What Is a Reliquary and What Is Its Importance to Romanesque Art for Example

Romanesque Sculpture

Sculpture from the Romanesque period saw advances in metalwork, enamels, and figurative friezes and scenes institute in architecture.

Learning Objectives

Examine the characteristics of Romanesque sculpture

Key Takeaways

Key Points

• Romanesque fine art is the fine art of Europe from approximately grand CE to the rise of the Gothic mode in the 13th century or later, depending on region.
• Sophisticated precious objects in metalwork , ivories , and enamels held high status in the Romanesque period.
• Many spectacular shrines fabricated to hold relics accept survived, such as the Shrine of the Iii Kings at Cologne Cathedral by Nicholas of Verdun.
• Big reliquaries and altar frontals were congenital around a wooden frame, but smaller caskets were made entirely of metal and enamel. A few secular pieces such as mirror cases, jewelry, and clasps have also survived.
• During the 11th and 12th centuries, figurative sculpture was revived as architectural reliefs became a authentication of the subsequently Romanesque period. Figurative sculpture was based largely on manuscript illumination and modest sculpture in ivory and metal.
• Most Romanesque sculpture is pictorial and biblical in subject area. A bang-up diverseness of themes are found on building capitals , including scenes of Cosmos and the Fall of Human being, the life of Christ, and the Old Testament.

Key Terms

• portal: An opening in a wall of a building, gate, or fortification, especially a chiliad entrance to an of import structure.
• enamel: A cloth fabricated past fusing powdered drinking glass to a substrate past firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C (ane,380 and one,560 °F); the powder melts, flows, and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, glass, or ceramics.
• tympanum: In compages, the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, divisional by a lintel and arch and often containing sculpture or other imagery or ornaments.

Background: Romanesque Art

Romanesque fine art is the fine art of Europe from approximately one thousand CE to the rise of the Gothic fashion in the 13th century or later, depending on region. The preceding menstruation is known every bit the Pre-Romanesque period. The term was invented past 19th-century art historians specifically to refer to Romanesque architecture, which retained many features of Roman architectural fashion (notably round-headed arches , barrel vaults , apses , and acanthus-leaf decoration) while also developing distinctive characteristics. Southern France, Espana, and Italy showed architectural continuity with the Late Antique, just the Romanesque style was the first to spread across the whole of Catholic Europe from Sicily to Scandinavia. Romanesque fine art was besides profoundly influenced by Byzantine fine art, especially in painting, and past the anti-classical energy of the ornamentation of the Insular fine art of the British Isles. From these elements was forged a highly innovative and coherent style.

Romanesque Sculpture

Metalwork, Enamels, and Ivories

Precious objects in metalwork, ivories, and enamels held loftier status in the Romanesque period. The creators of these objects are more well-known than contemporary painters, illuminators, and architect-masons. Metalwork, including decoration in enamel, became very sophisticated. Many spectacular shrines fabricated to hold relics have survived, of which the best known is the Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral by Nicholas of Verdun (circa 1180–1225). The statuary Gloucester candlestick is a superb instance of metal casting , with intricate and energetic qualities that draw on manuscript painting. The Stavelot Triptych and Reliquary of St. Maurus are other examples of Mosan enamelwork. Big reliquaries and chantry frontals were built around a wooden frame, but smaller caskets were fabricated entirely of metal and enamel. A few secular pieces such equally mirror cases, jewelry, and clasps have also survived, just these no doubt under-stand for the amount of fine metalwork owned past the nobility.

The Gloucester candlestick, early on twelfth century: The bronze Gloucester candlestick is a superb example of metal casting, with intricate and energetic qualities that depict on manuscript painting.

Architectural Sculpture

With the autumn of the Roman Empire, the tradition of etching big works in stone and sculpting figures in bronze died out, every bit it did for religious reasons in the Byzantine world. Some life-size sculpture was done in stucco or plaster, but surviving examples are rare. The best-known surviving sculpture of Proto-Romanesque Europe is the life-size wooden crucifix commissioned past Archbishop Gero of Cologne in about 960–65, patently the prototype of a popular form . Outset in the twelfth centure, these were set on a axle below the chancel arch, known in English as a rood, and flanked by figures of the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist.

