Photos of the Medieval Romanesque Historic Art Antiquities

Photos of the Medieval Middle Ages Romanesque Art Antiquities

Photos of Medieval Romanesque Architecture & Romanesque MuseumArt Antiquities. From 500 AD to 1500 AD.

What is the Romanesque

There are no fixed dates for the Romanesque period that ran through the Early Middle Ages into the High Middle Ages. Romanesque refers to an architectural style that evolved from Roman building technique using round topped arches. The Romanesque Era ended in the 12th century when masons started using pointed arches which allowed them to dramatically change how buildings looked. This came to be known as the Gothic Style and displaced the Romanesque.

Many Romanesque buildings were replaced totally by Gothic style buildings. This is particularly true in Northern Europe where the Gothic Style was preferred. In England for example Normans built in Gothic style. Most of their great cathedrals were replaced with notable exceptions like Durham Cathedral and Malmebury Abbey.

Eastern Roman Byzantine Romanesque

Roman architecture was kept alive and developed in the Eastern Roman Empire, later named Byzantine by historians. When the Western Roman Empire went tinto decline in the 5th century , the Eastern Roman Empire suffered no such fate. In 330 Constantine had made Constantinople the capital of the Roman Empire. It remained so until the fall of the Roman Empire in 1453 when Constantinople was taken by the Ottoman Turks.

Even though the Eastern Roman Byzantines has severe ups and downs they were still able to build great buildings and make great art. In 537 Justin I opened the Hagia Sophia cathedral in Constantinople. The magnificent building had a huge dome that was not surpassed in size for 1000 years until the Duomo of Florence was built. the Hagia Sophia also remained the largest cathedral until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520.

How the Romanesque Developed

Early Roman Christians adopted the Roman Basilica style for their early churches. This had an aisle and two naives. The Byzantine Romans developed this layout adding a semi circular apse at the eastern end. The apse housed the altar and was separated from the congregation by a screen to keep the communion preparation ritual unobserved.

The inside of these churches was heavily decorated with frescoes and mosiac narrative panels depicting scenes for the life of Christ or allergies from the Bible. These helped and educated illiterate congregations to be taught Christian mythology and beliefs.

The low screen that stopped the congregation seeing the priest at the altar allowed them to see the high back wall and semi domed roof of the apse. These areas were decorated with depictions of Christ or the Virgin Mary in the dome below which on the walls in registers were painted the saints. Roman Byzantine art typically had flat colour of gold backgrounds with a flat style depiction of figures. The art was heavily regulated and used a characteristic stylised style. This was largely to avoid problems with the second commandment which says “Thou shalt not create false idols. The rules used by the Byzantines are still in use today by the Eastern Orthodox church as can be seen in Icon art.

The Representation of Christ and the Saints in Romanesque

The Eastern Christians banned all forms of three dimensional representations of Christ or the saints. There is no Eastern Christian tradition of narrative sculpture. For example Eastern Crosses to this day have flat paintings of Christ on the cross unlike the sculpted versions of the Roman Catholic Western Church.

The Expansion of the Papacy

In Western Europe so called Barbarian tribes like the Lombards and Vandals took control of the old Roman Empire dividing it amongst themselves. These tribes were very Romanised and saw themselves as protectors of the Roman Empire rather than its destroyers. They embraced Christianity and the Pope as head of the church.

The Papacy ruled Rome and slowly rebuilt it as a centre of power. With the spread of monasteries the church slowly started new building projects. These were undertaken in a Romanesque design and in Southern Europe many survive today. Artworks were largely undertaken by monks and their art glorified God. There was little to no secular art in this period. The exception may have been decorative tapestries for castles but few examples have survived.

As the Papacy grew in strength and confidence it came into increasing conflict with the Eastern Roman Church. This came to a head in 1054 when the Pope Leo IX excommunicated the Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, who in turn excommunicated the Pope. This schism lasted until 1965

Roman Catholic Romanesque Art

The Roman Catholic Church followed its own rules concerning art and depictions. The use of sculpture was whole heartedly embraced by the Papcy. Sculpted panels and statues became important form of Western Christian art. The use of sculpture gave an extra layer of realism that the church exploited. All Romanesque sculpture and statues would have been painted so they would have been very realistic to medieval eyes.

The Use of Romanesque Art As Propaganda

The Papcy use Sin and Guilt as a weapon of mass propaganda to subdue Western Christians. It was during this period that the idea of Purgatory was conceived. The idea that the sins of life would have to be paid for in Purgatory unless confessed to a forgiven by a priest is very powerful. In a world where death by sword or disease was a daily expectation, the fear of dying a sinner was of great concern.

It was also believed through this era that the second coming of Christ was imminent. The idea of being brought before Christ as a sinner for Final Judgement was also a powerful concern. These beliefs were instilled into medieval minds through art. One of the great subjects of church art at this time was the Last Judgement. Graphic frescoes and sculpted panels show Christ sending sinners to Hell where they are tormented by devils through acts of terrible tortures. The depictions were of a living Hell and the only way to avoid that was through submission to the Church of Rome.

Taking Control of Medieval Monarchs and Nobility

In a society where Monarchs and Nobility committed mortal sins regularly as they pillaged their neighbours and killed their surfs, they became an easy target for the Church. To atone for their sins the Nobility of Europe build great Monasteries and Cathedrals. One of the most pious were the ruthless medieval rulers were the Normans. They became great church builders and endowed important monasteries like the one at Mont St Michel.

The Threat of Excommunication and Interdict

The ultimate control used by the Papacy to control Monarchs and the Nobility was the threat of Excommunication or an Interdict. Excommunication barred an individual from communion, confession and the rites of the church. Individuals could not be forgiven for their sins which meant that if they died they would go to Hell. The rites of a Christian burial were also denied them.

The Pope could go further and pronounce an interdict on a whole country, as he did on England and King John. This meant that no Christian rites were available to anyone in England at the time. Babies could not be baptised, so if they died they would die in original sin and go to hell. No one could recive communion, confession, marriage rites or last rite or a Christian burial. Everyone living in England at the time would have lived absolute fear of dying in sin and its consequences.

Today these measures may sound lame, but to medieval Monarchs and their subjects they were serious punishments usually resulting in their overthrow. Repentant excommunicated Monarchs were humbled further by having to pay homage to the Pope. By the threat of these measures the church grew in power.

Conclusions

The Romanesque style of architecture evolved from a known technique that had served the Romans for a thousand years. There was little reason to question the wisdom of using these tried and tested architectural techniques.

Romanesque art evolved to decorated Romanesque Christian buildings. In the East it evolved slowly under strict rules. In the West it evolved from the Eastern tradition to create its own styles that started the search for realism in art. What remains today of Romanesque art is nearly only ecclesiastical in nature and was used to indoctrinate.