Early Medieval and Romanesque Art

Once known as the “Dark Ages” due to historical gaps that weren’t know in the early development of Western Civilization.

Unlike the name, there were impressive accomplishments in art during this time.

One of the most important advances during this time was that in architecture.

The Church (Roman Catholic) grew in power during this time and influenced the lives of Kings and common people.

Because the length of this time period, historians (Art) divided the Medieval period in three sections.

The Early Medieval Romanesque Gothic

The fall of Rome is considered the start of the Early Medieval period.

This was an unsure time due the lack of centralized government which gave way to conflicts, warfare, and mass migrations of foreigners across the continent.

During this time, the most important dynasty, the Carolingian dynasty, was founded and would last for 150 year.

During this dynasty there was an reemergence of interest in the arts.

The Role of Charlemagne One ruler was largely responsible for the

accomplishments of the Carolingian dynasty. Charles the Great was the king and was

known as Charlemagne. The latin translation “Charle”= Charles and “Magne”=Great (think Magnificent)

Charlemagne’s domain was almost as vast as the Romans except Britain, Spain, southern Italy and Africa.

The Role of Charlemagne Beyond creating a great empire he

encourage learning and the arts He ordered every monastery and abbey

to establish a school where students could learn arithmetic, grammar and the psalms.

He also promoted the preservation of ancient manuscripts where monks and scholars rewrote old texts and prepared new ones.

The Rise of Feudalism This was a system in which weak

noblemen gave up their lands and much of their freedom to more powerful lords in return for protection.

Most of the other people were serf or poor peasants who did not have land.

Like early Christian ancestors, Medieval church builders used Roman models.

The basilica was still the most coming style it was then divided on this inside to form a nave (this is the central aisle, and two or more side aisles.

During Charlesmagne’s time a few changes were made to the basic plan of the basilica.

Some churches were built with a transept, another aisle that cut directly across the nave and the side aisles.

With this design, more room was added to the church and a symbolic cross was added to the design.

Many of the churches during this time have been destroyed due to the fact that they were made of timber.

The Spread of Monasticism During the long period of the Medieval period,

Monasteries were build to hose devoutly religious men who practice religion, the arts, and education.

Monasticism refers to a way of life in which individuals gathered together to spend their days in prayer and self-denial.

One place in these monasteries where monks would practice quiet solitude and prayer were in open courts or gardens with a covered walkway surrounding it called cloisters.

Illuminated Manuscripts One of places were painting

was found was in the books written by the monks. Because the printing press was not invented, Monks had to write the Gospels by hand. With these writings, they included pictures to help illustrate the stories of the Bible. These manuscript paintings were made with color inks, silver and gold.

•A new style of art emerged from the end of the Medieval period until the 12th Century. •The style was most notable in the style of the architecture.

•The Feudal system that was developed in the 9th century, reached it peak during the Romanesque period. •Because of this system, lords and noblemen turned to castles and castle design to help protect them from marauders.

•Castles main purpose was for defense. They were cold and damp.•One tool that noblemen used to combat the problem of the cold and dampness was to hang ornate tapestries on the wall. These were made out of embodied cloth that were sometimes painted.

Most all towns had a church in the city center.

During this time, the Church played a bigger part in the community and peoples lives.

During the 11th and 12th Century, these churches became more decorative and more elaborate.

Churches were built to house many pilgrims (A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place).

As the popularity of the Church grew, so did the size of the churches.

Romanesque churches added aisles on both sides of the nave, along with the transept.

Many of the churches were built with an ambulatory, an aisle curving around behind the main altar.

Building stone roofs for these huge churches posed a serious problem. Using Roman barrel vaults provided the solution with huge thick walls with huge pillars.

One of the best examples of Romaneque churches was the Church of Saint Sernin.

It had large and solid thick walls that gave these churches the nickname, “Fortresses of God.”

Inside was spacious, but dark and gloomy.

Art during this time reappeared as an important aspect of telling the story of the bible. However the realistic depictions of man and nature were highly stylized and unreal. A far cry from the superior craftsmanship of the ancient Greeks.

Many examples of art during this time can be found in architectural sculptures. These bas-relief sculptures could be found in another outdoor architectural features called tympanum. These were half-round panel that fills the space between the lintel and the arch over the doorway of the chuch.

1.) what was this time period once known as?

A.Dark Ages B.Brain Age C.Byzantine Era D.Dawn of the Dead

2.) what started the medieval era? A.the death of napolean B.the lord of the rings C.the fall of the roman empire D.the poisoning of the kings of spain’s

dog

3.) what does “magne” mean in the name Charlemagne?

A.boss B.lions beard C.ruler D.great

4.) what did Charlemagne create? A.a great empire B.a farming system C.great art D.a old fashioned computer

5.) what was a system in which weak noblemen gave up their lands and much of their freedom to more powerful lords in return for protection?

A.parent system B.land system C.agricultural system D.feudal system

6.)True of False: Medieval church builders used Roman models

7.) What refers to way of life in which individuals gathered together to spend their days in prayer and self-denial

A. Monasticism B. Fasting C. Rehab D. Prayerism

8.) What is the main purpose of a castle? A. housing B. defense C.