During the 11th and 12th centuries, figurative sculpture was revived as architectural reliefs became a authentication of the belatedly Romanesque period. Figurative sculpture was based largely on manuscript illumination and small sculpture in ivory and metallic. The all-encompassing friezes sculpted on Armenian and Syriac churches were another likely influence. These sources together produced a distinct way that can be recognized across Europe, although the nearly spectacular sculptural projects are concentrated in South-Western France, Northern Spain, and Italian republic.

Images in metalwork were frequently embossed . The resulting surface had two main planes with incised details. This treatment was adjusted to stone carving and is often seen in the tympanum in a higher place the portal , where the imagery of Christ in Majesty with the symbols of the Four Evangelists is drawn direct from the gilt covers of medieval gospel books. This way of doorway occurs in many places and continued into the Gothic menses.

Most Romanesque sculpture is pictorial and biblical in subject. A great variety of themes are found on building capitals, including scenes of Creation and the Autumn of Human being, the life of Christ, and Old Testament depictions of his Death and Resurrection, such as Jonah and the Whale and Daniel in the lions' den. Many Nativity scenes occur, most frequently the Three Kings. Some Romanesque churches feature an all-encompassing sculptural scheme which covers the area surrounding the portal and sometimes much of the facade. The sculptural schemes were designed to convey the message that Christian believers should recognize wrongdoing, apologize, and exist redeemed. The Terminal Judgement reminds the laic to repent, while the carved or painted Crucifix, displayed prominently within the church, reminds the sinner of redemption.

Vézelay Abbey, Burgundy, French republic: The tympanum of Vézelay Abbey in Burgundy, completed in the 1130s, has a nifty deal of decorative spiral detail in the draperies.

Romanesque Sculpture: Majestat Batlló

The Batlló Majesty is one of the finest and all-time-preserved examples of Catalan sculptures from the 12^th century.

Learning Objectives

Discuss the triumphant symbolism and Romanesque characteristics of the Batlló Majesty.

Fundamental Takeaways

Key Points

• Carved wooden images were a fundamental element in churches as objects of worship. One of the nearly elaborate types in Catalonia was the Christ in Majesty: images of Christ on the Cross that symbolize his triumph over death.
• The near outstanding of these is the Majestat Batlló, also one of the finest and best-preserved examples of Catalan sculptures.
• One of the striking features of the Majestat Batlló compared to Catalan sculptures is the well-conserved polychromy .
• The frontal geometric composition of Christ'southward tunic decorated in circles and floral motifs is reminiscent of the refined Byzantine and Hispano-Moorish fabrics held in high esteem in the Christian West during this time. The chronology of the Majestat Batlló is difficult to engagement; the inscription on the cross and the painting could be placed in the 11th century, although other authors date it back to the 12th century.

Key Terms

• polychromy: The practice of combining different colors, especially bright ones, in an artistic way.
• abacus: The uppermost portion of the majuscule of a cavalcade, immediately under the architrave.
• iconographic: Of or pertaining to a religious icon.

The Majestat Batlló, or Batlló Majesty, is a 12^th century Romanesque polychrome forest carving at present held in the Museu Nacional d'Fine art de Catalunya in Barcelona, Catalonia. Carved wooden images were a fundamental element in churches as objects of worship, and one of the most elaborate motifs was the Christ in Majesty: images of Christ on the Cross that symbolize his triumph over death. The virtually outstanding of these is the Majestat Batlló, as well one of the finest and best-preserved examples of Catalan sculpture.

Majestat Batlló: The Majestat Batlló is a 12th century Romanesque wooden crucifix, at present in the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona. It is one of the virtually elaborate examples in Catalonia of an image of Christ on the Cantankerous symbolizing his triumph over expiry.

Symbolism and Description

The Majestat Batlló is a large wooden crucifix that presents Christ bearing his suffering with noble stoicism and triumph. He is wearing a colobium, or a long, sleeveless tunic. Although the corners of his mouth turn slightly downward, Christ's open eyes and unfurrowed forehead create the impression of a self-possessed impassivity. A Latin inscription higher up his head reads, "JHS NAZARENUS REX IUDEORUM" ("Jesus of Nazareth Male monarch of the Jews"), equally in biblical accounts (Matthew 27:37, Mark 15:26, Luke 23:38, John nineteen:xix).

One of the striking features of the Batlló Majesty compared to Catalan sculpture is the well-conserved polychromy. Christ'due south colobium, in imitation of rich oriental silk, is decorated with blueish floral designs surrounded past circular red frames embellished with dots and circles. A thin belt with an elaborate interlace knot pulls the tunic in above Christ's hips, making the fabric in a higher place it swell out slightly and curving the path of its apartment, broad vertical folds. Such robes are linked with majestic and priestly functions and conveyed a message of strength to the audience. They can be seen as a visualization of the Apocalyptic Christ from the Book of Revelation.

The frontal geometric composition of the tunic decorated in circles and floral motifs is reminiscent of the refined Byzantine and Hispano-Moorish fabrics held in high esteem in the Christian West during this fourth dimension. The great reference for this type was the Volto Santo in Lucca (Tuscany, Italian republic), regarded equally having miraculous origins and as the object of pilgrimage and extraordinary devotion from the end of the 11th century. The iconographic tradition of Jesus in a colobium dates to 586 CE in a manuscript of the Syriac Gospels called the Rabbula Gospels, written by the monk Rabbula somewhere in Mesopotamia . The tradition of depicting Christ in such costume was likely brought to Catalonia by artisans from Pisa, who arrived in 1114 to aid Ramon Berenguer Iii, Count of Barcelona, in his conquest of the Balearic Islands.

Chronology

The Majestat Batlló is hard to date, only the inscription on the cross and the painting could be placed in the eleven^thursday century. Nevertheless, other authors date it dorsum to the 12^th century based on the painting's similarity to others from the area of Ripoll, mid-12^th century. The tunic is coordinating to an Islamic motif of the cloister of the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Moissac, which seems to prove the spread of this manner during the Romanesque flow.

Romanesque Sculpture: Mary as the Throne of Wisdom

Mary as the Throne of Wisdom was a pop biblical theme represented throughout Romanesque sculpture.

Learning Objectives

Compare the various depictions of Mary seated on the Throne of Wisdom

Key Takeaways

Primal Points

• Images of Mary as the Throne of Wisdom are especially prevalent in Roman Catholic art.
• When the Virgin is depicted in sedes sapientiae ("Throne of Wisdom") icons and sculptural representations, she is seated on a throne with the Christ Child on her lap.
• This concept of Mary likens her to the Throne of Solomon, referring to her status every bit a vessel of the incarnation carrying the Holy Child. The sedes sapientiae icon also appeared in Romanesque illuminated manuscripts , frescoes , mosaics , and seals.

Key Terms

• Romanesque: The art of Europe from approximately chiliad CE to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century or later, depending on region.
• iconography: The branch of fine art history which studies the identification, description, and interpretation of the content of images.

Groundwork

In the Roman Catholic tradition, the epithet "the Seat of Wisdom" or "Throne of Wisdom" is one of many devotional titles for the Female parent of God. The phrase was coined in the 11^th and 12^th centuries by Peter Damiani and Guibert de Nogent and likens Mary to the Throne of Solomon, referring to her condition equally a vessel conveying the Holy Child. As the phrase assembly the Blessed Virgin with glory and pedagogy, Madonnas in this tradition are peculiarly popular in Catholic imagery .

Mary as the Throne of Wisdom: Madonna as Seat of Wisdom, 1199, inscribed equally by Presbyter Martinus, from the Camaldolese abbey in Borgo San Sepolcro nigh Arezzo, Italy.

