Romanesque+and+Gothic

** UNIT 4 ROMANESQUE AND GOTHIC ** During the Middle Ages, Christianity was the main religion in Europe. The **Church** affected all aspects of life. The rires of baptism, marriage and death were carried out by the **clergy**. Christians had to go to church and pray every day. They had to fast during the Lent, attend confession, receive communion and, if possible, make a **pilgrimage** to a holy place. Church bells regulated the peasants’ working hours and the **calendar** followed religious holidays. The Church had great **social, political** and **economic power**, and owned a lot of land. The Church charged its serfs **rent**, as the lords did. The peasants also paid a **tithe**, which was a tenth of their harvest. The **Crusades** were military expeditions, organised by the Pope and the European kings, to take the Holy Land from the Muslims. From teh 11th century, a new style of art spread throughout Western Europe. It is known as Romanesque because it is reminiscent of Roman art. Romanesque art followed to spread **religion**. In arquitecture, the most representative buildings were **churches, cathedrals** and **monasteries**. Sculture and painting wer used to convey **spirituality**. The use of **symbols** was very important. Everything had a message. The **artists** were mostly anonymous craftsmen. The main Romanesque buildings were made of **stone**. The architects used Roman elements such us **barrel vaults** and **domes**. The buildings had **round arches** and big **columns** and **pillars**. The walls were very thick and the windows very small. They let little light inside. Consequently, the buildings looked very solid and compact. The churches were usually **cruciform**: a **Latin cross**. Its long arm was made up of one or more naves finishing in an **apse**. The shorter arm is called the **transept**. In the Middle Ages, art had an **educational** and **religious** function. Most people could not read or write. Images taught them about the Christian religion. The size and shape of sculpures were adapted to the space available. Human figures were **unrealistic**. The **facades** of the churches, the **capitals** and the **cloisters** were decorated with all type of images in bright colours. There were wooden carvings, usually on the altars. Two main themes were shown, the **Virgin and Child**, and **Christ on the Cross**. The most important paintings were inside churches. Human figures were **rigid** and **schematic**. The figures were outlined in black, and the eyes and hands were emphasised. There were no background ladscapes. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, there was a **renaissance** in **cities** and in urban life. The changes affected art and culture. There was a boom in architecture. The Church commissioned a lot of works, but also noblemen and rich merchants built **palaces** to live in. There were also religious changes. New **orders** were started by **friars**, who lived in **convents** in the cities. The two most important were the **Franciscans** and the **Dominicans**. First, **urban schools** were built and, later, **universities**. The kings needed educated administrators to govern their kingdoms. The nobles and burghers also wanted education for their children. City schools were controlled by bishops (**cathedral schools**) or town councils (**Municipal schools**). Universities developed from cathedral schools. Both teachers and students wanted to escape from the control of the Church. Famous universities were founded in Paris, Oxford, Cambridge, salamanca and Bologna. At the end of the 12th century, the Romanesque gave way to the Gothic style, which originated in France, and quickly spread throughout Europe. Gothic sculpture had also a **religious** and **educational** purpose. However, Gothic introduced new elements. Figures were not adapted to fit architecture. They became **independent**, more **realistic** and **natural**. The figures showed **movement** and **feelings**. Christ suffers on the Cross, while the Virgin plays happily with her child. Stone was the most commonly used material, but wood became increasingly popular. The artists made works such as **altarpieces, choir stalls, funeral sculptures** and **gargoyles**. Except in Italy, mural painting bacame less common, and was remplaced by large **stained glass**. These, together with the **miniatures** used to illustrate books, were the most important types of painting at first. Later, painting on wood became popular. Paintings mostly represented **religious** icons, but **portraits** also were important. These were commisioned by nobles and burguers to shower their power. Some of the main features of this painting are: **bright colours**, the use of **gold**, background **landscapes**, greater **realism** and **movement** of the figures. The most representative building was the **cathedral**, which became the **centre** of the city. Cities competed with each other to build the biggest or tallest cathedral. Gothic architects used new techniques, such as **pointed arches** and **rib vaults**. Their wheight did not rest on the walls, but on the **pillars** inside the cathedral and on the **flying buttresses** outside. The windows were made of **stained glass**, and there were **rose windows** in bright colours. Gothic cathedrals were high, and filled with light, to represent heaven. The ground plan was also different. The **Latin cross** shape continued to be used, but the **central nave** was much higher and wider than the **side aisles**.
 * SOCIAL STUDIES. Summaries in English **
 * CHRISTIANITY **
 * ROMANESQUE ART **
 * ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE **
 * ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE **
 * ROMANESQUE PAINTING **
 * ** Mural paintings ** was common on walls, especially in the main apse near the altar.
 * ** Panel paintings ** was used on **altars** and small **altarpieces.**
 * ** Miniatures ** were small paintings which illustrated bibles and manuscripts.
 * URBAN CULTURE **
 * THE CREATION OF UNIVERSITIES **
 * GOTHIC SCULPTURE **
 * GOTHIC PAINTINGS **
 * GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE **