Romanesque Art and
Architecture
c. 1000 - c. 1250
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| Romanesque Art and Architecture, a predominantly architectural
style that flourished in western Europe from about AD 1000 until the rise of the
Gothic style, in most regions by the latter half of the 12th century, in certain
regions somewhat later. "Romanesque" is known in Great Britain as
"Normannic", deriving from the Norman attack on England in 1066,
known as the Battle of Hastings.
A splendid example of this architecture is the Cathedral of Tournai,
Belgium. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Tournai was built in the first
half of the 12th century. It is especially distinguished by a Romanesque
nave of extraordinary dimensions, a wealth of sculpture on its capitals
and a transept topped by five towers, all precursors of the Gothic style.
The choir, rebuilt in the 13th century, is in pure Gothic style. The
cathedral was declared World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2000. Tournai,
also Tournay (in Dutch Doornik), is located in southwestern Belgium, in
the province of Hainault, on the Schelde River, also called the Escaut
River.
- Belgium 1971. Cathedral of Tournai.
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The cathedral is one of the finest examples of Romanesque
architecture in Northern Europe. The site of the Roman Civitas Nerviorum or
Turnacum, Tournai is one of the oldest settlements of Belgium. In the 5th
century the Merovingian kings made the town their royal residence. Tournai
was at various times in the possession of the Netherlands, Spain, and France,
the last relinquishing its control in 1748. In World War II (1939-1945), during
the 1940 German invasion of Belgium, Tournai was partly destroyed.
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Tournai bears witness to a
considerable exchange of influence between the architecture of the Ile de
France, the Rhineland, and Normandy during the short period at the beginning of
the 12th century that preceded the flowering of Gothic architecture. In its
imposing dimensions, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Tournai is an outstanding
example of the great edifices of the school of the north of the Seine,
precursors of the vastness of the Gothic cathedrals.
The term "Romanesque" is also applied to
sculpture, painting, and the decorative arts of that period.
Pre-Romanesque art is so closely related to Byzantine art, that it is sometimes
difficult to draw a borderline between the two art styles; in fact the terms
Pre-Romanesque Art and Post-Byzantine Art are often used
interchangeably.
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The most well-known paintings from the period were of religious
nature, the frescoes. In southern Europe they were made in the "al
fresco"-technique, i.e. painted directly on the still wet limestone, and in
northern Europe in the "al secco"-technique, i.e. painted on the dried
limestone.
Art works on stamps depicting Romanian al fresco paintings are
available in the section about Post-Byzantine art, and below are images of
Danish stamps depicting the al secco-frescoes in Danish churches. |
Fresco painting flourished extensively in the Carolingian
period. Among the oldest of the few examples of German pre-Romanesque wall
painting that survive are those in the abbey church of St George, in Oberzel, on
Reichenau; in St Sylvester's Chapel in Goldbach, on the German shore of Lake
Constance; and in St Andrew's, near the ancient town of Fulda, north-east of
Frankfurt. The style of major Romanesque wall paintings that have not survived
can, however, be inferred from contemporary illuminated manuscripts. These
manuscripts follow Early Christian and Byzantine models to a great extent, but
also contain highly developed ornamentation, including interlaced motifs of
Irish origin and Germanic animal motifs. Existing examples of Romanesque wall
painting include abstract patterns on architectural members such as columns,
illustrations of scenes from the Bible, and the lives of the saints painted on
broad wall surfaces. In these compositions, which were predominantly influenced
by Byzantine paintings and mosaics, the figures are stylized and flat, as they
were conceived of as symbols rather than as realistic representations.
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Denmark 1960. The back side of a bank note of 5 kroner, with
an impressive panoramic view of Kalundborg Cathedral seen from the seaside.
The city of Kalundborg is located in the western part of the island of
Seeland, opposite to the island of Funen. The front side of the note shows
the Danish neo-classicist sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. The bank note is no
longer legal tender. Pick # 42c.
Mosaic, even more than painting, was predominantly a Byzantine
medium and was used extensively in architectural decoration in Italian
Romanesque churches, especially in the basilica of St Mark's, Venice, and in
churches in Cefalù and Monreale, in Sicily.
Decorative Arts
The most highly prized textiles in
Romanesque Europe were not produced by local craftsmen, but were imported from
the Byzantine Empire, Spain, and the Middle East.
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The best-known example of Romanesque textile work is the
11th-century Bayeux Tapestry, actually an embroidery.
Other surviving Romanesque
textiles include vestments and hangings.
- Great Britain 1966.
Part of the set commemorating the millennium of the Battle of Hastings
1066.
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Sources and links:
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