Romanesque Architecture, Sculpture, Painting

484 Pages·1997·304.45 MB·English

by  Rolf Toman

A
-
Painting
The Romanesque was the first period in
medieval art to include all of Europe. It
hegan around 1000 and did not end - with
the Staufen late Romanesque in Germany and
Italy - until about the middle of the thir-
teenth century. Some of the contributions in
this volume also consider pre-Romanesque
Carolingian and Ottonian art.
The borrowing of particular formal elements
from Roman architecture, including the
round arch which is considered the hallmark
of the Romanesque, led to the coining of the
term "Romanesque." However, the Roman-
esque was a period in the high Middle Ages
which was entirely moulded by the spirit of
Christianity, and it can even be said that
Romanesque art essentially is Christian
church art. The majority of the works of
architecture, sculpture and painting discussed
in this volume can be properly understood
only in the context of a Christian view of the
world and Christian ways of life. In addition,
monastic culture, as discussed in the intro-
duction, played its own important role.
When looking at the wealth of buildings,
which have with only a few exceptions been
specially photographed for this volume, it is
possible to recognize a great variety of forms
in Romanesque architecture. Together with
the main chapters and the sections on forms
and techniques, these photographs will show
how much more there is to the Romanesque
apart from round arches and heavy, powerful
walls. Some of the pictures will convey the
special atmosphere which characterizes a
medieval church or monastery, and enable the
reader to gain an understanding of the very
different quality of life enjoyed by the people
who lived there. What is particularly fascina-
ting in this context is the visual world of
Romanesque sculpture, which is closely
linked to architecture. It makes the fears and
hopes of people living in the Middle Ages
abundantly clear. In addition to focusing on
the technical aspects of the works, the authors
of these contributions have also aimed to take
aspects of cultural and intellectual history into
account.
FRONT COVER
Former monastery church of St. Egidius,
twelfth century.
Kleinkomburg - Schwiibisch Hall
Photo; Achim Bednorz
BACK COVER
Saint-Juste-de-Valcabrere (Haute Garonne)
Photo: Achim Bednorz
Romanesque
Architecture • Sculpture • Painting
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Romanesque
Architecture • Sculpture • Painting
Edited by Rolf Toman
Photos by Achim Bednorz
KONEMANN
© 1997 Konemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH
Bonner Strafie 126, D-50968 Koln
Editing and production: Rolf Toman, Esperaza
Birgit Beyer, Angelika Gundermann, Cologne
Photographies: Achim Bednorz, Cologne, Klaus Frahm, Bornsen
Picture research: Sally Bald, Cologne
Graphics: Ehrenfried Kluckert, Bierlingen
Cover design: Peter Feierabend, Cologne
Translation from the German: Fiona Flulse, Ian Macmillan
Copy-editing of the English edition; Con Coroneos for Hart Mcleod, Cambridge
Typesetting: Goodfellow & Egan, Cambridge
Production manager; Detlev Schaper
Reproductions: Tiff Digital Repro GmbH, Dortmund
Printed and bound by: Imprimerie Jean Lamour, Maxeville
Printed in France
ISBN 3-89508-447-6
10 98765432
Rolf Toman
Contents
Introduction
Ehrenfried Kluckert
Romanesque Building Styles
Wolfgang Kaiser
Romanesque architecture in Germany
Alick McLean
Romanesque architecture in Italy
The monastery as Heavenly Jerusalem
Bernhard and Ulrike Laule
Romanesque architecture in France
Bruno Klein
Romanesque architecture in Spain and Portugal
Heinfried Wischermann
Romanesque architecture in Great Britain
The Romanesque period in Scandinavia
The Romanesque period in Central Europe
Uwe Geese
Romanesque sculpture
Barbara Deimling
Medieval church portals and their
importance in the history of law
Ehrenfried Kluckert
Arts and crafts techniques
Romanesque painting
Maps
Glossary
Bibliography
Index of artists' names
Index of place names
Acknowledgements
Malay (Saone-et-Loire), former priory
church of Notre-Dame, eleventh century,
view from the south-west
Rolf Toman Other terms used for this three-part concept are teaching, defending
and nurturing; they refer to clergymen, knights and farmers respectively.
This trinity of order, which was considered to be God-given, superseded
Introduction
the division into two of Church and World, clergy and laity, that had
A Romanesque church in a cemetery surrounded by countryside - such characterized life until the ninth century. The new tripartite order was to
peaceful places give us a feeling of historical continuity. This, or something hold its own to the end of the Middle Ages, despite the fact that it did not
like it, one thinks, is what it looked like in the Middle Ages, when the take actual variations within each rank into account, nor allow for the
church was built. Occasionally one is able to find a vantage point where merchants and middle-class citizens that appeared on the social stage
there is nothing to remind one of the present. The attraction of these during the late Middle Ages as a result of the forced development of cities.
Romanesque country churches has something to do with their human Therefore, the trinity of order largely reflects the agrarian world of the
