Romanesque sculpture as a phenomenon is of interest to many art historians around the world. And it is not surprising: after all, this type of art in the Romanic era experienced like a rebirth, while at the same time symbolizing the mood of an entire historical period. And in this case, not only society influenced art, but also art - society.
Romanesque art
Romanesque art is called the period of European art from the year 1000 until the appearance of Gothic art around the 12th century. Romanesque architecture has preserved many signs of Roman architectural stylistics: cylindrical arches, round-headed arches, pasids, decor in the form of leaf-accents. The Romanesque style became the first art movement in history to spread throughout Europe. In the future, Byzantine art also influenced a lot of Romanesque art: it is especially easy to follow in painting. Romanesque sculpture, however, retained its unique features.
Specific traits
Romanesque architecture was characterized by a very energetic and vibrant style, and this also affected the sculpture: for example, the capital of the columns was often decorated with stunning scenes with many figures. At the beginning of the novel in Germany, innovations such as large wooden crosses, as well as statues of the Madonna on the throne, also arose. In addition, the high relief became the sculptural dominant of that period, which already characterizes this style a lot.
Colors in both painting and architecture were not too pronounced, only multicolor stained-glass windows remained bright - it was during this period that they were used most widely, but, alas, almost did not survive to this day. Tympans, which were used in the main portals of churches and temples, contained complex compositions based on drawings by the great artists of those times: most often they used the themes of the Last Judgment or the Savior in greatness, but their interpretation was more free.
Compositions in the portals were shallow: in the space of the portal, it was necessary to place headings, as well as capitals of columns and church tympans. Such rigid frames, from which the composition often falls out, have become a characteristic feature of Romanesque art: the figures often changed in size in accordance with their importance, and the landscapes resembled rather abstract decorations. Portraits in those days did not exist at all.
Background
In Europe, there was a gradual growth on the path to prosperity, and this could not but affect art: creativity was no longer as limited as during the Ottonian and Carolingian revivals. Religion still played a big role in the development of art, but now the framework has become less rigid. The artist is becoming a much more important figure, as are the jewelers and masons.
Although this era of the highest point in the development of feudolism was rather vague and disturbing, at the same time it became constructive. This period was a time of searching for an individual synthesis of traditions and borrowings, which, without merging together, nevertheless significantly influenced the worldview of the people in the early Middle Ages. Synthesis found itself in art, expressing it in full measure.
By the beginning of the 11th century, the first Romanesque buildings began to appear. These ancient architectural monuments had a large masonry of uncouth stones. The facades were often decorated with flat reliefs and blank arcades.
Almost all European cultural groups participated in establishing a new style. The development of Romanesque art was complex and unusual and had many directions. The southern and western parts of Europe were strongly influenced by the ancient culture, being ahead of the regions of central Europe in this matter. This group includes Burgundy, Catalonia, as well as areas at the hands of the Loire - this is where the new art originates from. France is becoming a major center of a new culture, and this fact played one of the most important roles in the history of the formation of the Romanesque style: fresh ideas arose here that could give impetus to the development of artistic and technical innovations.
The ideal of beauty that inspired the Romanesque creators reflected deep aspirations. Although the Romanesque style is often called commonplace or brutal in comparison with the intricate Arabian architecture or exquisite Byzantine art, still the novel has its own charms, despite some simplification and lapidarity. In the face of the East and Byzantium, Europe declared its personal identity.
Poverty and difficult life affected the appearance of Romanesque art, but did not make it worse. After processing and using the experience of neighboring cultures, Europe was able to competently reflect in its work its own unique attitude.
Sources and Style
Over the 11-12 centuries, the church most strongly influenced the life of society. She also became the main customer of works of art, using the emotional influence of art on the minds of ordinary people and thereby contributing to the progress of the development of Romanesque art. The Church proclaimed the idea of the sinfulness of the human world, which was full of evil and temptations, elevating the spiritual world above it, under the influence of good and bright forces.
It was on this basis that an aesthetic and ethical ideal, opposed to ancient art, arose in the novel. Its main feature was the superiority of the spiritual over the physical. This was manifested in painting, Romanesque architecture and sculpture: images of the Last Judgment and the End of the World frightened ordinary people, making them tremble before the power of God. Despite the fact that this direction denied all previous achievements in the field of art, church Romanesque architecture stood on the foundations of the Carolingian period and developed under the significant influence of local conditions - Byzantine, Arabic or ancient arts.
Sculpture
By the beginning of the 12th century, the art of monumental sculpture, in particular, relief, became widespread. Behind the Byzantine images came religious compositions, personifying plots from the gospel. The sculpture was universally used as decorations for cathedrals and churches: reliefs of human figures and monumental and decorative compositions were found everywhere.
Basically, Romanesque sculpture was used to reproduce a holistic picture of the exterior of the cathedrals. The location of the reliefs did not matter much: they could be placed both on the western facades and on capitals, archivolts or near portals. Corner sculptures were much smaller than the sculptures in the center of the tympanum, in the friezes they were more squat, and on the powerful supporting columns they were more elongated.