Cultural History

In Christian iconography , sedes sapientiae ("The Throne of Wisdom") is an icon of the Mother of God in majesty. When the Virgin is depicted in sedes sapientiae icons and sculptural representations, she is seated on a throne with the Christ Child on her lap.

This type of Madonna image was a variant of the Byzantine Hodegetria type, in which the Virgin Mary is depicted belongings the kid Jesus at her side while pointing to him as the source of salvation for mankind. It appeared in a wide range of sculptural and painted images in Western Europe, especially nigh 1200 CE. In these representations, structural elements of the throne invariably appear, even if only handholds and front legs. The Virgin's anxiety often rest on a low stool. Afterwards Gothic sculptures are more than explicitly identifiable with the Throne of Solomon, where "two lions stood, one at each hand. And twelve little lions stood upon the six steps on the one side and on the other" (I Kings ten, 19-twenty).

Aechen Cathedral, 11th Century: The cloisonné enamel donor plaque with the donor's portrait and the enthroned Madonna, on the processional Cross of Mathilde, Ottonian, early 11th century (Aachen Cathedral)

In addition to Romanesque sculpture, the sedes sapientiae icon appeared in illuminated manuscripts, frescoes, mosaics, and seals of the time. The icon possesses emblematic exact components: the Virgin as the Throne of Wisdom is a trope of Damiani or Guibert de Nogent, based on the typological interpretation of the passage in the Books of Kings that describes the throne of Solomon (I Kings x: 18–20, repeated at II Chronicles nine: 17–19). This motif was ofttimes used in Early Netherlandish painting in works like the Lucca Madonna by January van Eyck.

Romanesque Sculpture: Tomb of Rudolf of Swabia

The tomb of Rudolf of Swabia is a prime example of Romanesque sculpture.

Learning Objectives

Describe the expressive Romanesque artistry on the tomb of Rudolf of Swabia

Key Takeaways

Fundamental Points

• Rudolf of Rheinfelden was the alternative male monarch, or antiking, for the politically oriented anti-Henry German aristocrats. He died during the Cracking Saxon Rebellion in the tardily 11th century.
• Rudolf'southward tomb sculpture reflects the Romanesque love of inventive surface patterns and an expressive approach to the man trunk, using elongation, unnatural poses, and emphatic gestures to convey states of mind.
• The intricate metalwork on Rudolf's tomb is also indicative of Romanesque sculpture.

Key Terms

• Romanesque: The art of Europe from approximately 1000 CE to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century or later on, depending on region.

Rudolf of Rheinfelden (1025 – 1080) was Duke of Swabia (1057–1079) and German Antiking (1077–1080). He was the son of Count Kuno of Rheinfelden and eventually became the alternative king, or antiking, for the politically oriented anti-Henry German aristocrats. This rebellion became known equally the Great Saxon Defection. He died equally a effect of battle wounds as his faction met and defeated Henry'south in the Battle of Elster.

Tomb of Rudolf of Rheinfelden

Rudolf of Rheinfelden's tomb, located at the cathedral of Merseburg, is a fine case of Romanesque sculpture. Sculpture of this era is marked past a love of inventive surface patterns and an expressive arroyo to the human body, using elongation, unnatural poses, and emphatic gestures to convey states of mind. Rudolf'southward tomb reflects these characteristics. The sculpture of his trunk is elongated and lies with a scepter in one paw and an orb in the other, symbolic of the royal title he claimed but never held in life. He is depicted in regal garments and a crown.

The material used to construct the tomb also reflects the loftier status of metalwork in Romanesque sculpture. Indeed, precious metal objects, enamel work, and ivory carried a much higher significance than paintings during this fourth dimension. Metalwork and enamel decoration became peculiarly sophisticated during the 10^th and eleven^th centuries. Rudolf of Rheinfelden's tomb reflects this aesthetic with its bronze relief of Rudolf's body encased inside of a raised border edge. An inscription is also etched into the border, demonstrating the skill involved in the tomb'southward construction.

Tomb of Rudolf of Swabia: The tomb of Rudolf of Swabia is exemplary of Romanesque sculpture.

