Romanesque style in architecture. Romanesque style in architecture: the architectural art of the Middle Ages Middle Ages Romanesque style

The architectural style that originated in medieval Europe is characterized by semicircular arches, which differ from Gothic lancet arches. Since examples of Romanesque architecture can be found throughout the European continent, this style is often regarded as the first pan-European architectural style since Roman times. In addition to semicircular arches, the direction is distinguished by massive forms, thick walls, strong supports, cross vaults and large towers. From the 6th to the 10th century, most churches and monasteries in Europe were built in this majestic style. We have selected for you 25 of the most breathtaking and impressive examples of Romanesque architecture that you simply must see!

Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Gurk, Austria. 12th century

This basilica is considered one of the most important Romanesque buildings in the country. It has two towers, three apses, a crypt and galleries.

Notre Dame Cathedral, Tournai, Belgium. 17th century

Since 1936, it has been considered the main attraction and heritage of Wallonia. It is impossible not to note the heavy and serious character of the building, the Romanesque nave and the cluster of five bell towers and semicircular arches.

Rotunda of St. Longina, Prague. 12th century

Founded as a parish church in a small village near Prague, it was almost destroyed in the early 19th century but rebuilt later.

Cathedral of Saint Trophime, Arles, France. 15th century

One of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in France.

Saint-Savin-sur-Hartampes, France. Mid 11th century

The church, which was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1983, has a square tower and five ray chapels with a polygonal apse.

Bamberg Cathedral, Bamberg, Germany. 13th century

The church, founded in 1012 by Emperor Henry II, is known for its four imposing towers. The cathedral was partially destroyed by fire in 1081, but rebuilt by 1111.

Cathedral in Clonfert, Ireland. 12th century

The doorway of this cathedral is considered the crowning achievement of the Romanesque style. It is decorated with animal heads, leaves and human heads.

San Liberatore on Maiella, Abruzzo, Italy. 11th century

The facade of this abbey is an example of the Lombard-Romanesque architectural style.

Cathedral of Modena, Modena, Italy. 12th century

The cathedral is considered one of the most iconic Romanesque buildings in Europe and is a World Heritage Site.

Basilica of Saint Servatius, Maastricht, Netherlands. 11th century

The building is considered an example of various architectural styles, but predominantly Romanesque.

Doors of the cathedral in Gniezno, Poland. 12th century

Bronze doors are considered one of the most significant works of Romanesque art in Poland. They are decorated with bas-reliefs that show 18 scenes from the life of St. Wojciech.

Monastery of Peter and Paul, Kruszwica, Poland. 1120

This work of Romanesque art is built of sandstone and granite. It has a transept, a presbytery and an apse.

Andrew's Church, Krakow, Poland. 1079-1098 years

This church was created for defensive purposes. It is one of the few remaining examples of European fortified churches.

Lisbon Cathedral, Portugal. 1147

The oldest church in Lisbon, which is a mixture of different styles and is famous for its Romanesque iron gates.

Cathedral of Saint Martin, Slovakia. 13th-15th century

The largest and most interesting Romanesque cathedral in Slovakia. Inside it are marble tombstones, and the walls are painted with scenes from the coronation of Charles Robert of Anjou.

Basilica of San Isidro, Leon, Spain. 10th century

Among the most notable features of the building are the arches that cross the transept and the carved tympanum.

Lund Cathedral, Sweden. 1145

The Romanesque style is expressed here in the layout, crypt and arched galleries.

Grossmunster, Zurich, Switzerland. 1100-1120 years

Romanesque Protestant church. It has a large carved portal with medieval columns.

Durham Cathedral, England. 1093

The building is notable for its unusual nave roof vaults, transverse arches and massive columns.

Dunnottar Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. 15th-16th century

The ruined medieval fortress consists of three main wings set around a quadrangle and an unusual, intricate oak ceiling.

Cathedral of Salamanca, Spain. 1513-1733

Although the cathedral was rebuilt in the 17th century and became Gothic, it retained much of the Romanesque style.

Wanchock Abbey, Wonchock, Poland. 1179

The abbey is recognized as one of the most precious monuments of Romanesque architecture in Poland.

Cathedral in Porto, Portugal. 1737

This is one of the oldest cathedrals in the city. It is flanked by two square towers supported by buttresses and surmounted by a dome.

Santa Maria Maggiore, Veneto, Italy. 11th century

The interior of this cathedral is decorated with amazing mosaics from the 9th century.

Cathedral of San Nicola di Trullas, Italy. 1113

The cathedral was built as a village school and then became a monastery with cross vaults and frescoes.

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Its development was associated with monumental construction, which began in Western Europe at the time of the formation and flourishing of feudal states, the revival of economic activity and the new growth of culture and art. The monumental architecture of Western Europe originated in the art of the barbarian peoples. Such, for example, are the tomb of Theodoric in Ravenna (), church buildings of the Carolingian era - the court chapel of Charlemagne in Aachen (), the church in Gernrod. Its development was associated with monumental construction, which began in Western Europe at the time of the formation and flourishing of feudal states, the revival of economic activity and the new growth of culture and art. The monumental architecture of Western Europe originated in the art of the barbarian peoples. Such, for example, are the tomb of Theodoric in Ravenna (), church buildings of the Carolingian era - the court chapel of Charlemagne in Aachen (), the church in Gernrod. Church of St. Kyriakos in Gernrod, 10th century tomb of Theodoric

Romanesque style The severity and power of Romanesque structures were generated by concerns about their strength. The builders limited themselves to simple and massive forms of stone, which impress with their power, inner strength, combined with external calmness. The severity and power of Romanesque structures were generated by concerns about their strength. The builders limited themselves to simple and massive forms of stone, which impress with their power, inner strength, combined with external calmness. Norman fortress, X-XI centuries, northern France

The castle of a feudal lord is an integral part of the medieval way of life The focus of life in the early Middle Ages was the castles of powerful (secular and spiritual) feudal lords, churches and monasteries. In spontaneous cities, architecture was only in its infancy, residential buildings were made of clay or wood. The fortified castle, the dwelling of the feudal lord and at the same time the fortress that protected his possessions, clearly expressed the character of the formidable era of feudal wars. Sully Castle, X-XI centuries, France

Usually located on the top of a mountain or rocky hill above a river or by the sea, the castle served as a defense during a siege and as a preparation center for raids. The castle with a drawbridge and a fortified portal was surrounded by a moat, monolithic stone walls crowned with battlements, towers and loopholes. The core of the fortress was a massive round or quadrangular tower (donjon) consisting of several floors, the shelter of the feudal lord. Around it is a vast courtyard with residential and office buildings. Rising above the squalid huts and houses, the castle was perceived as the embodiment of unshakable strength. Usually located on the top of a mountain or rocky hill above a river or by the sea, the castle served as a defense during a siege and as a preparation center for raids. The castle with a drawbridge and a fortified portal was surrounded by a moat, monolithic stone walls crowned with battlements, towers and loopholes. The core of the fortress was a massive round or quadrangular tower (donjon) consisting of several floors, the shelter of the feudal lord. Around it is a vast courtyard with residential and office buildings. Rising above the squalid huts and houses, the castle was perceived as the embodiment of unshakable strength. Fortress of the Conquistadors, X-XI centuries, Germany

The experience of building castles was subsequently transferred to monastic complexes, which were entire villages and fortress cities. The significance of the latter increased in the life of Europe in 1113 centuries. In their planning, usually asymmetric, the requirements of defense, a sober consideration of terrain features, etc. were strictly observed. Typical buildings of Carolingian architecture and Romanesque art are the heavy tower of the old donjon in Loches (10th century), the Gaillard castle on the Seine (12th century), the abbey of Mont Saint Michel d'Egil in France, the castle of Maurice de Sully (12th century, France ), the fortified city of Carcassonne in Provence (12th-13th centuries) and others. The experience of building castles was subsequently transferred to monastic complexes, which were entire villages and fortress cities. asymmetrical, the requirements of defense were strictly observed, a sober consideration of the terrain, etc. Typical buildings of Carolingian architecture and Romanesque art are the heavy tower of the old donjon in Loches (10th century), Gaillard Castle on the Seine (12th century), Mont Saint Michel Abbey d "Egil in France, the castle of Maurice de Sully (12th century, France), the fortress city of Carcassonne in Provence (12th-13th centuries) and others. The tower of the old donjon in Loches Gaillard Castle on the Ceneabbey of Mont Saint Michel d" Egil Maurice Castle de sul whether the fortified city of Carcassonne tower of the old donjon in Loches castle Gaillard on the Seineabbey of Mont Saint Michel d "Egil castle Maurice de Sully fortified city of Carcassonne

Chateau Gaillard on the Seine (XII century) Built by the English king Richard the Lionheart in the years.