Romanesque art of sculpture was quite distinctive and narrowly targeted. He was faced with the task of conveying a single image of the Universe and the look of the European people on it: art did not seek to tell about the plots of the real world, rather striving for something higher.
Features of the Romanesque sculpture were as follows:
- Inextricable connection with architecture: there is no sculpture outside the temple.
- More often this is not just a sculpture, but reliefs and capitals of columns.
- Mostly biblical stories.
- The clash of opposites: Heaven and Earth, Hell and Paradise, etc.
- Multi-figure, dynamics.
Metal, enamel and ivory products
The jewelry in the sculptural products of that period had a very solid status: such objects of art were valued even more than paintings. Even the names of jewelers were more widely known than the names of painters or architects. In addition, metal products are much better preserved than other objects of art and everyday life. So, secular details such as caskets, jewelry and mirrors have reached our times. Many valuable relics have been preserved since that time - basically all of them were made of brass or bronze.
Metal products are often decorated with enamel or elements of expensive ivory. Luxury items were skillfully created by craftsmen: often jewelry was detailed with complex carvings or a complicated casting method. The drawings include a large number of figures of famous prophets and other noble persons. The ancient masters were especially painstaking and inventive.
Sculpture in the decoration of buildings
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the art of stone carving and the direction of bronze sculpture practically became obsolete - in fact, they continued to exist only in Byzantium. However, some surviving life-size sculptures were created from plaster or stucco, but, alas, only rare specimens have survived to this day. Of the most famous surviving examples of sculptural work in post-Roman Europe, a wooden crucifix. It was created by order of Archbishop Gero around 960-965. This cross has become a kind of prototype of many other works of this kind.
Later, such sculptural compositions began to be placed under the arch of the altar on beams - in England they began to be called altar crucifixes. After the 12th century, such crosses began to appear in the company of the figures of St. John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary.
Romanesque sculpture and Gothic
Often, the novel is contrasted with the Gothic style. Romanesque sculpture has more restrained features, its contours are smooth and soft, in contrast to the more impudent and free Gothic: figures with support on one leg, smiling faces, flowing clothes. Romanesque and Gothic sculptures are very different from each other, although in their essence they naturally complement each other historically.
Art historians believe that romance is a logical continuation of early Christian architecture, while Gothic became the peak of pan-European medieval architecture, which was based precisely on Romanesque, Greek, Byzantine, Persian and Slavic architectural styles.
A frequent comparison of romance and Gothic indicates a complex relationship between these two areas, which is noticeable even with a superficial study of style principles. This is understandable, because the Gothic style began to build on precisely the Roman period, while developing and rejecting his ideas.
Romanesque sculpture in France
In this country, in the 11th century, signs of the revival of monumental sculpture first appeared. Although the technical equipment of the masters of that time was not rich, the first sculptural images began to appear on the lintels of portals and on the capitals of columns at the beginning of the century.
Although the reliefs of that time were devoid of stylistic unity, the influence of one or another source was clearly visible in each of the works: for example, the reliefs decorating the altar imitated the early Christian sarcophagus, and the images of the apostles resemble an antique tombstone.
The portal became the center of concentration of sculptural decoration in France: it was located on the border of two worlds - secular and spiritual - and was supposed to connect these two metaphysical spaces. Images of apocalyptic themes became characteristic for decorating such elements - the Last Judgment restored the unity of the world, uniting the past, present and future.
Features of Romanesque sculpture in France became especially noticeable by the end of the 11th century. One could clearly trace the influence of architectural schools in different parts of the country. For example, the Burgundian school, which became something of a united center of this art form, was distinguished by special softness of features, grace of movements, spirituality of faces and smooth dynamics in sculptures. The sculpture focused on man.
Plots
Roman artists, sculptors and architects did not seek to display the real world, rather turning to biblical subjects. The main task of the creators and masters of that time was the creation of a symbolic image of the world in all its incomprehensible greatness. Particular emphasis was placed on the hierarchical system, which contrasted hell and paradise, good and evil.
The purpose of the sculpture was not only decoration, but also education and enlightenment, which was aimed at instilling religious ideas. At the center of the teaching was God, who in this case acts as a severe judge, who should cause holy awe in the eyes of every person. Pictures of the Apocalypse and other biblical stories are also designed to inspire fear and obedience.
The sculpture conveyed solemn excitement and heavy feelings, detachment from all worldly things. The spirit suppresses bodily desires, being in a kind of struggle with itself.
Examples
A striking example of Romanesque sculpture was the relief depicting the Last Judgment in the Cathedral of Saint-Lazare in Autun. It was created in the years 1130-1140. The relief is divided into several tiers, showing a hierarchical system: angels with conscientious righteous above (in Paradise), devils with sinners awaiting the Court - below (in Hell). The scene of weighing good and bad deeds also looks especially vivid.
Another vivid Romanesque sculpture of the Middle Ages is the famous sculpture depicting the Apostle Peter, which is the decoration of the portal of St. Peter's Basilica in Moissac. An elongated expressive figure expresses excitement, emotional impulse.
Another typical example of Romanesque style is Pentecost on the La Madeleine tympanum in Vezle, France. This work clearly conveys the Gospel legend and serves as a decorative ornament.