proportions; they do not compel admiration by means of their imposing high Middle Ages, or for the purposes of this volume the Romanesque
size, as city cathedrals do. And in addition, they are well away from the period from 1000 to 1250.
hurly-burly of everyday existence, and this sense of seclusion is reassuring. Monks played a special role within the rank of the oratores, the men
Many of these Romanesque churches used to be monastery churches, of prayer. The medieval historian Hans-Werner Goetz has the following
and some still are. The reason so many Romanesque monasteries are to say: "While originally quite deliberately separated from the official
surrounded by beautiful countryside is that monasteries in the eleventh Church, monasticism soon became an integral part of the Church, which
and twelfth centuries devoted themselves to their rural surroundings. This in any case played a quite different, influential role in the Middle Ages
coincided with the interests of the feudal lords under whose protection compared to its role today. To an extent, the monks formed a third rank
monasteries were often placed. Preferred sites for new monasteries were between the clerics and laymen; their way of life was also an example for
quiet valleys - still in plentiful supply at that time, as European countries communities of clerics and laymen to follow." In the early Middle Ages,
were only sparsely populated. Around 1200 (following a huge leap in monasteries were still largely communities composed of laymen. It was
the population after 1150), it is thought that 12 million people lived in not until the ninth century that being ordained as a priest was generally
France, 2.2 million in England, and 7 to 8 million people in the enormous considered to be the culmination and fulfilment of religious life. From that
(450,000 square miles) area that was the Holy Roman Empire. time, monasteries increasingly developed into communities of clerics, and
scarcely a monk was not ordained.
Monasticism in the high Middle Ages Monasticism and worldly rule were not completely separate worlds,
The importance of monastic life, both in terms of the culture and the least of all where the recruitment of the next generation of monks was
politics of the high Middle Ages, cannot be overestimated. The cultural concerned. It should be borne in mind that being accepted into a medieval
philosopher Hugo Fischer even subtitled one of his books the "Birth of monastery was dependent on two conditions being met: proof of a spiritual
Western civilization out of the spirit of Romanesque monasticism." The suitability for life as a monk (normally demonstrated during the novitiate),
importance of monasticism in the Middle Ages can be seen in the large and a gift. These gifts, made to gain admission, and originally described
number of monks and monasteries that existed: at the height of its as "alms" in the relevant Benedictine Rule, were later increasingly large
development, Cluny controlled well over 1,000 monasteries; it played an pieces of land. Monasticism almost took the ownership of land for
outstanding role amongst the reformed monasteries of the High Middle granted, and many monasteries gradually filled up with members of the
Ages. The Cistercian order extended throughout Europe, and the nobility. In turn, of course, this affected their position of power, and
momentous work of its most important figure, Bernard of Clairvaux, has strengthened their independence. Cluny springs to mind in this respect as
been decisive in provoking judgements of the twelfth century as the "Age well; it was founded by William of Aquitaine as his family monastery in
of the Cistercians." 910, and was answerable directly to the Papal See. In its foundation
How did the monasteries of this age achieve their cultural influence? To charter, William not only gave up his right to all the monastery's income
answer this question, it is useful to examine more closely the three levels of and investitures, but even laid down that no one, whether a bishop or
social rank that were so important to the way people saw themselves in the even the pope, should be allowed to seize the property belonging to
Middle Ages. This sense of social order was summed up neatly in the the monastery. Following the death of Berno, the abbot William had
1020s by Adalbero, the Bishop of Laon: "The House of the Lord is in three appointed, the monks were supposed to elect a successor from amongst
parts, which some wrongly believe to be one: here on Earth one part prays their own ranks. As early as 932, Abbot Odo received permission from
(orant), another fights [pugnant), and yet another works (laborant); these Rome to spread the Cluniac reforms by founding daughter-houses, and -
three belong together and will not tolerate being set at variance with each even more importantly - to reform existing monasteries and make them
other; to such a degree, that the functioning (officium) of one is necessary subordinate to Cluny. The daughter-houses were not governed by their
to the work [opera) of the other two, and each will bestow its aid on the own abbots, but by priors answerable to the abbot of Cluny. This created a
others." tightly knit community of monasteries, and Cluny became a sort of secular
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