Abbey of Mont Saint Michel d'Egil

Romanesque basilica The beginning of the Romanesque era was marked by the rapid development of church architecture. The dominant type of the temple is an elongated basilica, symbolizing the main idea of the Catholic Church - the idea of the way of the cross, the path of suffering and the atonement of sins. The beginning of the Romanesque era was marked by the rapid development of church architecture. The dominant type of the temple is an elongated basilica, symbolizing the main idea of the Catholic Church - the idea of the way of the cross, the path of suffering and the atonement of sins.

Church of St. MaryChurch of St.Mary, Laach Germany Church of St.Mary

Church of Saint-Nectaire, Auvergne, France, ca. The appearance of the Romanesque churches was complemented by towers: the central one on the middle cross and the side ones - square and octagonal. The appearance of the Romanesque churches was complemented by towers: the central one on the middle cross and the side ones - square and octagonal. A characteristic element is the arched shape of the door and window openings. A characteristic element is the arched shape of the door and window openings.

The portals of Romanesque churches had sculptural decoration, which performed an educational function. The portals of Romanesque churches had sculptural decoration, which performed an educational function. Scene of the Last Judgment on a tympanum Scene of the Last Judgment on a tympanum

The majestic ensemble in Pisa. It includes the five-nave Pisa Cathedral (), the baptistery (baptistery, 1153-14th century), the sloping campanile bell tower (the Leaning Tower of Pisa, begun in 1174, completed in 1314 centuries) and the Camio Santo cemetery. The majestic ensemble in Pisa. It includes the five-nave Pisa Cathedral (), the baptistery (baptistery, 1153-14th century), the sloping campanile bell tower (the Leaning Tower of Pisa, begun in 1174, completed in 1314 centuries) and the Camio Santo cemetery. Campanile baptistery Campanile baptistery Romanesque in Italy

The Baptistery of Pisa Cathedral is a grandiose (height 55 m) round (diameter 33.5 m) construction dedicated to John the Baptist

Belfry (campanila) The construction of the tower was completed in 1360. The tower has 294 steps. The height of the tower is 56.7 m on the highest side. The diameter of the base is 15.54 m. The thickness of the outer walls decreases from the base to the top. Its mass is estimated in tons. The current slope is 3°. The construction of the tower was completed in 1360. The tower has 294 steps. The height of the tower is 56.7 m on the highest side. The diameter of the base is 15.54 m. The thickness of the outer walls decreases from the base to the top. Its mass is estimated in tons. The current slope is 3°.

The term "Romanesque" originated at the beginning of the 19th century. when the connection between medieval architecture and Roman forms and structures was revealed. From lat. romanus - Roman. The main type of art of the Romanesque style is architecture, mainly church. Romanesque was the first style to spread throughout Catholic Europe.

Romanesque style of architecture Romanesque architecture can be harsh and formidable, pressing on a person with its stone weight, and at the same time - slender, full of air and light, tender and cold. Its characteristic element is the arched shape of the door and window openings. Calmly and confidently, folding, strong, stone temples firmly standing on the ground, created by simple volumes and shapes, rise to heaven. Marienkirche Laahe. Middle of the 12th century Germany. Westwerk.

1. Style features. Period - XII centuries. Strict forms, lack of decorations and ornaments. semicircular arches. Thick walls, narrow windows. The main types of buildings are a temple, a monastery, a castle.

At the heart of the plan is the basilica. Increasing the height of the ceiling. The coffered ceiling is replaced by a vaulted one. Box vaults, cross vaults, cylindrical vaults

Pre-Romanesque basilica - a Romanesque church A Romanesque basilica is a three-nave (rarely five-nave) longitudinal room, crossed by one, and sometimes two transepts. Chapels da Sea Ap Central Nave Transept West East

The portals of Romanesque churches had sculptural decoration, which performed an educational function. Scene of the Last Judgment on a tympanum

2. Architecture. Sully Castle, X-XI centuries , France The center of life in the early Middle Ages were the castles (secular and spiritual) of the feudal lords, churches and monasteries. The fortified castle is the dwelling of the feudal lord and at the same time a fortress. Usually located on the top of a mountain or rocky hill above a river or by the sea, the castle served as a defense during a siege and as a preparation center for raids. The castle with a drawbridge and a fortified portal was surrounded by a moat, monolithic stone walls crowned with battlements, towers and loopholes. The core of the fortress was a massive round or quadrangular tower (donjon) consisting of several floors - the refuge of the feudal lord. Around it is a vast courtyard with residential and office buildings. Rising above the squalid huts and houses, the castle was perceived as the embodiment of unshakable strength. The experience of building castles was subsequently transferred to monasteries.

East West Cathedral Maria Laach - part of the abbey on the shores of Lake Laach, Mount Eifel. The abbey belongs to the Benedictine order. Germany, 11th–12th centuries The compositional center of the monastery in the city was usually the temple - the most significant creation of Romanesque architecture. It rose in pointed towers above the small buildings surrounding it. The external view of the Romanesque Cathedral is severe, simple and clear. It very clearly conveys the internal structure of the building. This is a single, powerful closed volume, having a pyramidal shape on the eastern side. The central nave rises above the side ones, in the east - the main apse. The center of the composition is formed by the tower of the middle cross, crowned with a spire. Sometimes the western facade, apse and transepts are closed by bell towers.

France is the center of medieval Romanesque architecture. Monastery of Cluny. 1088 - 1131. Former Benedictine abbey. Reported directly to the Pope. On its territory, the largest church of Peter and Paul in Europe was built: a five-aisled basilica. (Destroyed at the end of the 18th century)

The Benedictines are the oldest Catholic monastic order founded by Saint Benedict of Nursia in the 6th century. In the early Middle Ages, the Benedictine monasteries were the main centers of culture in Western Europe. Almost all the outstanding scientists of that time came out of the schools at the abbeys, ancient manuscripts were preserved and copied in libraries, chronicles were kept, and training was conducted. Fairs were organized at the monasteries, enlivening trade; hospitals where the sick were treated. The Benedictine monasteries had a strong influence on the development of architecture, the first examples of the Romanesque style appeared in the abbey of Cluny, and the Gothic - in the abbey of Saint-Denis.

Monastery on about. Mont Saint Michel, France. In 966 it was erected by the Benedictine monks. Rebuilt and rebuilt many times.

The castle of a feudal lord is an integral part of the medieval way of life The focus of life in the early Middle Ages was the castles of powerful (secular and spiritual) feudal lords, churches and monasteries. In spontaneous cities, architecture was only in its infancy, residential buildings were made of clay or wood. The fortified castle - the dwelling of the feudal lord and at the same time a fortress that protected his possessions - clearly expressed the character of the formidable era of feudal wars. Sully Castle, X-XI centuries. , France

In the castle of the feudal lord Wartburg castle. Thuringia. 12th century Chateau Gaillard. Castle ruins. France. The architectural appearance of the Middle Ages is difficult to imagine without a feudal castle, which is part of medieval life. The castle is not only the dwelling of the feudal lord, but also the center of culture. Knightly tournaments were held here, competitions of singers and musicians were organized, itinerant actors performed. Of the many castles in Western Europe, only a few have survived. Time turned many of them into ruins, but even in them one can easily guess the features of harsh and reliable fortresses.

The castle consisted of a tower - a donjon, in the upper floors of which the feudal lord lived. The lower houses housed provisions, water, stables, and kept livestock. If the enemies penetrated the moat filled with water, stone ramparts and fortified gates surrounding the castle, then the inhabitants locked themselves in the donjon, from which underground passages led outside the castle. Because of the thickness of the walls, the windows looked like embrasures used for military purposes.

Chateau Gaillard on the Seine (XII century) Built by the English king Richard the Lionheart in 1196-1198.

Abbey of Mont Saint Michel d'Egil

Church of Saint-Nectaire, Auvergne, France, c. 1080. The appearance of the Romanesque churches was complemented by towers: the central one on the middle cross and the side ones - square and octagonal. A characteristic element is the arched shape of the door and window openings.

Germany and Italy also became the largest centers of Romanesque architecture. Pisa Cathedral (XI - XII century) is a five-aisled basilica. The surface of the walls is lined with white and black marble.

Romanesque style in Italy Majestic ensemble in Pisa. It includes the five-nave Pisa Cathedral (1063 - 1118), the baptistery (baptistery, 1153 - 14th century), the inclined bell tower - campanile (the Leaning Tower of Pisa, begun in 1174, completed in the 13th - 14th centuries) and the Camio cemetery . Santo.

