Details Category: Variety of styles and movements in art and their features Published 10/11/2015 15:21 Views: 5403

The Romanesque style played an important role in the transition to Gothic art, a higher level of medieval artistic culture.

This style manifested itself most clearly in monumental sculpture, fresco painting and especially in architecture.

About the term and periodicals

As for periodicals, the chronological framework for the predominance of the Romanesque style in individual countries and regions does not always coincide. For example, in the northeast of France the last third of the 12th century. already attributed to the Gothic period, and in Germany and Italy, signs of Romanesque art continue to exist as the main ones throughout a significant part of the 13th century.
Thus, the term “Romanesque style” should refer to the art of Western and Central Europe in the 11th-12th centuries, from about 1000 until the emergence of the Gothic style. It reflects an objectively existing stage in the history of medieval European art. But the term “Romanesque art” itself appeared only in early XIX century, and before that all medieval art was called “Gothic”.
The Romanesque style is divided into early (XI century) and mature (XII century).

Architecture

Church of St. Jacob in Regensburg (Germany)
Architecture was the leading form of Romanesque art. It is diverse in types, design features and decor. The architecture of this period is mainly represented by temples, monasteries and castles. Urban architecture did not receive widespread development during this period.
The main material for Romanesque buildings is local stone. The stones were cut by different craftsmen, so in medieval art two completely identical parts are rarely found. The hewn stone was laid in place on the mortar.
The main monastery building was the church; Next to it was a courtyard surrounded by open colonnades. Then there was the house of the abbot of the monastery (abbot), a bedroom for the monks, a refectory, a kitchen, a winery, a brewery, a bakery, warehouses, stables, living quarters for workers, a doctor’s house, housing and a special kitchen for pilgrims, a school, a hospital, and a cemetery.
The Romanesque style is characterized by a basilica (longitudinal) shape. A Romanesque basilica is a three-nave (less often five-nave) longitudinal room.

Cross section to the Romanesque basilica (left) and the Romanesque temple
Externally, Romanesque churches looked massive and geometric (in the form of a parallelepiped, cylinder, half-cylinder, cone, pyramid). The main advantage of Romanesque architecture is the stern truthfulness and clarity of architectural forms.
The building always fit harmoniously into the surrounding nature - this also gave it solidity. Massive walls with narrow window openings and stepped-recessed portals served a defensive purpose.
Portal – architecturally designed main entrance large structure. The portal also had a psychological function: to enhance the impression, highlight, enlarge and exaggerate the entrance to the building.

Central and two side portals of Notre Dame Cathedral
Other features of the Romanesque cathedral architecture:
Enlargement of the choir (eastern altar part of the temple)
Increasing the height of the temple
Replacement of coffered (cassette) ceilings with stone vaults in the largest cathedrals. The vaults were of several types: box, cross, often cylindrical, flat on beams (typical of Italian Romanesque architecture).
Heavy vaults required powerful walls and columns.
The main motif of the interior is semicircular arches

Roman bridge with semicircular arches (Alcantara, Spain)
The entire structure consisted of folded individual square cells - grasses.
Let's look at one of the buildings of Romanesque architecture.

Church of the Virgin Mary (Denmark, Kalundborg)

This is a fortress church in the north-west of the island of Zealand, the main attraction of the city and the entire region. She rises to high hill over the harbor and attracts attention from afar.
The exact date of foundation of the church is unknown. It is assumed that it was built in 1170-1190. in honor of the conversion of the region to Christianity.
It is one of the first brick structures in Denmark; At the same time as the church, a fortified castle was built, later rebuilt.
The majestic Church of the Virgin Mary is built of red brick, has the shape of a Greek cross in plan, and includes a central tower (44 m) and four corner ones. The central tower is supported by four granite columns, providing additional strength. Octagonal side towers (34 m each) were erected above four apses ( apse– a lowered protrusion of a building adjacent to the main volume, semicircular, faceted, rectangular or complicated in plan, covered with a semi-dome or closed semi-vault).

