque architecture.

Two Romance ages

Nikolaus Pevsner distinguishes the first Romanesque art, of the year millet to the First Crusade towards 1100, and the traditional novel, of 1100 to the triumph of the Gothic towards 1200. Gabrielle Demians D' Archimbaud identifies a first age and a second Romance age, on both sides of the middle of the 11th century.

the first Romance age: it develops in Italy, in the area of Like, and in Spain, Catalogne (Lérida, Gérone and Barcelona) and Aragon (especially in the province of Huesca), at the 10th century.
the second Romance age

Historical context

About the year Millet, the conditions of a revival of art are met in Western Europe.

Rise of the Occident

The end of the 10th century is marked by a series of changes which affect the whole of the company and the Western economy: the stop of the Scandinavian incursions and sarrasines, the movement of the Paix of God make it possible to limit the violence of the Seigneur S and to make set out again the commercial exchanges. Large the Clearing S and the progressive diffusion of novel methods improve the rural life slowly and allow a Population growth. This increase in the population requires a multiplication or an enlarging of the places of worship. The reopening of old trade route involves the development of the exchanges and of the Pèlerinage S. All the Europe is invaded by an authentic constructive fever, stimulated by technological advances (Collier of shoulder…) ; the well-read men managed to formulate an art able to represent all Christendom: Romanesque art. The kings and the emperor held an important place in the diffusion of this Article.

Reform Church

With Xe century, many churches and monasteries fell into the hands from the laic lords. Even papacy passed under the control of the Germanic emperor. A great number of clerks sell the sacraments or live in cohabitation. In the definition of this first European art, the reform monacale carried out by the Ordre clunisien makes following an in-depth revision of the communities bénédictines. The monastery of Cluny, founded in 909 in Burgundy by Guillaume Ier of Aquitaine, diffuses the reform by creating a network of Prieuré S through Christian Europe. The order clunisien obeys the Règle bénédictine and adopts a splendid Liturgie in an imposing place of worship. The new obligations, like the common prayer of the monks or penitence, impose changes in the architecture of the monastic buildings. It supports the expansion of the Romanesque art. New religious orders are born at the time Romance: orders Cistercien, eremitic (Carthusian monk) and soldiers (Templiers…).

The spiritual and cultural framework

the end of Xe century is marked by violences, famines and epidemics which maintain a spirit eschatologic among others. The latter fear divine anger and the end of time. Only the Germanie constitutes a hearth of literary and artistic creation active. The idea of empire, which was extinct at the beginning of Xe century, is ressuscitée by the imperial crowning of Othon I {{er}} the February 2nd 962. In 982, Othon II, his/her son takes the title of Imperator Romanorum (“emperor of the Romans”).
the worship of the Relique S makes great strides as from the Year Millet: the pilgrims are increasingly numerous on the roads and stop in the churches having famous relics. Larger churches are built on the ways of the Pèlerinage of Saint-Jacques-to-Compostelle.

Arts before the Year Millet

See the detailed article Art préroman

The Romanesque art takes its sources in late Antiquity and takes as a starting point the Carolingian works and ottoniennes.

Carolingian Art: In the current of the 8th century, a series of historical events allow a first renewal and an expansion of the European culture: rise with the throne of France of the Carolingian , consolidation and diffusion of the Christianity, the beginning of the Reconquest in the Iberian peninsula and, like base, the birth of the Romance Languages.
Art ottonien
Anglo-Saxon Art

General information on the Romanesque architecture

First Romance age

The first Romanesque art is a southernmost and international art. It began in Lombardy and extended to the areas close thanks to the project superintendents to Like. The latter work on various successive building sites and, with their material of mason, impose the structure of church in the shape of reversed ship (the Nef) and them “bands lombardes”; it insufflate strong foundations for a rich development of the Romanesque architecture:

adjusted but nonpolished stone,
decorated bedside of full-clotheshanger with small arcs and the stringcourses geometrically laid out,
covered and finished temples arches some in bottom of furnace,
vaster and important naves, at least in comparison with old buildings pre-novels,
use of the pillars as lift,
little carved figuration,
first Déambulatoire S (Saint-Etienne de Vérone, Cathédrale of Ivrée),
importance of the Crypte,
first vaults,
external pilasters (lesenes),
planks of Arcature S blind men.