The Baptistery of Pisa Cathedral is a grandiose (height 55 m) round (diameter 33.5 m) construction dedicated to John the Baptist

The Leaning Tower of Pisa - 1173 - is the bell tower of the cathedral in Pisa. Its height is 55 m, the deviation from the vertical axis is currently 4.6 m.

Germany and Italy also became the largest centers of Romanesque architecture. Everyone knows the famous "leaning tower" in Pisa. The Pisa Cathedral (XI-XII centuries) is a five-aisled basilica. The walls are lined with white and black marble. Six tiers of arcades cover the "leaning tower", which got its name because of the strong slope (deviation from the vertical line by 4.5 m).

Church of St. Michael in Galdesheim. Germany. 11th century The outlines of the temples are dominated by vertical and horizontal lines. The complex structure of the buildings outwardly looks crisp and clear. Thick walls, creating the impression of massiveness and power, are cut through by narrow window and door openings. The main types of Romanesque buildings are temples and feudal castles.

Romanesque style (Latin romanus - Roman) is an artistic style that dominated Western Europe in the 9th-12th centuries. It became one of the most important stages in the development of medieval European art.

Royal Palace Alcazar

Cathedral, 11th century, Trier

Canterbury Cathedral, 12th century, England (Gothic tower added later)

The term "Romanesque style" appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, when it was found that the architecture of the 11th-12th centuries used elements of ancient Roman architecture, such as semicircular arches and vaults. In general, the term is conditional and reflects only one, not the main, side of art. However, it has come into common use.

The Romanesque style developed in the countries of Central and Western Europe and spread everywhere. 11th century is usually considered as the time of the "early", and the XII century. - "mature" Romanesque art. However, the chronological framework of the dominance of the Romanesque style in individual countries and regions does not always coincide. So, in the north-east of France, the last third of the XII century. already belongs to the Gothic period, while in Germany and Italy the characteristic features of Romanesque art continue to dominate for a significant part of the 13th century.

Monastery, XI-XII centuries. Ireland

Rialto Bridge, XI c, Venice, Italy

Most "classically" this style will spread in the art of Germany and France. The leading role in the art of this period belonged to architecture. Romanesque buildings are very diverse in types, design features and decor. This medieval architecture was created for the needs of the church and chivalry, and churches, monasteries, castles become the leading types of structures. The monasteries were the strongest feudal lords. Urban architecture, with rare exceptions, did not receive such a wide development as monastic architecture. In most states, the main customers were monastic orders, in particular, such powerful ones as the Benedictine ones, and the builders and workers were monks. Only at the end of the XI century. artels of lay stonemasons appeared - at the same time builders and sculptors, moving from place to place. However, the monasteries were able to attract various masters from outside, demanding work from them in the order of pious duty.

Norman fortress, X-XI centuries. France

The spirit of militancy and the constant need for self-defense pervades Romanesque art. Castle-fortress or temple-fortress. "The castle is the fortress of the knight, the church is the fortress of God; God was conceived as the highest feudal lord, just, but merciless, carrying not the world, but the sword. A stone building towering on a hill with watchtowers, alert and threatening with large-headed, large-armed statues, as if grown to the body of the temple and silently guarding it from enemies - this is the characteristic creation of Romanesque art. It feels a great inner strength, its artistic concept is simple and strict. " The development of Romanesque art received a special impetus during the reign of the Frankish Merovingian dynasty (486-751).

Fortress of the Conquistadors, X-XI centuries.

A well-known historian, A. Toynbee, noted that "the only possible integral state was the Roman Empire, the Frankish regime of the Merovingians was facing the Roman past."

On the territory of Europe, architectural monuments of the ancient Romans remained in abundance: roads, aqueducts, fortress walls, towers, temples. They were so durable that they continued to be used for their intended purpose for a long time. In the combination of watchtowers, military camps with Greek basilicas and Byzantine ornamentation, a new "Roman" Romanesque architectural style arose: simple and expedient. Strict tectonicity and functionality almost completely excluded the figurativeness, festivity and elegance that distinguished the architecture of Greek antiquity.

The material for the Romanesque buildings was local stone, since its delivery from afar was almost impossible, due to lack of roads and because of the large number of internal borders that had to be crossed, each time paying high duties. Stones were hewn by different craftsmen - one of the reasons why two identical pieces, such as capitals, are rarely found in medieval art. Each of them was performed by a separate stone-cutting artist, who, within the limits of the assignment he received, had some creative freedom. The hewn stone was laid in place on the mortar.

Saint Pierre Cathedral, Angouleme, France

Cathedral, Santiago, Italy

Capital in the parish church of Anzy le Duc

Master Gilbert. Eve. Saint Lazare Cathedral in Autun

Tympanum of the Saint-Madeleine church in Vzelay. 12th century

The ornamentation of Romanesque art was borrowed mainly from the East, it was based on the ultimate generalization, "geometrization and schematization of the pictorial image. Simplicity, power, strength, clarity were felt in everything. Romanesque architecture is a typical example of rational artistic thinking."

The principles of architecture of the Romanesque period received the most consistent and purest expression in cult complexes. The main monastery building was the church. Next to it was a patio surrounded by open colonnades. Around the house of the abbot of the monastery (abbot), a bedroom for monks (dormitory), a refectory, a kitchen, a winery, a brewery, a bakery, warehouses, stables, living quarters for workers, a doctor's house, dwellings and a special kitchen for pilgrims, a school, a hospital, a cemetery were located .

Fontevraud. View of the monastery from above. Founded in 1110 France

Kitchen at Fontevraud Abbey

Kitchen at Fontevraud Abbey. Interior view

Temples typical of the Romanesque style most often develop the old basilic form. A Romanesque basilica is a three-nave (rarely five-nave) longitudinal room, crossed by one, and sometimes two transepts. In a number of architectural schools, the eastern part of the church received further complication and enrichment: the choir, completed by the ledge of the apse, surrounded by radially divergent chapels (the so-called wreath of chapels). In some countries, mainly in France, a bypass choir is being developed; the side naves seem to continue behind the transept and go around the altar apse. Such a layout made it possible to regulate the flow of pilgrims who worshiped the relics displayed in the apse.

Cross section of a pre-Romanesque basilica (left) and a Romanesque temple

St. John's Chapel, Tower, London

3rd church in Cluny (France), XI-XII centuries. Plan

It should be emphasized that feudal fragmentation, the weak development of exchange, the relative isolation of cultural life and the stability of local building traditions determined the wide variety of Romanesque architectural schools.

In Romanesque churches, separate spatial zones are clearly separated: the narthex, i.e. vestibule, longitudinal body of the basilica with its rich and detailed development, transepts, eastern apse, chapels. Such a layout quite logically continued the idea already embodied in the layout of early Christian basilicas, starting with the Cathedral of St. Peter: if the pagan temple was considered the dwelling of the deity, then the Christian churches became the house of believers, built for a collective of people. But this group was not united. The clergy were sharply opposed to the "sinful" laity and occupied the choir, that is, the more honorable part of the temple located behind the transept closest to the altar. Yes, and in the part allotted to the laity, places were allocated for the feudal nobility. Thus, the unequal importance of various groups of the population in the face of the deity was emphasized.

Church of Saint-Etienne in Nevers (France). 1063-1097

Abbey Church of Saint Philibert in Tournus

Church in Santiago de Compostela (Italy). OK. 1080 - 1211

During the construction of churches, the most difficult problem was lighting and covering the main nave, since the latter was wider and higher than the side ones. Different schools of Romanesque architecture dealt with this problem in different ways. The easiest way was to preserve wooden ceilings on the model of early Christian basilicas. Roofing on rafters was relatively light, did not cause lateral expansion and did not require powerful walls; this made it possible to place a tier of windows under the roof. So they built in many places in Italy, in Saxony, the Czech Republic, in the early Norman school in France.

Vaults: cylindrical, cylindrical on formwork, cross, cross on ribs, closed. Scheme

Cathedral in Le Puy (France), XI-XII centuries. Vaulted ceiling of the central nave

However, the advantages of wooden floors did not stop architects from looking for other solutions. The Romanesque style is characterized by the ceilings of the main nave with a massive vault of wedge-shaped stones. This innovation created new artistic possibilities.

The first to appear was, apparently, a cylindrical vault, sometimes with girth arches in the main nave. Its thrust was removed not only by massive walls, but also by creote vaults in the side naves. Since the architects of the early period did not have experience and self-confidence, the middle nave was built narrow, relatively low; they also did not dare to weaken the walls with wide window openings. Therefore, early Romanesque churches are dark inside.