Absida
This 5-tower design is unique for Western Europe, because it is more common in Orthodox architecture.
The church looks like a fortress, this is explained not only by fortification considerations. Presumably, the 5 towers of the church symbolize the idea of ​​​​Heavenly Jerusalem, which in the Middle Ages was imagined as a fortified city with five towers.
Initially, the interior of the Church of the Virgin Mary was decorated with wall paintings (frescoes). Two bells: the oldest of them is 1502, the youngest was cast in 1938.

Pisa Cathedral and Tower (Italy)
Quite a lot of architectural monuments of the Romanesque style have been preserved: Malmesbury Abbey, Durham Cathedral, Oakham Castle, St. Alban's Cathedral, Peterborough Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, Winchester Cathedral (Great Britain), Laach Abbey, Kaiser Cathedrals in Speyer, Worms and Mainz, Libmurg Cathedral, Church of St. Jacobean in Regensburg (Germany), Romanesque churches in Val de Boi (Spain), Pisa Cathedral and, in part, the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italy), Church of Notre-Dame-la-Grand in Poitiers, Priory of Serrabona (France), Braga Cathedral, Cathedral Porto, Old Town Hall of Braganca, Old Cathedral of Coimbra, Lisbon Cathedral (Portugal), etc.

Sculpture

Romanesque sculpture was subject to architectural motifs. It was mainly used in the external decoration of cathedrals. Reliefs were most often located on the western facade, located around the portals or placed on the surface of the facade. Subjects: religious, symbolic images of the Universe in all its grandeur.
Particular attention was paid to the sculptural decoration of the western facade and the entrance to the temple. Above the main perspective portal was usually located tympanum(inner field of the pediment) with a relief depicting the scene of the Last Judgment.

Tympanum of Strasbourg Cathedral (France)
Columns and portals on which apostles, prophets and Old Testament kings were depicted were also decorated with reliefs on the façade.
Quite often, the figure of the hanged Judas Iscariot was used in sculptural decorations - we must understand, as an edification. Demons helped him in hanging.

Judas Iscariot and demons
In general, Romanesque sculpture was strongly inclined towards metaphors. For example, around the upper wall of the altar in the Abbey of Artois (Landes, France) there are small figures depicting passion, intemperance and barbaric monkeys - a symbol of human depravity.

Other types of sculpture

Products made from precious materials were highly valued. Many of them have survived: ossuaries for storing relics, altar facades, as well as some secular items of the nobility: mirrors, jewelry, clasps.

Bronze Gloucester candlestick from the 12th century.
An example of well-preserved miniature ivory is the Isle of Lewis chess set.

Chess from the Isle of Lewis
Most of them are made from walrus tusk, and the rest are made from whale tooth. They were discovered in 1831 on the Scottish Isle of Lewis (Outer Hebrides). Currently 11 chess pieces are in National Museum Scotland, the rest are in the British Museum.
Other artifacts are the staffs of the hierarchs, decorative plates, pectoral crosses and other objects.

Painting

The picturesque images of the Romanesque composition are located in a space devoid of depth; the distance between them is not felt. The sizes depend on the hierarchical importance of who is depicted: for example, the figures of Christ are much higher than the figures of angels and apostles; and those, in turn, are larger than the images of mere mortals. The figures in the middle of the tympanum are larger than those in the corners. The Romanesque style is generally characterized by deviations from real proportions (heads and hands are disproportionately large, bodies are subordinated to abstract patterns).
Romanesque art is characterized by sometimes rough, but always sharp expressiveness, but manifestations of realism are of a private nature. Basically, the art of the Romanesque period is dominated by a love for everything fantastic, often gloomy, monstrous, in particular, scenes from the Apocalypse are often depicted.
In monumental painting, fresco predominated everywhere, with the exception of Italy, where the traditions of mosaics were more preserved.
Book miniatures, distinguished by their high decorative qualities, became widespread.

"Morgan Page" from the Winchester Bible 1160-1175. Scenes from the Life of David
During the Romanesque period, ornamental art was very popular.
Picturesque compositions (mainly narrative scenes based on biblical subjects and from the lives of saints) were depicted on wide surfaces of the walls. In these compositions, the figures are stylized and flat, so they are perceived as symbols rather than realistic images.