Second Romance age

The apogee of the style from its quality and its beauty is revealed between 1050 and 1150. Coming from France, it is transmitted mainly around the ways of Pèlerinage of Saint-Jacques-to-Compostelle. The second Romanesque art exports in Holy Land thanks to the Croisade S:

fuller naves to accommodate the pilgrimages: in Burgundy, the abbey churches of Pontigny, Saint-Benign of Dijon and Cluny III exceed the 100 meters
the circulation of the pilgrims and the access to the relics or the crypt is facilitated by new installations: broad déambulatoires and sides, platforms (Normandy), radiating chapels
development of the monumental sculpture and sculpture in the round following the development of the Culte of the saints
the sculpture invades the frontages (cathedral of Angouleme), modillons them, the turn of the windows and the tympanum S.
the buildings gain in height: the tower of the Basilica Saint-Sernin with Toulouse measurement 64 meters; the towers of the frontage of the abbey Saint-Etienne of Caen spring with 80 meters. The walls are reinforced outside by Contrefort S solid masses.

research on voûtement progresses: the vaults with frame are replaced by the stone in the large buildings, the South and in Burgundy for example. The Abside S are often in Cul of furnace, the collateral in groined vaults. In South-west of France and in Auvergne, one still uses the Coupole. The first vaults in Intersecting ribs appear in the Anglo-Norman field at the beginning of XIIe century.
Decoration antiquisant on the columns and the capitals (Cathedral of Autun, Cluny III, the Saint-Benoit-on-Loire…)

During the 13th century, as the architectural solutions are reinforced and improve, the late Romanesque art develops, jointly with a spontaneous beginning of the Gothic art.

The ideal of examination in the monastic architecture

cistercians: to see the detailed article Art cistercian

The order of Cîteaux was founded by Robert de Molesme and some monks in 1098, in Burgundy. They wish an integral return to the rule bénédictine. They consider that the order clunisien is strongly isolated. They propose to the monks to respect radical principles: insulation of the world, manual work, silence and poverty. With saint Bernard, these rules find an echo in monastic art:

Bell-tower with modest dimensions (humility)
Decoration stripped and purified not to make insult with the poor; no figurative element thus not of statue, not of painting, no color (naked stone); one should not divert the monk of its prayer or its meditation

vegetable and geometrical Motifs in the manuscripts,
Lignes and volumes sober,
Barrel vault broken
colorless Vitraux with the abstract reasons or flower of lily (Marie),
simple Mobilier: some candles, not of gold: censers out of copper or iron, chasubles without embroideries, crucifix
Insulation in withdrawn places: the monastery is not made for the laic ones; it fits within a natural framework which it respects (harmony with nature, loneliness, favourable with the interior prayer and silence),

the chalaisens
Grandmontains

See also: Rebirth of the XII {{E}} century

Other fields of the Romanesque art

Initiation with Romance painting

Frescos inexpensive and easy to realize; but it is necessary to work quickly because on fresh coating. Iconographic sources resulting from the manuscripts
Bright colors; nave: scenes of the Old Testament; mystical images in the chorus
Examples:

Berzé-the-City
Church Sant Joan de Boí, Church Santa Maria de Taüll, Church Sant Climent de Taüll (Catalonia): paintings of the bedside towards 1123
Abbey of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe (Vienna), about 1100, nave in cradle of semicircular arch; clear pallet, stretched characters

. The sculpture becomes “monumental”. It has a teaching virtue, that to teach the life of the apostles and saints, to illustrate passages of the Old Testament. It takes as a starting point the low-reliefs and the Roman capitals but especially by the images placed in the enluminés manuscripts and on the objects of goldsmithery.

sculpture on capital: it is diffused as from the Year Millet, even if its beginnings were timid: in the Italian churches of first half of XIe century is included the Corinthian model, more or less stylized (capital with palmettes). Other places (Burgundy, Catalonia) try out the capitals with interlacing and sheets of acanthus. But soon, the anthropomorphic animals and figures appear, even if they remain rare before 1050 (Abbaye of the Saint-Benoit-on-Loire). The Basilique Saint-Sernin of Toulouse (second half of XIe century) preserves 260 Romance capitals.