Over time, the middle naves began to be made higher, the vaults acquired slightly lancet outlines, a tier of windows appeared under the vaults. This happened for the first time, probably, in the buildings of the Cluniac school in Burgundy.

Abbey Church of Cluny

With the disappearance of the rationalistic foundations of the ancient worldview, the order system loses its significance, although the name of the new style comes from the word "romus" - Roman, since the Roman semicircular arched cell lies at the heart of the architectural structure here.

However, instead of the tectonics of the order in Romanesque architecture, the tectonics of a powerful wall becomes the main one - the most important constructive and artistic and expressive means. This architecture is based on the principle of connecting separate closed and independent volumes, subordinate, but also clearly demarcated, each of which is a small fortress itself. These are structures with heavy vaults, heavy towers cut through by narrow loophole windows, and massive ledges of hewn stone walls. They vividly capture the idea of self-defense and impregnable power, which is quite understandable in the period of feudal fragmentation of the principalities of Europe, the isolation of economic life, the absence of trade and economic and cultural ties, in times of continuous feudal strife and wars.

For the interior of many Romanesque churches, a clear division of the wall of the middle nave into three tiers is typical. The first tier is occupied by semicircular arches separating the main nave from the side ones. Above the arches stretches the surface of the wall, providing enough space for painting or a decorative arcade on columns - the so-called trifornia. Finally, the windows form the upper tier. Since the windows usually had a semi-circular completion, the side wall of the middle nave consisted of three tiers of arcades (nave arches, triforium arches, window arches), given in a clear rhythmic alternation and accurately calculated scale relationships. The squat arches of the nave gave way to a more slender triforium arcade, and that, in turn, to sparsely spaced arches of high windows.

The division of the wall of the middle nave in the churches: St. Michaelskirche in Hildeisheim (Germany, 1010 - 1250), Notre Dame in Jumièges (France, 1018 - 1067), as well as the cathedral in Worms (Germany, 1170-1240)

Cathedral in Mainz, Germany

Often the second tier is formed not by a triforium, but by arches of the so-called empor, i.e. opening into the main nave of the gallery, located above the vaults of the side aisles. The light in the empora came either from the central nave, or, more often, from the windows in the outer walls of the side nave, to which the empora adjoined.

The visual impression of the interior space of Romanesque churches was determined by simple and clear numerical relationships between the width of the main and side aisles. In some cases, the architects sought to evoke an exaggerated idea of the scale of the interior by artificially reducing the perspective: they reduced the width of the arched spans as they moved away to the eastern part of the church (for example, in the church of Saint Trophime in Arles). Sometimes the arches were also reduced in height.

The appearance of Romanesque churches is characterized by massiveness and geometric architectural forms (parallelepiped, cylinder, half-cylinder, cone, pyramid). Walls strictly isolate the interior from the environment. At the same time, one can always notice the efforts of architects to express as truthfully as possible in the external appearance the internal structure of the church; outside, not only the different heights of the main and side aisles are usually clearly distinguished, but also the division of space into separate cells. So, the pillars-abutments that divide the interior of the naves correspond to buttresses attached to the outer walls. The harsh truthfulness and clarity of architectural forms, the pathos of their unshakable stability constitute the main artistic merit of Romanesque architecture.

Abbey Maria Laach, Germany

Romanesque buildings were mostly covered with tiles, known to the Romans, and convenient in areas with a rainy climate. The thickness and strength of the walls were the main criteria for the beauty of the building. Severe masonry of hewn stones created a somewhat "gloomy" image, but was decorated with interspersed bricks or small stones of a different color. The windows were not glazed, but climbed with carved stone bars, the window openings were small and rose high above the ground, so the rooms in the building were very dark. Stone carvings adorned the outer walls of the cathedrals. It consisted of floral ornaments, images of fabulous monsters, exotic animals, animals, birds - motifs also brought from the East. The walls of the cathedral inside were completely covered with murals, which, however, almost did not survive to our time. Marble inlay mosaics were also used to decorate apses and altars, the technique of which has been preserved since antiquity.

V. Vlasov writes that Romanesque art "is characterized by the absence of any specific program in the placement of decorative motifs: geometric, "animal", biblical - they are interspersed in the most bizarre way. Sphinxes, centaurs, griffins, lions and harpies coexist peacefully side by side Most experts believe that all this phantasmagoric fauna is devoid of the symbolic meaning that is often attributed to them, and is predominantly decorative.

Church of San Isidoro. Tomb of the kings. Around 1063 - 1100 Leon. Spain.

Framing of the altarpiece

Image of Christ from the Church of St. Clement in Taula. Around 1123

So, in the XI-XII centuries. simultaneously in architecture and in close connection with it, monumental painting developed and monumental sculpture was revived after several centuries of almost complete oblivion. The fine arts of the Romanesque period were almost completely subordinated to the religious worldview. Hence its symbolic character, conventionality of techniques and stylization of forms. In the depiction of the human figure, the proportions were often violated, the folds of the robes were interpreted arbitrarily, regardless of the actual plasticity of the body. However, both in painting and in sculpture, along with an emphatically flat decorative perception of the figure, images were widely used in which the masters conveyed the material weight and volume of the human body, albeit in schematic and conditional forms. The figures of a typical Romanesque composition are in a space devoid of depth; there is no sense of distance between them. Their different scale is striking, and the sizes depend on the hierarchical significance of the one who is depicted: for example, the figures of Christ are much higher than the figures of angels and apostles; those, in turn, are larger than images of mere mortals. In addition, the interpretation of the figures is directly dependent on the divisions and forms of the architecture itself. The figures placed in the middle of the tympanum are larger than those in the corners; statues on friezes are usually squat, while statues located on pillars and columns have elongated proportions. Such an adaptation of body proportions, contributing to a greater fusion of architecture, sculpture and painting, at the same time limited the figurative possibilities of art. Therefore, in plots of a narrative nature, the story was limited to only the most essential. The ratio of the characters and the place of action is not designed to create a real image, but to schematically designate individual episodes, the convergence and comparison of which is partly symbolic. In accordance with this, episodes of different times were placed side by side, often in one composition, and the place of action was given conditionally. Romanesque art is sometimes coarse, but always sharp expressiveness. These most characteristic features of Romanesque art often led to an exaggeration of gesture. But within the framework of the medieval conventions of art, correctly grasped living details unexpectedly appeared - a kind of turn of the figure, a characteristic type of face, sometimes a household motif. In the secondary parts of the composition, where the demands of iconography did not hamper the artist's initiative, there are quite a lot of such naive-realistic details. However, these direct manifestations of realism are of a particular nature. Basically, in the art of the Romanesque period, love for everything fantastic, often gloomy, monstrous, dominates. It also manifests itself in the choice of plots, for example, in the prevalence of scenes borrowed from the cycle of tragic visions of the Apocalypse.

The monastery church in Fontevraud. Sculpted gravestone of Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine

Lion hugging a lamb

monkey

In the field of monumental painting, fresco prevailed everywhere, with the exception of Italy, where the traditions of mosaic art were also preserved. The book miniature, which was distinguished by high decorative qualities, was widely distributed. An important place was occupied by sculpture, especially relief. The main material of the sculpture was stone, in Central Europe mainly local sandstone, in Italy and some other southern regions - marble. Bronze casting, wood sculpture were also used, but not everywhere. Works made of wood and stone, not excluding monumental sculpture on the facades of churches, were usually painted. It is rather difficult to judge the nature of the coloring due to the scarcity of sources and the almost complete disappearance of the original coloring of the surviving monuments.

Church of Sts. Apostles of San Miniato al Monte in Florence. Altar. 1013 - 1063

In the Romanesque period, ornamental art with an extraordinary richness of motifs played an exceptional role. Its sources are very diverse: the legacy of the "barbarians", antiquity, Byzantium, Iran and even the Far East. Imported works of applied art and miniatures served as conductors of borrowed forms. Images of all kinds of fantastic creatures were especially fond of. In the anxiety of the style and the dynamism of the forms of this art, one can clearly feel the remnants of folk ideas of the era of "barbarism" with its primitive worldview. However, in the Romanesque period, these motifs seemed to dissolve into the greatest solemnity of the architectural whole.

sculptural details

The art of sculpture and painting was associated with art book miniature, which flourished in the Romanesque era.