Catalan fresco

Stained glass

Stained glass became most widespread in the Gothic style, but was already popular in the Romanesque style. The oldest fragments of medieval stained glass known to date were made in the 10th century. The earliest fully preserved drawings are images of the five prophets in the windows of the cathedral in Augsburg, dated to the end of the 11th century. In the cathedrals of Le Mans, Canterbury, Chartres and Saint-Denis, some stained glass windows from the 12th century have been preserved.

Fragment of stained glass from Chartres Cathedral
The earliest dated English glass is the Tree of Jesse stained glass from York Minster of 1154, which was borrowed from a previous (ruined) building.

Stained glass window of the Tree of Jesse in York Minster

The world of the European Middle Ages was distinguished by the isolation of its way of life, which led to the coexistence of several independent and parallel cultural trends. In rare cities, new customs arose, knightly castles lived their own lives, peasants adhered to rural traditions, and the Christian Church sought to spread theological ideas. This motley medieval painting life gave rise to two directions in terms of architecture: Romanesque and Gothic. Romanesque architecture originated in the 10th century, marking a period of calm after numerous internecine wars. This style is considered the first pan-European one, which sets it apart from other post-Roman styles of architecture.

Romanesque art

Romanesque style is a European style of architecture and art of the 11th-12th centuries, characterized by massiveness and majesty. Its emergence is associated with the revival of church construction. When the period of decline ended, monastic orders began to appear, complex forms of liturgies arose, which required the construction of new spacious buildings and improvements in construction techniques.

Thus, simultaneously with the development of early Christianity, the Romanesque style also developed in the architecture of the Middle Ages.

Romanesque and Gothic styles

The Gothic style is considered the successor to the Romanesque. Its birthplace was France, and its origin dates back to the middle of the 12th century. Gothic quickly spread throughout Europe and dominated there until the 16th century.

The name of the style comes from the name of the Gothic tribes. During the Renaissance, it was believed that it was they who created medieval architecture. Romanesque and Gothic styles are strikingly different, despite their close existence.

Gothic buildings are famous for their airiness and lightness, cross vaults, spiers reaching into the sky, pointed arches and openwork decor. Some of these features appeared in the late period of Romanesque art, but they reached their highest peak in Gothic style. Until the 16th century. prevailed in Europe and Gothic architecture actively developed.

Romanesque and Gothic styles, thus, are two stages of architectural development of the Middle Ages, reflecting the peculiarities of life and government structure that time.

Religious buildings in the Romanesque style

Romanesque architecture has a harsh serf-like character; its examples are fortresses, monasteries, castles located on hills and intended for defense. The paintings and reliefs of such structures had semi-fairy-tale plots, reflected divine omnipotence and were largely borrowed from folklore.

The Romanesque style in architecture, like all art of the Middle Ages, reflects the cultural and economic stagnation of Western European countries. This is due to the fact that the achievements of the Romans in the construction craft were lost, and the level of technology decreased significantly. But gradually, as feudalism developed, new types of buildings began to emerge: fortified feudal dwellings, monastic complexes, basilicas. The latter acted as the basis for religious construction.

The basilica of the Middle Ages took a lot from the late Roman architecture of the period of formation of the early Christian temple. Such buildings represent an architectural composition with an elongated space, which is divided into several naves by rows of columns. In the middle nave, which was wider than the others and better consecrated, an altar was installed. Often the courtyard building was surrounded by galleries - an atrium, where the baptismal cup was located. The Basilicas of St. Apollinaris in Ravenna and St. Paul in Rome are early Romanesque architecture.

Romanesque art gradually developed, and in basilicas they began to increase the space intended for the altar and choir, new rooms appeared, and the naves began to be divided into tiers. And by the 11th century. a traditional scheme for the construction of such structures was formed.

Construction techniques

Improvements in construction were caused by a number of pressing problems. So, suffering from constant fires wooden floors were replaced by vaulted structures. Cylindrical and cross vaults began to be erected over the main naves, and this required strengthening the wall supports. The main achievement of Romanesque architecture was the development of a structural scheme that involved directing the main forces - with the help of girth arches and cross vaults - to certain points and dividing the wall into the wall itself and buttresses (pillars), located in places where the thrust forces reached the greatest pressure. A similar design formed the basis of Gothic architecture.

The peculiarities of the Romanesque style in architecture are manifested in the fact that architects tend to place the main vertical supports outside the outer walls. Gradually this principle of differentiation becomes mandatory.