Romanesque Sculpture: Reiner of Huy

Reiner of Huy was a 12^th century metalworker and sculptor to whom the baptismal font at St. Bartholomew's Church is attributed.

Learning Objectives

Depict the Reiner of Huy's masterpiece, the baptismal font at St. Bartholomew's Church in Belgium

Key Takeaways

Primal Points

• Reiner of Huy was a 12th century metalworker and sculptor idea to be the creator of the famous baptismal font at St. Bartholomew's Church building.
• Nothing is known of Reiner's life other than that he was mentioned in an 1125 document equally a goldsmith, but a 14th century chronicle mentions him as the creative person of the font.
• Reiner of Huy's status equally the creator of the font and the Mosan origin of the font accept been questioned.
• The font is a major masterpiece of Mosan art, remarkable for the classicism of its style . The v scenes can be read in chronological sequence and include depictions of John the Baptist, the Baptism of Christ, St. Peter baptizing Cornelius the Centurion, and St. John baptizing Craton.
• The but other work generally agreed to be by the same chief equally the font is a small-scale bronze crucifix effigy now located in Schnütgen Museum, Cologne.

Key Terms

• lost-wax casting: The process by which a duplicate metal sculpture (often silver, gold, contumely, or bronze) is cast from an original sculpture.
• font: A receptacle in a church building for holy h2o, especially i used in baptism.
• Mosan: A regional way of art from the valley of the Meuse in present-day Belgium, the Netherlands, and Federal republic of germany. Although in a broader sense the term applies to art from this region from all periods, it generally refers to Romanesque art, with architecture, stone carving, metalwork, enameling, and manuscript illumination reaching its elevation from the 11th through 13th centuries.

Overview: Reiner of Huy

Reiner of Huy was a 12^th century metalworker and sculptor to whom many masterpieces of Mosan art, including the baptismal font at St. Bartholomew'southward Church in Liege, Kingdom of belgium, are attributed. The Meuse River valley in modern Belgium and French republic, roughly comprising the Diocese of Liège, was the leading 12^th century center of Romanesque metalwork , which at the time was nevertheless the most prestigious art medium . Nothing is known of Rainer'due south life other a mention in an 1125 document as a goldsmith; all the same, a 14^thursday century relate mentions him as the creative person of the font. He may have died around 1150. Although Reiner of Huy is traditionally accepted to exist the creator of the font, this attribution and the Mosan origin of the font, have been questioned.

Baptismal Font at St. Bartholomew's Church

The font is a major masterpiece of Mosan art, remarkable for the classicism of its mode. The basin is 91 centimeters (36 inches) beyond at the acme, tapering slightly toward the base of operations , and described as brass or bronze. It was made using the lost-wax casting technique with the basin bandage in a single piece. The size was not necessarily exceptional, as both church bells and cauldrons for large households were probably comparable sizes. Some church doors cast in a unmarried piece, though apartment, were much larger.

The font sat on 12 oxen (two of which are at present missing) that emerged from a stone plinth, a reference to the "molten sea… on twelve oxen" bandage in bronze for Solomon'south temple. The 5 scenes shown, identified by Latin inscriptions (tituli) on the rim higher up and in the image field, can be read in chronological sequence. They include two scenes of John the Baptist, the Baptism of Christ, St. Peter baptizing Cornelius the Centurion, and St. John the Evangelist baptizing the philosopher Craton.

Baptismal Font at St. Bartholomew'south Church building: Reiner of Huy, a 12th century metalworker and sculptor, is mostly attributed with creating the baptismal font at St. Bartholomew's Church building.

Possible Other Works

The merely other work generally agreed to be past the same master as the font is a small bronze crucifix figure now located in Schnütgen Museum, Cologne. Another crucifix in Brussels is probably from the same mold just with extra chasing. Others in Brussels and Dublin may take come from the aforementioned workshop, as they have many similarities to the Cologne bronze crucifix.

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Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-arthistory/chapter/romanesque-sculpture/

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