ART 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Romanesque Art, Modena Cathedral, Pilgrimage Church
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Romanesque Sculpture and Painting
Friday, December 2, 2016
Romanesque Sculpture and Painting
Romanesque Sculpture
-in terms of architecture it means Romanesque means..
-arches, vaults (barrel, grind), concrete, stone,
-over built
-pointed, ribbed vaults will become the norm in gothic architecture following this
period
-experimentation
-distinguishes Romanesque sculpture : return to monumental (large scale) sculpture
-adorns architecture
-pedimental architecture — revival
-romanesque sculpture looks different in every single location in Europe
-all romanesque sculpture was painted
Italy
-Italy was not unified as a country until after the civil war
Creation and Fall of Adam and Eve 1099, Modena
-the sculptor: Wiligelmo
•signed his work
•shows ego
•shows people are starting to pay attention to artists
•influence seen in works in Germany and England
•he was extremely important
- on the west façade, Modena Cathedral, Modena
-mandorla
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Romanesque Sculpture and Painting
-colors washed off because its outside
-religious sculpture
-typical of romanesque sculpture to adorn the door way
-“extraordinary example”
-porch/ portico extends forwards
•on un fluted columns
•supported on the back of lions
•evil warding off animals
•they really look like lions
-to the side of the door are scenes from the old testament
•Genesis (first book of the bible)
•and hebrew Bible
-arched areas articulate and punctuate she
-mandorla (almond shape): body length halo, used for depictions of Jesus
•supported by angels with wings
-next to the mandorla is an image of god creating Adam
-then an image of God creating Eve
-then the tree of knowledge with a snake wrapped around it and Adam and Eve
•hiding their nudity but its too late
•they already committed the sin
-return to narrative
-revival of Greek and Roman art
-the figures are graceless, lumbering, their proportions are wrong
•not idealized in any way
-the man who translated the bibles believed the body was vehicle of shame to the
nudes here are very unattractive
-we see this same thing when we saw the bronze doors for the cathedral
-narrative is very important — frames the door way
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