The material for construction most often was limestone, as well as other rocks that the surrounding area was rich in: granite, marble, brick and volcanic rubble. The laying process was simple: small hewn stones were held together with mortar. Dry techniques were never used. The stones themselves could be of different lengths and heights and were carefully processed only on the front side.

Examples of the Romanesque style in architecture: Dudley (England) and Sully (France) castles, St. Mary's Church (Germany), Stirling Castle (Scotland).

Romanesque buildings

The Romanesque style in the architecture of the Middle Ages is distinguished by a wide variety of trends. Each area Western Europe contributed her artistic tastes and traditions to the development of local art. Thus, the Romanesque buildings of France are different from the German ones, and the German ones are equally different from the Spanish ones.

Romanesque architecture of France

The enormous contribution of France to the development of Romanesque architecture is associated with the organization and layout of the altar part of church buildings. Thus, the appearance of the chapel crown is associated with the establishment of the tradition of daily reading of the Mass. The first building with such an innovation is considered to be the church at the Benedictine monastery "Saint-Flibert", built in the 12th century.

The Romanesque style in French architecture gradually adapted to the conditions of the surrounding reality. For example, to protect buildings from constant attacks by the Magyars, fire-resistant structures were created; To accommodate a large number of parishioners, the internal and external spaces of the cathedrals were gradually rebuilt and remodeled.

Romanesque architecture in Germany

The Romanesque style in Germany was developed by three main schools: Rhenish, Westphalian and Saxon.

The Saxon school is distinguished by the dominance of basilica-type buildings with flat ceilings, characteristic of the period of early Christianity. The experience of church architecture in France was often used. Thus, the monastery church in Cluny, made in the Basilican form and having flat wooden ceilings, was taken as a prototype for many buildings. Such continuity is determined by the influence of the French Benedictine order.

The interiors were characterized by calm and simple proportions. Unlike French churches, Saxon buildings did not have a circle in the choir, but the supports alternated: columns were installed between square pillars, or two pillars were replaced by two columns. Examples of such buildings are the Church of St. Godenhard (Hildesheim) and the Cathedral in the city of Quedlinburg. This arrangement of supports divided the internal space of the temple into several separate cells, which gave the entire decoration originality and unique charm.

Performed by the Saxon school, Romanesque architecture acquired simplicity and clarity of geometric shapes. The decor was small and sparse, the interior was austere, windows were located sparsely and on high altitude- all this gave the buildings a serf-like and stern character.

The Westphalia school specialized in the construction of hall-type churches, which were a space divided into three equal-height naves with stone vaults. An example of such a structure is the Chapel of St. Bartholomew (Paderborn), built in the 11th century. The churches of the Westphalian school were built without a clear and proportional division of space into parts, that is, the composition of the facades did not reflect the comparison of the parts of the building and its volumes. The buildings were also distinguished by the absence of any sculptural decorations.

A description of the Romanesque style in architecture would be incomplete without mentioning the Rhenish school. Here the main emphasis is on the structural features of the floors. They were constructed according to the “linked Romanesque system”, the essence of which was that the vaults of the side naves rested on the spread of the middle one. Thus, the supports alternated: massive pillars supported the vault of the main hall, and light intermediate supports carried the weight of the side ones.

In the cathedrals and churches of the Rhenish school, architectural decoration was also as sparse as possible. Often decorative arcades were built outside, as, for example, in Speyer Cathedral, appearance which, despite its simplicity, is distinguished by very expressive forms. In a word, the German Romanesque style personified stern grandeur and power.

The Romanesque architectural style was the epitome of the feudal period in history. And it was in the monuments of medieval Germany that the monumentality and gloomy inviolability of this era reached its peak.

Romanesque architecture in Italy

As with the architecture of other European countries, the architecture of Italy was varied. Everything depended on the traditions and living conditions of the region in which the structure was built. Thus, the provinces of the northern part of the country created their own style, characterized by monumentality. It arose under the influence of the Romanesque style of France, the palace architecture of Germany and is associated with the advent of brick construction techniques.