The principal known sculptors of the Romance time are:

in France: Main of Cabestany, Bernard Gilduin, Gislebert
in Italy: Willigelmo, Niccolo and Antelami

Famous Romance sculptures:

the Lintel of the abbey of Saint-Génis-of-Fountains, oldest dated Romance sculpture.

The apogee of the Goldsmithery

In relation to the development of the worship of the Relic S, the goldsmiths produce Reliquaire S and Châsse S of great quality. At the time Romance, the revival of the Sacrament S and the worship of the relics cause a rise of religious goldsmithery.

Works in sumptuary matter,
topics hagiographic,
workshops mosans and of Limoges dominating,
Châsses which reproduce the churches in miniature.

Regional schools

Germanic space

In France, the Cathédrale of Verdun shows all the characteristics of a novel-Rhenish plan, namely:
a single nave framed by two choruses, themselves flanked of two turns. So the gates are exclusively side.

See also Art salien.

Burgundy

to see the detailed article Romanesque art in Burgundy

The Romanesque art developed in Burgundy in relation to the rise of the monastic centers. The role of Cluny initially explains the big number of Romance buildings in this area. The cathedrals and the abbey churches have important dimensions. The monastic buildings have complex plans, especially in Cluny where the unit is increased several times by successive additions. Abbey Cluny II (960-981) was used as model with many Burgundian Romance buildings. Mural decoration, voûtement and the massivity of the buildings testify to southernmost influences.

principal Romance sites: Cathedral Saint-Lazare of Autun, Saint-Philibert Abbey of Tournus, Abbey of Cluny, Basilica of Paray-le-Monial, Abbey Holy-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay, Basilica Saint-Andoche de Saulieu, Abbey of Cîteaux, Abbey of Fontenay, Abbey of Saint-Benign, Romainmôtier, abbey of Charlieu

Normandy

to see the detailed article Romanesque art in Normandy; History of Normandy for the context.
Principal Romance sites: Abbey Saint-Georges de Boscherville, Abbey with the Men (Caen), Abbey with the Ladies (Caen), Abbey of Jumièges, nave of the abbey church of the Mount-Saint-Michel, Abbey of Bernay (the Eure, one of oldest), church of Thaon (Apple-brandy).

The development of the Romanesque art in Normandy profits from a favorable context: the duke firmly holds his principality and Normandy does not know the feudal anarchy which reigns in other provinces. The economic growth and demographic creates the conditions of a fertile and original architectural rise. The dukes themselves support the construction of new religious buildings. Thus, Richard 1st makes rebuild the abbey church with Fécamp. But it is Richard {{Rom|II|2}} which made come Guillaume de Volpiano to revive the life of the abbey, according to the rule bénédictine. Robert Splendid the founded Cerisy in 1032. William the Conqueror makes raise the abbey with the Men in Caen (1063 - 1077). In XIe century, the Norman ones settle in Sicily and export their art which ends up mingling with other influences, Arabic and Byzantines.

the Norman novel is characterized by several characteristics:

In the important churches, a rise in the nave on three levels,
Of the symmetrical frontages (harmonic frontages) (Abbey Saint-Etienne, Abbey with the Ladies, Abbey of Saint-Georges de Boscherville),
Of the surmounted towers of arrows (Abbey Saint-Etienne, Jumièges, Saint-Georges de Boscherville),
Of the turn-lanterns is drawn up above transept crossing (Jumièges, Abbatiale Saint-Etienne),
Of collateral in groined vaults,
a gallery of circulation at the base of the high windows,
the early character (towards 1100de the appearance of intersecting ribs, which announces the Gothic style,
No tympanum historié on the large buildings
the Romance sculpture Norman is expressed on the capitals and let us modillons them. Starting from the beginning of XIIe century, carved decoration is only geometrical and abstract.
the Norman monasteries produced many manuscripts enluminés during the Romance period: the principal centers are the Mount-Saint-Michel, Fécamp, Jumièges and the Nozzle. The manuscripts take again the Carolingian tradition decorated of Anglo-Saxon influences, especially after the conquest of 1066.
the Tapestry of Bayeux was carried out in England by Anglo-Saxons

Like the other areas, Norman art grows rich by various influences (art ottonien, Burgundian,…). The Italian Guillaume de Volpiano directs the building site of the abbey of Fécamp at the beginning of XIe century.

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