Scene from the life of Jesus, 12th century. Italy

Baptism of Christ. Miniature of Benedictional Æthelwold. 973-980

V. Vlasov believes that it is wrong to consider Romanesque art as a "purely Western style." Connoisseurs such as E. Viollet-le-Duc saw strong Asian, Byzantine and Persian influences in Romanesque art. The very formulation of the question "West or East" in relation to the Roman era is incorrect. In the preparation of a pan-European medieval art, the beginning of which was early Christian, continuation - Romanesque and the highest rise - Gothic art, the main role was played by the Greco-Celtic origins, Romanesque, Byzantine, Greek, Persian and Slavic elements. "The development of Romanesque art received new impulses during the reign Charlemagne (768-814) and in connection with the founding of the Holy Roman Empire in 962 by Otto I (936-973).

Architects, painters, sculptors revived the traditions of the ancient Romans, receiving education in monasteries, where the traditions of ancient culture were carefully preserved for centuries.

Artistic craftsmanship developed intensively in cities and monasteries. Vessels, lampadas, stained-glass windows were made from glass - colored and colorless, the geometric pattern of which was created by lead lintels, but the flowering of stained glass art will occur later, in the era of the Gothic style.

Baptism

Stained glass "Saint George"

Ivory carving was popular; this technique was used to make caskets, caskets, salaries for handwritten books. The technique of champlevé enamel on copper and gold was developed.

Ivory. Around 1180

wood carving

Jewelry from the Romanesque period.

Romanesque art is characterized by the widespread use of iron and bronze, from which lattices, fences, locks, figured hinges, etc. were made. Doors with reliefs were cast and minted from bronze. Extremely simple in design, the furniture was decorated with carvings of geometric shapes: round rosettes, semicircular arches, the furniture was painted with bright colors. The motif of the semicircular arch is typical of Romanesque art; in the Gothic era it will be replaced by a pointed, lancet shape.

From the 11th century production of woven carpets - tapestries begins. Ornamentation of fabrics is associated with oriental influences from the era of the Crusades.

Carpet from Bayeux Cathedral. Battle. Around 1080

Monasteries and churches remained the cultural centers of this era. The cult architecture embodied the Christian religious idea. The temple, which had the shape of a cross in plan, symbolized the path of the cross of Christ - the path of suffering and redemption. Each part of the building was assigned a special meaning, for example, the pillars and columns supporting the vault symbolized the apostles and prophets - the pillar of Christian teaching.

Gradually, the service became more and more magnificent and solemn. Architects over time changed the design of the temple: they began to increase the eastern part of the temple, in which the altar was located. In the apse - the altar ledge - there was usually an image of Christ or the Mother of God, images of angels, apostles, saints were placed below. On the western wall were scenes of the Last Judgment. The lower part of the wall was usually decorated with ornaments.

Romanesque art was most consistently formed in France - in Burgundy, Auvergne, Provence and Normandy.

The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in the monastery of Cluny (1088-1131) is a typical example of French Romanesque architecture. Small fragments of this building have been preserved. This monastery was called the "second Rome". It was the largest church in Europe. The length of the temple was one hundred twenty-seven meters, the height of the central nave was over thirty meters. Five towers crowned the temple. To maintain such a majestic shape and size of the building, special supports are introduced at the outer walls - buttresses.

Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in the monastery of Cluny (1088-1131)

Norman temples are also devoid of decor, but, unlike the Burgundian ones, they have a single-nave transept. They have well-lit naves and high towers, and their general appearance resembles fortresses rather than churches.

In the architecture of Germany at that time, a special type of church developed - majestic and massive. Such is the cathedral in Speyer (1030 - between 1092 and 1106), one of the largest in Western Europe, a vivid symbol of the Ottonian Empire.

Cathedral in Speyer (1030 - between 1092 and 1106)

Fragment of decoration of the cathedral in Speyer

Plan of the Cathedral in Speyer

Feudalism took shape in Germany later than in France; its development was longer and more profound. The same can be said about the art of Germany. In the first fortress-like Romanesque cathedrals, with smooth walls and narrow windows, with squat conically completed towers at the corners of the western facade and apses on both the east and west sides, they had a severe, impregnable appearance. Only arcade belts under the cornices adorned smooth facades and towers (Worms Cathedral, 1181-1234). Worms Cathedral is a powerful dominant of the longitudinal hull, likening the temple to a ship. The side aisles are lower than the central one, the transept crosses the longitudinal building, above the middle cross there is a massive tower, from the east the temple is closed by a semicircle of the apse. There is nothing superfluous, destructive, veiling the architectonic logic.

The architectural decor is very restrained - just arcades emphasizing the main lines.

But, "having entered the Romanesque temple, we open the world of strange, exciting images, in front of us, as if the sheets of a stone book, depicting the soul of the Middle Ages."

Cathedral in Worms

Romanesque art is often called "animal style". "The Roman God is not the Almighty hovering over the world, but a judge and protector. He is active; he severely judges his vassals, but also protects them, he tramples monsters underfoot and establishes the law of justice in the world of lawlessness and arbitrariness. All this in an era of fragmentation, continuous bloody strife.

Romanesque art seems rough and wild when compared with the sophistication of the Byzantines, but this is a style of great nobility. "The statues of Chartres Cathedral are mature, beautiful images, already bordering on Gothic.

Chartres Cathedral

Chartres Cathedral. Apse and chapels

Statues of Chartres Cathedral

Chartres Cathedral. View of the altar

Romanesque churches are similar to the churches of the Ottonian period, i.e. early Romanesque, but have a constructive difference - cross vaults.

Sculpture in the Romanesque period in Germany was placed inside temples. On the facades, it is found only at the end of the 12th century. Basically, these are wooden painted crucifixes, decorations of lamps, fonts, tombstones. Images seem detached from earthly existence, they are conditional, generalized.

In the Romanesque period, the book miniature developed rapidly. The favorite images in the manuscripts of the 10th - 11th centuries were images of the ruler on the throne, surrounded by symbols of power ("Gospel of Otto III", about 1000, Munich Library).

Gospel of Emperor Otto III. Emperor on the throne

Romanesque art in Italy developed differently. It always feels "unbreakable" even in the Middle Ages connection with Ancient Rome.

Since cities, not churches, were the main force of historical development in Italy, secular tendencies are more pronounced in its culture than in other peoples. The connection with antiquity was expressed not only in copying ancient forms, it was in a strong inner relationship with the images of ancient art. Hence "a sense of proportion and proportion to a person in Italian architecture, naturalness and vitality, combined with the nobility and grandeur of beauty in Italian plastic and painting."

The outstanding works of architecture of Central Italy include the famous complex in Pisa: a cathedral, a tower, a baptistery. It was created over a long period of time (in the 11th century, the architect Buschetto, in the XII century. - architect Rainaldo). The most famous part of the complex is the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. Some researchers suggest that the tower tilted as a result of subsidence of the foundation at the very beginning of work, and then it was decided to leave it inclined.

Cathedral and tower, Pisa

Pisa. Baptistery

Cathedral, Pisa

In the Cathedral of Santa Maria Nuova (1174-1189) one can feel a strong influence not only of Byzantium and the East, but also of Western architecture.

Cathedral of Santa Maria Nuova, Montreal

Interior of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Nuova, Montreal

The English architecture of the Romanesque period has much in common with French architecture: large sizes, high central naves, an abundance of towers. The conquest of England by the Normans in 1066 strengthened its ties with the continent, which influenced the formation of the Romanesque style in the country. Examples of this are the cathedrals in St. Albans (1077-1090), Peterborough (late 12th century) and others.

Cathedral at St Albans

Fresco in St Albans Cathedral

Cathedral in Peterborough

Sculptures of Peterborough Cathedral

Stained glass windows in Peterborough Cathedral

From the twelfth century rib vaults appear in English churches, which, however, still have a purely decorative value. The large number of clergy involved in English worship also brings to life specific English features: an increase in the length of the interior of the temple and a shift of the transept to the middle, which led to the accentuation of the tower of the crossroads, which is always larger than the towers of the western facade. Most of the Romanesque English temples were rebuilt during the Gothic period, and therefore it is extremely difficult to judge their early appearance.

Romanesque art in Spain developed under the influence of Arabic and French culture. XI-XII centuries for Spain, it was the time of the Reconquista - a time of civil strife, fierce religious battles. The harsh fortress character of Spanish architecture was formed in the conditions of incessant wars with the Arabs, the Reconquista - the war for the liberation of the country's territory, captured in 711-718. The war left a strong imprint on all the art of Spain at that time, first of all it was reflected in architecture.

As in no other country in Western Europe, the construction of castles-fortresses began in Spain. One of the earliest castles of the Romanesque period is the Alcazar Royal Palace (9th century, Segovia). It has survived to our time. The palace stands on a high rock, surrounded by thick walls with many towers. At that time, cities were built in this way.