The Romanesque architecture of the northern Italian provinces is characterized by powerful arcaded facades, dwarf galleries located under the cornice, portals, the columns of which stood on animal sculptures. Examples of such buildings are the Church of San Michele (Padua), the cathedrals of Parma and Modena of the 11th-12th centuries.

The architects of Florence and Pisa created a distinctive and cheerful version of the Romanesque style. Due to the fact that these areas were rich in marble and stone, almost all structures were made from these reliable materials. The Florentine style was in many ways a heir to Roman architecture, and cathedrals were often decorated in an antique style.

As for Rome itself and the south of Italy, these areas played virtually no role in the formation of Romanesque architecture.

Architecture of Normandy

After the adoption of Christianity, the Church established clear requirements for the construction of temples and cathedrals that embodied Romanesque art. The Romanesque style, characterized by cumbersome buildings, was not used to excesses and impracticality by the Vikings, who tried to reduce it to the necessary minimum. The builders immediately rejected massive cylindrical vaults, preferring rafter ceilings.

A striking example of Romanesque architecture in Normandy are the abbey churches of Sante Trinite ( convent) and "Sante-Etienne" (male). At the same time, the Trinity Church (11th century) is considered the first building in Europe where a two-span cross vault was designed and installed.

The greatest merit of the Norman school is that, in accordance with centuries-old traditions and experience of frame construction, it creatively rethought borrowed structures and building plans.

Romanesque architecture in England

After the Normans conquered England, they changed their policy style to a creative one. And as a sign of political and cultural unity, they came up with two types of buildings: a castle and a church.

Romanesque architecture was quickly adopted by the British and accelerated construction activity in the country. The first building erected was Westminster Abbey. This structure included the middle cross tower, paired towers located in the west, and three eastern apses.

The 11th century for England was marked by the construction of many church buildings, including Winchester, Canterbury Cathedrals, St. Edmond's Abbey and many other buildings in the Romanesque style. Many of these buildings were later reconstructed and remodeled, but from the surviving documents and remains of ancient structures one can imagine the impressive monumentality and appearance of the buildings.

The Normans turned out to be skilled builders of castles and fortresses, and the Tower is one of the clearest proofs of this. This fortification, built by order of William, became the most impressive structure of that era. Subsequently, this combination of a residential building and a defensive fortification became widespread in Europe.

The Romanesque style in England is usually called Norman due to the fact that the construction was carried out by the Vikings, realizing their architectural plans. But gradually the orientation of the created structures towards defense and fortification was replaced by a desire for decoration and luxury. And by the end of the 12th century. the Romanesque style gave way to Gothic.

Romanesque architecture of Belarus

The Romanesque style in the architecture of Belarus arose after the adoption of Christianity, when Byzantine architects began to build churches in accordance with the European tradition.

Since the 11th century. Towers, castles, temples, monasteries, and city houses began to appear in the country, made in the style we are considering. These buildings were distinguished by their massiveness, monumentality and severity, and were decorated with sculptures and geometric patterns.

However, today very few monuments of Romanesque architecture have survived. This is due to the fact that many buildings were destroyed during frequent wars, or were reconstructed in subsequent years. For example, Saint Sophia Cathedral(Polotsk), built in the middle of the 11th century, has come to us in a greatly rebuilt form, and today it is not possible to determine its original appearance.

The architecture of Belarus at that time was distinguished by the use of a large number of construction techniques and techniques. The most famous and striking examples are the Cathedral of the Spaso-Efrosyne Monastery (Polotsk), the Church of the Annunciation (Vitebsk), and the Church of St. Boris and Gleb (Grodno). These buildings combine the features of ancient Russian architecture and the basilica inherent in the Romanesque style.

Thus, already in the 12th century. The Romanesque style began to gradually penetrate the Slavic lands and transform the architecture of Belarus.

Conclusion

Thus, the Romanesque style in architecture began to emerge during the Middle Ages (V - X centuries), and it manifested itself in different countries Europe in different ways, depending on geographical, political and national characteristics. Throughout that era, different architectural trends existed and developed in parallel, practically without touching, which led to the originality and uniqueness of buildings in various European countries.

During the Middle Ages, the Romanesque style had a great influence on the formation of monastic complexes, which included a temple, hospitals, refectories, libraries, bakeries and many other buildings. In turn, these complexes influenced the structure and layout of urban buildings. But the direct development of city fortifications began in the subsequent period, when Gothic already reigned.

Roman style(from Latin romanus - Roman) - style of architecture and art of the early Middle Ages.

General characteristics of the Romanesque style

For Romanesque style is typical massiveness, severity and lack of frills, as well as the severity of appearance. Romanesque architecture is famous for its ponderous castles and temples, rather reminiscent of an impregnable fortress in the spirit of the Middle Ages. The Romanesque style is dominated by powerful walls, massive semicircular doors, thick columns, cross or barrel vaults, semicircular or round windows. The floor is marble, patterned tiles. Mirrors – chiffon bronze. The walls are Venetian plaster. Painting (religious motifs).

IN Romanesque style interior also more power than grace. All elements of the interior create a feeling of simplicity and heaviness, with almost no decorative decorations in the rooms.

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

Basic elements of the Romanesque style:

  • relief plane, conciseness and simplicity;
  • colors: brown, red, green, white, gray, black;
  • barrel, semicircular, straight, horizontal and vertical lines;
  • rectangular and cylindrical shapes;
  • semicircular frieze, repeating geometric or floral pattern; halls with exposed ceiling beams and center supports;
  • stone, massive, thick-walled structures;
  • castle and knightly themes - torches, armor, coats of arms, battles, weapons.

History of the Romanesque style

Roman style(from Latin romanus - Roman) in art arose around 800, after the fall of the Roman Empire and the completion of the great migration of peoples. The source for the emergence of a new style was the Byzantine style, the art of the peoples of northern Europe and early Christian forms. 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). In contrast to the trends in medieval art that preceded it, which were local in nature, the Romanesque style was the first artistic system of the Middle Ages, which covered (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 - in the 13th century), one of the most important stages in the development of medieval European art.

The entire aesthetics of the Renaissance originates from the art of the Middle Ages. The aesthetics of the Medieval era is characterized by a high degree of theology. Thus, the aesthetic concepts of the Middle Ages have their beginning and completion in God. It should also be noted that the early Romanesque style shows the influence of the Roman thinker and philosopher Aurelius Augustine, who lived from 354 to 430 AD. 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 is far superior to 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 a room was maintained. The Romanesque style originated during 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 term Romanesque style appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, when a connection was established between the architecture of the 11th and 12th centuries with ancient Roman architecture, partly through the use of semicircular arches and vaults. The term, although conventional, has come into widespread 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, erecting churches and monasteries in the Romanesque style. Among the monks there were also artists and craftsmen who, with their work, spread this style throughout Europe.

buildings, considered examples of architecture of this period, have the appearance of fortresses: a castle-fortress and a temple-fortress. The Romanesque style is distinguished by thick massive walls, narrow loophole windows and tall towers. During periods of civil strife, Romanesque churches could withstand siege and serve as refuge during war. Knight's castles They 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 a monastery or castle is the tower - the 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: Libmurg Cathedral in Germany; Pisa Cathedral and partly the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy; Kaiser Cathedrals in Speyer, Worms and Mainz in Germany; Romanesque churches in Val de Boi; Church of St. Allegedly in Regensburg.

The godly social order, as the church imagined it, was not aimed at the development of style. For approximately 400 years of existence, the Romanesque style received neither development nor a leap in technology in production.

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

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 served as an impetus for the development of the Romanesque style, which later degenerated into the Gothic style.

Features of the Romanesque style

Creators of the Romanesque style- 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 an everlasting history, a sense of the significance of the Christian world. The interiors and architectural buildings of that time reveal warmth and harmony, smooth arches and majestically calm decor.

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

Romanesque ceiling: 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 liven things up, you can use wood inserts, but as rough supports rather than carved decorations.

Romanesque floor: a distinctive feature of this style is the floor covering with mosaics, mainly made of natural stone. It is possible to use large-sized ceramic tiles, again imitating stone. Parquet in the Romanesque interior style is rarely used. When using it, try to choose an array of dark wood that matches the inserts on the walls with an antique effect.

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

The main mistake when creating a Romanesque interior style is the use of upholstered furniture. In those years it was not available, and the furniture was covered with paint and often covered with canvas, then a layer of plaster was applied and the entire structure was subsequently painted. The only possible deviation from the rules is the bed. In the Romanesque period, an important role was played by beds, whose design resembled frames on carved legs. Canopies can be hung as an elegant addition to the bed, although at that time they were used more as 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 were the original ancestors 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 appeared. This is due to the fact that spaces during antiquity were windowless, and buildings during the early Christian era had small windows made of colored glass, so these interiors did not require curtains. Despite the fact that the Romanesque architecture has a heavy castle character and there are not 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 decorated the simple architecture of the interior. The cornice or pole was made of dark wood, just like the furniture. In addition to cross curtains in the Romanesque style interior, there were carpets and heavy draperies that served as protection from the cold.

Decor items in the Romanesque style: paintings, tapestries, and wall lamps in the form of candles are used to decorate walls in the Romanesque style. When choosing a chandelier, focus on its massiveness (heavy and forged metal, chains, etc.). The predominant type of sculpture was relief. 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 special touch is the presence of a fireplace.

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

A characteristic feature of architecture the monumentality of the 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 canopies, rough wooden chairs with a high back, chests fastened with metal plates. Comfort was achieved through finishing with fabrics and carpets. A mandatory element is a fireplace with a hanging hood.

The Romanesque style in architecture is majestic and massive, its history is rich and has been going on for more than a millennium. No frills, only severity and severity of appearance. Today we will talk about the history of this style.

The appearance of the Romanesque style can be attributed to approximately 800 AD, at the same time the collapse of the great Roman Empire occurred. The Romanesque style borrowed many of its features from Byzantine Christian art, as well as its early forms, took something from Antiquity, even the Middle East contributed its features to its formation, which lasted from the 10th to the 12th centuries.

In fact, the Romanesque style is the first medieval example of an artistic vision that united most of the countries of Western Europe and spread across Eastern Europe. The formation of European medieval art owes much to the Romanesque style.


Features of the Romanesque style

Among the main features of the style are severity of expression of architectural forms, massiveness, conservatism.

The buildings of this era are not just houses, but castles, churches that look like a fortress. In general, architecture has a theological bent. On the one hand, such buildings fulfilled their direct functions, and if necessary, they could hold a siege, since the walls were thick, the windows were often small and round, sometimes more like narrow loopholes, and there could be towers along the perimeter - perfect place to inspect military positions.

Externally, the Romanesque style building can be distinguished by its massive walls, heavy semicircular doors, vaulted rooms, and thick columns. Nothing was built from wood - exclusively stone, only this material met potential safety requirements.

The interior of Romanesque castles was decorated accordingly. The semi-circular arches of the ceiling gave a feeling of decreasing free space. Marble and patterned tiles were most often used for walls; Venetian plaster and painting were used to decorate walls.

Such interiors could evoke associations of security, heaviness, heaviness, but not grace. Minimum decor, More military theme- knightly armor, coats of arms, weapons, etc.

Presenters colors Romanesque buildings - natural brown, grey, green, black and white. In short, all natural colors.

In fact, over the several centuries of its existence, the pious Romanesque style has undergone virtually no changes.


Examples of Romanesque buildings

Examples of Romanesque style buildings can be found in almost all European cities.

For example, Limburg Cathedral, Lahn Peninsula, Germany - a true example of the classic Romanesque style. It was built in the 13th century and has been perfectly preserved to this day. At one time, this cathedral served as a parish church, and then became a cathedral. The square-shaped building is crowned with seven pointed towers. The cathedral seems to be striving upward; it amazes with its many arched windows - narrow and wide. The simplicity of the geometric pattern, the almost complete absence of lush decoration and the contrasting red and white color of the facades - all this makes the cathedral a shining example the style being discussed.

Pisa Cathedral(Italy) was built in 1063 and absorbed all the features of the Romanesque style, plus features of others, thereby creating an unsurpassed Pisan Romanesque style, emphasizing the scope of the trading business of Pisa. The huge cathedral of a strict cruciform shape is striking in its size. Gray marble facades emphasize the power of the building, narrow arched windows indicate that it belongs to the original Romanesque style. There are statues of evangelists on four sides of the cathedral, and four floors are decorated with columned arcades. Inside the temple there is a wonderful mosaic, marble decoration and an incredible colonnade.