Painting
Duccio, Calling of the Apostles, c. 1310 Italy
Giotto, Lamentation, c. 1305, Italy.
Painting in the Romanesque and Gothic era had come a long way from it's Medieval predecessors. Painters were now experimenting with different techniques, compositions and styles, and pushing further and further away from the static gold-encrusted imagery of the Byzantine style. Two of the most famous painters were Duccio and Giotto, both innovators in their own right. How do their paintings compare to paintings we've seen in the Middle Ages, or even in the Byzantine era? How do they compare to each other? What subject matters and techniques are demonstrated?
Architecture and Sculpture - The Two Styles
Sculpture and Architecture during both the Romanesque and the Gothic periods were closely inter-related, as they were in the Middle Ages. Churches predominated architecture, and most of the sculpture produced during these periods was for church decoration.
The Romanesque style of architecture and sculpture covers the earlier period, from about AD 1000 to the mid 12th century (1150). The Gothic style picks up where the Romanesque left off around AD 1150 (although sometimes the styles overlap depending on location) and lasts until the coming of the Italian Renaissance in the 16th century. Most churches built in Europe between these time frames fall into either the Romanesque or the Gothic categories.
Romanesque
Floor Plan, Exterior and Interior Views of a Typical Romanesque Church
Romanesque churches were often used built along pilgrimage routes, and as such were designed to accomodate a large number of worshippers. What changes can you note from earlier Christian basilicas? In order to accomodate the crowds, 2 more aisles were typically constructed, as was a circular aisle, called an ambulatory. Also, chapels radiating out from the ambulatory were common in these churches, as was the use of the round barrel vault, seen in the ceiling in the above interior shot.
Tympanum of the Church of Santa Maria, Spain, AD. 1150
Romanesque sculpture was usually very dynamic and dramatic. Areas of sculpture on churches, such as in the tympanum, usually told stories relating to Christian ideology. Can you tell from the iconography what is meant to be depicted in each scene?
Gothic
Interior and Exterior views of a typical Gothic church
Notre Dame (Ext) and Reims Cathedrals, France, AD. 1200.
Gothic churches, in contrast to the short, round churches of the Romanesque period, were tall and light looking. The most defining features of any gothic cathedral is the pointed arch, the flying buttresses and the large areas of stained glass. Can you identify each of these features in the pictures above?
Gargoyle from the St. Just Cathedral in Florence, AD. 1272.
Sculpture on Gothic churches was less dynamic than their Romanesque counterparts. Why would this be? What do you think each sculpture represents? How does the tympanum shown here differ from the Romanesque one?
The Church of San Sernin in Toulouse France, AD 1080-1120.
Resurrection Scene from the Cathedral at Tarragona, Spain, AD. 1150
Tympanum at Burgos Cathedral, France, AD. 1250.