Royal Palace Alcazar. Spain

Royal Palace Alcazar. Maiden's patio

Frieze with kings in the Royal Hall of the Alcazar

Courtyard of the Royal Castle Alcazar

In the cult buildings of Spain of the Romanesque period, sculptural decorations are almost absent. Temples have the appearance of impregnable fortresses. An important role was played by monumental painting - frescoes: the paintings were made in bright colors with a clear outline pattern. The images were very expressive. Sculpture appeared in Spain in the 11th century. These were decorations of capitals, columns, doors.

The 12th century is the "golden" age of Romanesque art, which spread throughout Europe. But many artistic solutions of the new, Gothic era were already born in it. Northern France was the first to take this path.

Medieval worldview led to specific features of the artistic culture and art of this era:

Turning to God. Art was supposed to bring a person closer to God.

Symbolism. The work of art as a whole and any of its elements were signs, images of supernatural reality.

speculation. Painting, sculpture, architecture, literature were in the Middle Ages the nature of teaching and reminding. A work of art is a text that was supposed to teach. Medieval literature was instructive: lives, parables, teachings. In the theatrical art, the morality genre is instructive - a didactic play with allegorical characters. In music, a continuous, fluid, devoid of individuality melodic line was supposed to free from the power of everyday life.

The prevalence of the image of a suffering and offended person. In all genres and types of medieval art, themes of martyrdom are especially common.

During the Middle Ages, the first artistic styles were formed in Europe. In the X-XII centuries. in Western European art develops Roman style .

For Romanesque style is typical massiveness, rigor and no frills, as well as the severity of the appearance. Romanesque architecture is famous for heavy castles and temples, more like an impregnable fortress in the spirit of the Middle Ages. The Romanesque style is dominated by powerful walls, massive semicircular doors, thick columns, cruciform or barrel vaults, semicircular or round windows. Floor - marble, patterned tiles. Mirrors - chiffon bronze. The walls are Venetian plaster. Painting (religious motifs).

AT Romanesque interior also power rather than grace. All elements of the interior produce a feeling of simplicity and heaviness, almost no decorative decorations of the rooms.

For Romanesque buildings powerful walls and columns due to heavy vaults are characteristic. The main motif of the interior is semicircular arches. In general, the rational simplicity of the structures is noticeable, but the feeling of the gravity of the Romanesque cathedral is depressing.

The main elements of the Romanesque style:

relief plane, conciseness and simplicity;

colors: brown, red, green, white, grey, black;

cooperage, semicircular, straight, horizontal and vertical lines;

rectangular and cylindrical shapes;

semicircular frieze, a repeating geometric or floral pattern; halls with open ceiling beams and supports in the center;

stone, massive, thick-walled structures;

castle and knightly themes - torches, armor, coats of arms, battles, weapons. History of Romanesque

Roman style(from Latin romanus - Roman) appeared in art around 800, after the fall of the Roman Empire and the completion of the great migration of peoples. The Byzantine style, the art of the peoples of northern Europe and early Christian forms served as a source for the emergence of a new style. Developed in Western European art of the X-XII centuries.

Roman style absorbed numerous elements of early Christian art, Merovingian art, the culture of the "Carolingian Renaissance" (and, in addition, the art of antiquity, the era of migration of peoples, Byzantium and the Muslim Middle East). Unlike the tendencies of medieval art that preceded it, which were of a local nature, the Romanesque style was the first artistic system of the Middle Ages, covering (despite the huge variety of local schools caused by feudal fragmentation) most European countries.

Romanesque art style, which dominated Western Europe (and also affected some countries of Eastern Europe) in the X-XII centuries. (in a number of places - and in the XIII century), one of the most important stages in the development of medieval European art.

The whole aesthetic of the Renaissance originates from the art of the Middle Ages. The aesthetics of the Medieval era is distinguished by a high degree of theology. Thus, the aesthetic concepts of the Middle Ages have their origin and completion in God. It should also be noted that the influence of the Roman thinker and philosopher Aurelius Augustine, who lived from 354 to 430 AD, can be traced in the early Romanesque style. Aurelius Augustine had an excellent sense of beauty, was a sensual expressive person, and at the same time, being a Christian, he understood that divine beauty far exceeds visible, earthly beauty. It was this thinker who turned his attention to how the ugly and the beautiful correlate in the world. For Augustine, the form of beauty was the unity in which the room was maintained. The Romanesque style originated in the Middle Ages, at the beginning of the 10th century and lasted approximately until the 12th century. The Romanesque style was most widespread in Germany and France.

Myself the term Romanesque appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, when the connection between the architecture of the 11th-12th centuries and ancient Roman architecture was established, partly due to the use of semicircular arches and vaults. The term, although conditional, has entered into mass use. The development of the Christian Church on the ruins of the Roman Empire served to popularize the Romanesque style. The monastic brethren moved to all corners of Europe, building churches and monasteries in the Romanesque style. Among the monks were also artists and artisans who spread this style throughout Europe with their work.

buildings, which are considered examples of the architecture of this period, look like fortresses: this is a castle-fortress and a temple-fortress. The Romanesque style is distinguished by thick massive walls, narrow loophole windows and tall towers. During civil strife, Romanesque churches could withstand siege and serve as a refuge during the war. Knights' castles were built on elevated places, convenient for protection from the enemy, and then surrounded by high walls and a moat.

The main buildings during this period were the temple-fortress and the castle-fortress. The main element of the composition of the monastery or castle is the tower - donjon. Around it were the rest of the buildings, made up of simple geometric shapes - cubes, prisms, cylinders.

The most famous buildings in the Romanesque style are: Liebmurg Cathedral in Germany; the Pisa Cathedral and partly the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy; the Kaiser Cathedrals at Speyer, Worms and Mainz in Germany; Romanesque churches in Val-de-Boie; Church of St. Jacob in Regensburg.

Pious, as the church represented him, the social order was not aimed at the development of style. For about 400 years of existence, the Romanesque style has not received any development or a leap in technology in production.

household items, fabrics and furniture for the society, which was based on subsistence farming, were made only for the needs of this economy, giving absolutely nothing to the development of style. However, progress began with the start of the Crusades.

Knights and pilgrims, having visited the Holy Lands, saw all the luxury of the East and wanted to partially reproduce it in their homeland. This was the impetus for the development of the Romanesque style, which later reborn into the Gothic style.

Features of the Romanesque style

Romanesque creators- sculptors, architects, painters - wanted one thing: the embodiment of beauty in their creations. The era of this style gives rise to a special feeling of touching the everlasting history, a sense of the significance of the Christian world. In the interiors and architectural buildings of that time, warmth and harmony, smooth forms of arches and majestically calm decor are found.

Romanesque walls: stone imitation - castle walls. Also in the Romanesque style, you can use plain plaster of gray, tan, beige colors. Stone wall tiles in the bathroom/toilet. The feeling of gloom can be diluted with dark wood inserts, frescoes and even stained glass windows made of colored pieces of glass. Also in the wall you can create a decorative window of a semicircular elongated shape, or in the form of a fresco, adding a sense of strength.

Romanesque ceiling: more often as a continuation of the wall in the form of vaults. The color of the Romanesque ceiling matches the color of the wall. To revitalize, you can use wood inserts, but as rough supports, rather than carved decorations.

Romanesque floor: a distinctive feature of this style is the flooring with mosaics, mainly made of natural stone. It is possible to use ceramic tiles of large sizes, again imitating stone. Parquet in the Romanesque style of the interior is rarely used. When using it, try to choose an array of dark woods, to match the inserts on the walls with the effect of antiquity.

Romanesque furniture: Simple and even primitive. The most common: rough tables, stools with three and four legs, benches. Seating furniture was made of plank, carvings and forged iron parts were added. The backs of the chairs and the chairs themselves are quite high, their size indicated the nobility of origin. Romanesque furniture was often painted in bright colors. The material for the manufacture of furniture in the Romanesque style was spruce, cedar and oak.

The main mistake in creating a Romanesque interior is the use of upholstered furniture. In those years, it was not there, and the furniture was covered with paint and often covered with canvas, then a layer of gypsum was applied and the whole structure was subsequently painted with paints. The only possible deviation from the rules is the bed. In the Romanesque period, an important role is given to beds, which in design resemble frames on carved legs. As an elegant addition to the bed, canopies can be hung, although at that time they were used more as a protection from the cold.

The first place among household items in the Romanesque style belongs to the chest, which was used as a table, chair and even a bed, but mainly as a place to store household items. Later, chests with legs and doors began to appear in temples, which are a kind of progenitor of modern cabinets. However, the use of cabinets in any form is considered unacceptable. To create a special touch in the Romanesque style of the interior, get a wooden chest with wrought iron inserts.

