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CHAPTER ELEVEN
ROMANESQUE ART
Google Earth Coordinates:
Cathedral of Saint James, Santiago de Compostela, Compostela, Spain
Cathedral of Saint Lazare, Tympanum with Last Judgment on West Portal, Autun,
France
Video Links:
Durham Cathedral
Religious Destination: Santiago de Compostela
The Mystery of the Octagon: Aachen Cathedral
First Expressions of Romanesque Style
Key Images
Nave and choir (looking east), church of Sant Vincenç, p. 349, 11.1
Key Images
Nave of cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, p. 353, 11.5
Reliquary casket with symbols of the four Evangelists, p. 354, 11.6
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West portal, with Last Judgment by Gislebertus on tympanum, cathedral of Saint-Lazare,
Autun, p. 363, 11.17
Gislebertus, Eve, north portal from cathedral of Saint-Lazare, Autun, p. 364, 11.18
Sarcophagus of Doña Sancha, Monastério de las Benedictinas, Jaca, p. 365, 11.19
Primary Source:
Compostela, p. 352
St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), from Apologia to Abbot
William of Saint-Thierry, p. 359
: Preserving and Restoring Architecture, p. 369
Other Regional Variants of Romanesque Style
Key Images
West façade, Notre-Dame-la-Grande, Poitiers, p. 373, 11.30
West façade, Saint-Gilles-du-Gard, p. 373, 11.31
Crac des Chevaliers, Homs Pass, p. 375, 11.32
Materials and Techniques: Vaulting, p. 380
The Paradoxical Meaning of the Romanesque
Mouth of Hell, from the Winchester Psalter, p. 386, 11.48
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Hall churches, without reinforcing arches, offered a continuous surface for interior
murals.
Innovations in Norman churches include a redefined westwork and a novel interior
vault articulation.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a member of the Cistercian order which was a reform
movement for the Benedictines, objected to the lavish decoration in churches and
monasteries.
Romanesque sculpture witnessed the use of distinct artistic personalities, such as
Giselbertus, Wilgelmo and Antelami. Gislebertus is thought to have trained at Cluny.
The powerful buildings of the twelfth century reflect improved economic conditions
and political stability in Europe during this period, but the increased defensive
qualities suggests a lingering apprehension. This anxiety is reflected in the Mouth of
Hell (11.48) from the Winchester Psalter.
Key Terms/Places/Names
compound piers
apsidioles
machicolations
campanile
Discussion Questions
1. What was the purpose of Romanesque tympanum sculpture?
4. In what ways can the Bayeux Tapestry (11.40) be considered monumental? In what
ways is it similar to contemporary manuscript illumination? How is it different?
5. In what ways could the Winchester Psalter (11.48) be considered instructive? Does
it functio Last Judgment (11.17)? If so, how?
9. How is the influence of the Byzantine style reflected in figure of St. John the
Evangelist (11.29) from the Gospel Book of Abbot Wedricus?
10. What characterizes Romanesque architecture?
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Resources
Books
Busch, Haraldo, and Bernard Lohse. Romanesque Sculpture. London: Barsford, 1962.
Toman, Rolf. Romanesque: The Fascination of Medieval Art from the Mediterranean
Lands to Scandinavia. Köln: Könemann, 2005.
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