Romanesque Flashcards
Overview of Romanesque.
3 sentences
- First major art style to appear after the fall of the Roman Empire in 400-500 AD
- Stone churches began to be built across Europe
- Influenced by Romans, Romanesque= Roman-like
How was Basilica changed to make Romanesque cathedral
Added transepts to make it cruciform
Changed flat wooden roof to heavy stone barrel vault
Added two towers at front
What are the wedge shaped stones making an arch called
Voussoirs
Three things Romanesque architects took from the Romans
Rounded arches
Barrel vault
Groin vault
What did barrel vaults need to support them
Strong and thick walls and columns
What is a groin vault
Intersection of two barrel vaults at right angles
Three reasons why the large stone churches began to be built
New Millenium
Monasticism
Pilgrimage and relics
Explain the ‘ New Millennium’
People thought world would end in 1000AD
Renewed hope and energy, ambitious plans
Built to last another 1000 years
Explain ‘ Monasticism’
Monasteries large and wealthy
Needed big churches for lavish ceremonies and lots of monks
French monastery of Cluny, 1088, one of biggest Romanesque cathedrals in Europe at time
Explain ‘ Pilgrimage and Relics’
Pilgrimages hugely popular Bones of St James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain People stopped on their way Made monasteries rich Need for bigger churches
Why were small windows used
To prevent weakening the walls
Why were barrel and groin vaults used
Better acoustics for monks
No fire hazard
Three parts of the interior elevation
Arcade
Triforium
Clerestory
What important relic is in Conques, France
Bones of St. Foy
Describe the plan of St Foy
Cruciform
Nave, side aisles, transepts, apse, radiating chapels
Describe west facade of st Foy
Twin towers
Rounded arches above doorway
Where does st Foy get its light
Small windows, but dome above crossing
Characteristics of Romanesque decoration
Highly expressive
Stylised proportions of figures
Dramatic and violent
Painted
What cathedral is the last judgement in, and who painted it
Autun
Gislebertus
What did Gislebertus change about art at the time
Signed his name on his sculpture and improved the status of artists
Where is the last judgement
The tympanum of the west portal, Autun Cathedral
Describe the top layer of the the tympanum
Virgin Mary enthroned on left
Two apostles on right
Describe middle layer of the tympanum
Christ’s right hand side: apostles in rows like a choir + angels helping the saved into heaven (a Romanesque cathedral)
Christ’s left hand side: Weighing of the souls scene
Describe the lowest layer of the tympanum
Aka the Architrave
Souls rise from their graves and are separated into saved and damned
Saved on left, pilgrims, shell logo
Damned on left, souls twist and contort, tortured, hell