Roman style characterized by the simplicity of the interior and the materials used in it, as well as small decorative details. In the Romanesque style, the concept of curtains and curtains first appears. This is due to the fact that spaces during antiquity were windowless, and buildings during the early Christian era had small stained glass windows, so these interiors did not require curtains. Despite the fact that the Romanesque architecture has a heavy castle character and there are not so many windows there either. It contains semi- and round windows, which began to be decorated with transverse curtains. The semicircle was a typical Romanesque window shape, so the curtain rod or cornice of this era was round. At the same time, a carved zigzag line adorned the simple architecture of the interior. The cornice or pole was made of dark wood, like the furniture. In addition to the transverse curtains in the interior of the Romanesque style, there were carpets and heavy draperies that served as protection from the cold.

Romanesque decor items: paintings, tapestries, wall lamps in the form of candles are used as wall decoration in the Romanesque style. When choosing a chandelier, focus on its massiveness (heavy and forged metal, chains, etc.). Relief was the predominant type of sculpture. Relief images, large vases with drawings, tapagrams (small terracotta figurines) complement the painted coffered ceiling. You can complement the interior with items of knightly heritage: armor, helmet, sword. A separate touch is the presence of a fireplace.

Roman style- the style of the revival of the traditions of ancient Rome. The style is characterized by heavy, closed, massive forms, static, smooth forms of arches and majestically calm decor.

characteristic feature of architecture the monumentality of defensive fortifications - a stone vault, thick walls cut through by small windows. The decor is dominated by massive elements, only the minimum necessary for life - beds, mostly with curtains, rough chairs made of wood and with a high back, chests fastened with metal plates. Cosiness was achieved with the help of finishing with fabrics and carpets. A mandatory element is a hearth with a hinged hood.

Examples :

Architecture

Church of St. Jacob (Germany, Regensburg)

Pisa Cathedral (Italy, Pisa)

Church of Notre-Dame-la-Grade (France, Poitiers)

Limburg Cathedral (Limburg an der Lahn, Germany)

Painting

"God turns to Noah" Master Saint-Savin sur Gartan. (12th century, fresco. Church of the Benedictine Order, Saint-Savin sur Gartan, France)

"The Apostle Peter receives the key." Master of the pericop of Henry II. (miniature

11th century, Bavarian State Library, Munich, Germany)

Gothick style(XII-XIVcenturies.)

Gothic style - a historical, artistic style that dominated Western European art in the 12th-14th centuries. "Gothic" meant "barbarian", in contrast to "Roman", Gothic was called art that did not follow ancient traditions. The style arose on the basis of the achievements of Romanesque art, primarily architecture and the Christian worldview.

The term "Gothic" appeared during the Italian Renaissance, as a derisive name for the outgoing era of the Middle Ages. "Gothic" was rehabilitated only at the beginning of the 19th century by the romantics.

In the history of art, early, mature (high) and late ("flaming") Gothic are distinguished.

In contrast to the Romanesque period, the centers of European religious, cultural, political and economic life were not monasteries, but cities. Gothic art is entirely associated with the city. Urban life gives rise to new types of civil buildings: exchanges, courts, markets, etc. The appearance of the city municipality - the town hall is taking shape.

The main type of Gothic architecture was the cathedral.

The cathedral was more than a place of church service, it was the center and focus of all public life. University lectures were read in the cathedral, theatrical performances (mysteries) took place, parliament met, and trade agreements were concluded. The cathedrals were so large that the entire population could not fill it. The Gothic cathedral is boundless, often asymmetrical, heterogeneous in its parts: each of the facades is individual. The wall is not felt, as if it does not exist.

All the achievements of the Gothic building technique are subordinated to the idea of creating a single artistic image of the cathedral with its aspiration upwards, towards the sky, emphasized by high light towers, stone lace of architectural and sculptural details. The main compositional dominant * of the Gothic cathedral is the vertical.

The needs of urban life prompted the transformation of a closed, thick, fortified Romanesque cathedral into a spatial one, open to the outside. And for this it was necessary to change the design itself. And after the design, the aesthetics changed, i.e. architectural style. The turn to Gothic began with architecture, then spread to sculpture and painting. Architecture remained the unchanging basis of the medieval synthesis of the arts.

If we compare the structures of the Romanesque and Gothic styles, it seems that they are opposite: one is the embodiment of massiveness, the other is lightness.

In the Romanesque cathedral in the central nave * - a massive cross vault, * resting on a wall with 4 pillars at the corners. The temple under such a system could not be spacious inside - it was narrow and dark.

The idea of the architects was to expand and lighten the system of vaults. Solid vaults are replaced by rib ceilings - a system of load-bearing arches.

The Gothic temple, retaining the same basilic * form as in the Romanesque period, has a new design of the vault, the basis of which is a frame * system with ribs. * The rib vault makes it possible to cover not only square, but also rectangular spans. To cover spaces and lighten the thickness of the walls, the lancet arch, * replacing the Romanesque semi-circular, is supplemented by a buttress, * on which the weight of the vault is transferred. The inner pillars are dematerialized in bundles of thin columns, which rapidly fly up and bloom on the vault with a complex pattern of ribs * (rib, fold), destroying the sensation of mass. The ribs converge into bundles on the supporting pillars, on which the entire load of the floors is now concentrated. The support pillars are strengthened by buttresses * (wall supports) and flying buttresses * (an external retaining arch that transfers the thrust of the vaults to the lower supports placed outside). The ribs rest on bundles of narrow long columns, similar to organ pipes, which rise to a dizzying height and, smoothly diverging, connect, almost merge with the arches. But the pointed arch was unstable, it was necessary to strengthen and balance it. This main work is carried out by powerful buttresses brought out by means of flying buttresses, transferred to the buttresses from the heel of the vault. Flying buttresses create medium, diagonal pressure. The architect Viollet de Duc, (1814-1879, France), who carefully studied Gothic architecture, believed that medieval architects with ingenious intuition applied the law of the parallelogram of forces here. N. Dmitrieva, reflecting on the design of the Gothic cathedral, concludes that "all the airiness, all the fabulousness of the Gothic structure has a rational basis: it follows from the frame system of construction, in which the building is a frame, a skeleton of an ogival vault, flying buttresses and buttresses. The wall as such does not carry anything, it is not needed for the construction. So why should it be solid and deaf? Through galleries, arcades, huge windows appear."

Changes in architecture led to changes in monumental painting. The place of the frescoes * was taken by the stained-glass window *, painting from pieces of glass in a lead outline, known in the early Middle Ages, but fully developed in the Gothic period.

Windows - for monumental painting of colored glass, with an amazing spectacular radiance of thick colors: red, blue, purple, yellow, many times enhanced by the rays of the sun. The medieval philosopher Thomas Aquinas called "brightness and clarity" among the main signs of beauty: "... therefore he added - we call beautiful those objects that are painted with a bright color."

There are statues on the galleries of the cathedrals.

Sculpture began to cover the entire temple, representing a kind of sermon: these are scenes from scripture, the lives of saints, literary edifying stories and scenes of folk life.

The heyday of the Gothic is also the heyday of the statuary (sculptural and monumental composition). E.Kon-Wiener writes that the Gothic era was distinguished by an unprecedented "freedom of the body", "liberation of movement in all directions." "The style of life itself became more agitated, the blood began to circulate faster in the veins of the people than in the Romanesque era. The crusades, the songs of the troubadours and the philosophy of that time tell us about this ... Gothic makes women sob over the tomb of the Savior, angels rejoice - in a word, makes an effect, exhilaration."

Dynamics, expression, excitement were reflected in the forms and plots of that time.

"The image of a suffering, offended person is the hidden inner nerve of Gothic art. Gothic loves plots associated with martyrdom and torment: the torture of Christ, the crucifixion, mourning, suffering, beating of babies. Artists do not spare the peace of mind of the audience and neglect "beauty." Before Gothic, art knew Christ the good shepherd, Christ in glory, Christ the formidable judge."

Gothic interprets the myth of Christ as the son of a carpenter who suffered great suffering from those in power. A special iconographic type of "Christ the Sorrowful", Christ in thought", "Christ is merciful". He is not on the cross and not in glory. N. Dmitrieva writes that "that Gothic is alien to love for the beauty of normal, proportionate forms, harmonic proportions. Gothic prefers the expression of inspired ecstasy in an ugly, emaciated body. God is the father, God is the creator of all things. He creates the world and foresees misfortune. But never, in any religious art, has God, the creator, been depicted as a suppressed act of creation.

Gothic artists knew not only the pathos of suffering - they were able to convey feelings of compassion, spiritual closeness, helping to endure adversity. They found language for these silent feelings - in the tilt of the head, in the looks. Not all art can express this silence of deep feeling - it does not lend itself to the artistic language of the Baroque, although the Baroque devoted itself to depicting spiritual ecstasies.

"But the ecclesiastical, Catholic baroque *, with its deliberate excitability, with skillfully calculated pompous expression, has lost the value of immediacy and folk simplicity, but in Gothic it was, and this is the greatness of Gothic."

In most Gothic cathedrals, sculptural decoration prevailed over painting, with the exception of stained glass windows. * The walls were openwork, so they were not suitable for frescoes. Gothic painting developed mainly in miniatures of manuscripts and in the paintings of the doors of altars, in a huge number of handwritten books, in the so-called breviaries - books with passages from the Bible, psalms and hymns.

In Germany in the fourteenth century illustrated the book of love songs "Manuscript of Manesse" - a chronicle of knightly "courtly" life, with tournaments, hunts, exploits in honor of the "beautiful lady".

The Gothic era was also a period of intensive development of secular culture. It was at this time that the ideals of spiritual love were cultivated, lyrical poetry and music, courtly art, reflecting the concept of knightly prowess, honor, respect for a woman, arose.

But architecture was the main shaping factor of the Gothic style.

Gothic cathedrals are neither outside nor inside seem overwhelming. They are designed for crowds; at the foot of the cathedral was always full of life.

"A Gothic cathedral is more an organization of space, both internal and external, than forms. Gothic architecture does not draw up a closed space, but turns everything around it - both the earthly firmament and the sky - into a figuratively significant whole. He wrote about this well O. Mandelstam:

"Lace stone be

And become a web:

Heaven's empty chest

Wound with a thin needle."

"The Gothic style is dramatic, but not gloomy and not dull; it is violently, temperamentally dramatic!". Another quote about the form and the Gothic style: "In the dynamic forms of the Gothic, in the pointed towers and openwork spires-phials with a crucifer, hovering over the city, both prayerful ecstasy and religious mysticism are embodied, as well as the pride and power of a person who conquers earthly virtuoso technique attraction and inert matter".

From the end of the twelfth century France becomes the center of European education. The University of Paris occupied one of the leading places in the scientific life of Europe. France also plays a leading role in the field of architecture and fine arts.

France, especially its center Ile de France, is rightfully considered the cradle of the Gothic. Even in the XII century. (1137-1151) during the restructuring of the church of Saint Denis, a rib * vault was used here for the first time. The largest temple of the early Gothic period was the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris (Notre Dame Cathedral) - a five-nave temple that could accommodate up to 9,000 people.

Its construction began in 1163 and completed in 1208. In the middle of the thirteenth century side chapels were added to the cathedral and the transverse nave - the transept * (architect Jean de Shelle and Pierre de Montreau) was enlarged, at the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th century. choir chapels were added (architect Pierre de Chell). The western facade in its design served as an example for many subsequent cathedrals: the so-called gallery of kings, three large windows with a "rose" in the middle, and two towers rise above the three perspective portals. All parts are decorated with lancet arches. In the design of the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral, the basic principles of Gothic are clearly traced: the ribbed lancet vault of the central nave, whose height is 35 m, lancet windows, flying buttresses. * But from the ponderous Romanesque architecture there remained a massive expanse of walls, squat pillars of the central nave, the predominance of horizontal divisions, heavy towers, and restrained sculptural decoration.

Chartres Cathedral (1194 - 1260).

Chartres Cathedral is an example of the transition to mature Gothic and the connection of facades of different times. The "royal portal" of the western facade belongs to the first half of the 12th century, at the beginning of the 13th century. the south tower was completed, in the fourteenth century. - northern. The interior of the cathedral is purely Gothic.

Reims Cathedral (1212 - 1311) is a brilliant example of mature French Gothic. Its creators are known at different times: Jean d'Orbe, Jean de Loup, Gaucher de Reims, Bernard de Soissons, Robert de Coucy. In the guise of the Reims Cathedral, there is a tendency to the vertical, which "reinforces literally the whole" forest "of pinnacles * and wimpergs * (even the "rose *" on the facade has a pointed end).

The entire western façade is decorated with sculptures; However, unlike late Gothic, this "lace" does not hide the structure of the building.

Amiens Cathedral (1218 - 1258) - the largest and tallest Gothic cathedral in France. Its length is 145 m, the height of the vault of the central nave is 42.5 m. It was built by the architects Robert de Lucharches, Thomas de Cormont and Renaud de Cormont. Amiens Cathedral is often referred to as the "Gothic Parthenon".

By the middle of the thirteenth century the scope of construction in France is weakening.

From the fourteenth century the late Gothic period begins, which is also called the "flaming" Gothic. It will last for the 14th and 15th centuries. Late Gothic buildings are overloaded with decor, complex decorative carvings and intricate patterns of ribs (Cathedral in Rouen, XIV-XV centuries).

Gothic art in Germany is not as unified as French. The influence of French architecture is noticeable and this made it possible for German architects to retain their national identity. German Gothic developed later than French. The end of the XIII - the beginning of the XIV - the boundary of the early and high Gothic; end of the XV - beginning of the XV century. - high and late.

German cathedrals are simpler in plan, flying buttresses are very rare, the vaults are higher, the building is more vertically elongated, the spiers of the towers are very high. A feature of German Gothic is one-tower temples.

Monuments of Gothic architecture in Germany are the cathedrals in Marburg, Naumburg, Freiburg, Ulm and other cities.

An outstanding work of German architecture is the cathedral in Cologne (begun in 1248, built before the 16th century, the towers were erected in the 19th century, in 1842-1880). The cathedral is similar in plan to Amiens, but its vaults are higher (the height of the central nave is 46 m, the towers are 160 m, the ratio of the middle nave to the side ones is 5: 2), the "rose" was replaced by an lancet window. Sculptural decor is used more in the interior. It is made of stone, wood, bronze, knocking.

The most famous cycle of sculptures of the Gothic period is considered to be the decoration of the cathedral in Naumburg. The reliefs of the "Passion of Christ" are full of extraordinary drama, the reality of what is happening, piercing authenticity. Twelve statues of the founders of the temple, its donors, are installed in the choir room. This is a whole sculptural gallery of human characters, each with its own unique individuality, and at the same time the types of human characters of that era.

The Gothic of England arose at the end of the 12th century and lasted until the 15th century. An early example of English Gothic is Salisbury Cathedral (1220-1270), sung later in Constable's landscapes. It is a three-aisled cathedral, 140 m long, with a large choir, two transepts * and a rectangular apse. * The Crossroads Tower is the highest in England - 135 m.

Canterbury Cathedral (XII-XV centuries) - the main temple of the English kingdom, the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, a national shrine - demonstrates the development of English Gothic from early to late. The Cathedral of Westminster Abbey in London, the place of the coronation and burial of English kings, the tomb of the great people of England, is close to French Gothic.

Gothic sculpture in England is purely decorative, subordinated to architecture.

Monumental Gothic painting is poorly developed, the book miniature is the most interesting, there are many elements of genuine real life (secular chronicles, liturgical books).

A special place in the European artistic culture of the XIII-XIV centuries. occupied by Italy. There have already been created the conditions for the emergence of the culture of the Renaissance - Proto-Renaissance. In Italy, individual elements of the Gothic style were embodied: lancet arches, "roses". The basis was Romanesque. An example of late Italian Gothic is the Milan Cathedral, the largest in Europe (1378 - 15th century, completed in the 19th century). It accommodated up to 40,000 people. It was built by Italian, German, French architects. The entire cathedral is covered with sculptural carvings.

In Italy, there are many civil buildings of the Gothic period. The decoration of Venice is its marble palaces with arcades. * The most famous of them is the Palace of the Doge (rulers of Venice), 1310s - 16th century. - a bright symbol of the centuries-old Venetian history.

The art of the Middle Ages put forward new aesthetic ideals, a new range of ideas and images, new artistic techniques and new content. Feeding on the ideas of Christianity, this art penetrated deeply into the inner world of man. The interest of the art of the Middle Ages in the moral image of a person, in what is defined by the word "spirituality" is enormous.

Medieval art created grand artistic ensembles; it solved gigantic architectural problems, created new forms of monumental sculpture and painting, it revealed the synthesis of these monumental arts. This is a huge contribution of the art of the Middle Ages to world culture. A style has been created. Gothic prepared a new era - the Renaissance.