The Pre-Romanesque and Romanesque Art in the Books - Coursework Example

ROMANESQUE ART- ART HISTORY Term Year Pre-Romanesque and Romanesque art can be traced to the period between 800 and 1150AD. The art was popular in Western Europe. During this period, the art was manifested in the architecture of the structures designed. The Pre-Romanesque art was developed by application of Roman designs in the Christian churches such as Sainte-Madeleine de Vézelay. After some time, there was a fusion of the Roman elements with Byzantium elements from the Middle East which led to the period known as Romanesque. Every individual architectural design in the Romanesque period has a clearly definite form of artistic manifestation that is expressed in regular and asymmetrical plans. As a result, the form is a simple Romanesque architecture with two large arches intersecting each other to form a unique pattern. To understand the Pre-Romanesque and Romanesque art, it is necessary to critique different books which will illuminate on the effectiveness of the books in expounding on Pre-Romanesque and Romanesque art. It is imperative to critique the literature on the zodiac in pre-Romanesque and Romanesque art by analyzing the sorts of artworks used, the circumstances under which they were used, their physical arrangement and the related subjects. The most common construction material in the Romanesque period was stone which was constructed into a multi- storey entrance façade that appeared to have a geometrical inspiration. Typical structure had huge vaults and arches. The reason for analysis of Romanesque art using the churches is because the structures designed for Romanesque churches were different from other buildings which were being set up at that time (1). For instance, other structures never used vaulting for large structure but only for structures that were relatively small scale. However, the Romanesque churches utilized masonry vaulting that entailed massive barrel vaults which made it mandatory to provide reinforcement necessary to push the lateral outward thrust on the load-bearing walls. Simona Cohen, The Romanesque Zodiac: Its Symbolic Function on the Church Façade will be used to analyze the Romanesque art, the sculpture and the associated subjects in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of pre-Romanesque and Romanesque art. The Romanesque Zodiac: Its Symbolic Function on the Church Façade is the fifth chapter in his book, Transformations of time and temporality in Medieval and Renaissance art. The book has been presented in a rather simple way with a blend of literature and art. The art used in the book are the most plausible art monuments in Europe such as The Earliest Monumental Zodiacs; Porta del zodiac, Sagra di San Michele, Monastery and Sainte-Madeleine de Vézelay. This gives credibility to this book as an excellent source of medieval art. However, the Romanesque art, its relationship to time and the associated meanings have been described very briefly in this book due to limitations of space and time. This is because it is only a chapter in the book as opposed to the length the information would have occupied were it to be in a whole book. Simona Cohen’s book explores the concept of time in the expression of Romanesque art. He provides a distinction in art of the ancient people who studied in the cathedral and monastic schools and the urban learning through technological and social developments in the modern times. He uses the artistic depiction of the Zodiac on Romanesque church façade to express the visual symbol of conceptual of time. It is therefore imperative to note that this book proposes that, there is a deep connection between the time of the construction of the sculpture and the inspiration behind it. As such, understanding the work of art requires an understanding of time and space (2). One of strongest argument put forward in Cohen’s book is the relationship between time as set in the philosophical texts and the monumental image of the Zodiac. The Romanesque period was marked by a boom in the powerful influences on art all over Europe in the eleventh and twelve centuries. Most churches were built with artistic sculpture that were used to convey the message to the church. One of the most notable Romanesque portals created was Sainte-Madeleine de Vézelay (3). The Romanesque church of Sainte-Madeleine de Vézelay which is said to contain the crypt of Mary Magdalene has three arched doorways leading into the nave and has decorated tympana. In regards to the architecture of the church, Cohen is inclined to Sainte-Madeleine de Vézelay. The main area of focus in this art is the central portal’s sculpture. Cohen represents the sculptures of the Romanesque art but fails to presents the most plausible interpretation of the artistic features represented in the sculptures. This is despite the fact that there are many historian artists who have debated about the different meanings of the art. There are diverse meanings that have been associated with the elaborate sculpture revolving round the central portal. As such, the interpretation of the art can only be reviewed in the context of the monastic life and the context of the twelfth century which influenced the construction of such art. The sculpture on the western façade of the abbey church has a common representation of the judgment day. This is because it shows the picture of Christ surrounded by doomed and saved people while he is been enthroned. However, there is a peculiar art in the narthex sculpture. The sculpture is not very clear today as it has been disfigured over time since the twelfth century. Although most of its features have been vandalized by mutilated, there is a visible figure of Christ enthroned with his fingertips pointing to the heads of his disciples with lines of fire emanating from his fingertips (4). The figure of John the Baptist in the church is complementary to the sculpture of Christ and his apostles. This art represents the prophecy given to John about the day of Pentecost. The concept of time is represented in the Signs of the Zodiac and Labors of the Months (5). The time indicated was marked to indicate the time in which the church was supposed to undertake its evangelical work. The Labors of the Months is also a representation of the use of manual labor as the most holy way of earning salvation. Traditionally, the Signs of the Zodiac and Labors of the Months was viewed as the ultimate calendar which represented the different changes in season, movement of celestial bodies and passage of time (6). The interpretation of the Romanesque art in Sainte-Madeleine de Vézelay has attracted massive debate with different historian with their own versions of the interpretation. One of the scholars who has addressed the interpretation of the sculptures of the church is Katzenellenbogen. In his article, he offers his own acumen into the temporal and spatial interpretation of the scripture in the church. Most of the historical interpreters of the sculpture of Christ have equated it to the Pentecost but this too, has not been concurred by many, as others feel that the artistic representation of Pentecost is a dove. According to Katzenellenbogen, the lines on the right side of Christ, which look like fire in his fingertips is a representation of the clouds. He views that the lines perfectly resemble the cloud experienced during a calm sky. On the left side of Christ, he interpreted those lines to be a stormy sky. As such, the calm sky represents the power given to the apostles by Christ to save the world while the stormy clouds represents the power they were given to condemn damned souls. The Signs of the Zodiac and the Labors of the Months represents the power Christ has to rule over all creatures of the world, as well as space and time (7). Another writer to address pre-Romanesque and Romanesque art was Jim Tester, in his book, A History of Western Astrology. Astrology has been presented as a strong practice of the medieval period and is closely linked to the Romanesque period. This is because ancient astrology utilized the Romanesque art and this has also been perfected in modern astrology. In researching the history of the zodiac in pre-Romanesque and Romanesque art, Testers, is utilized to illuminate on the influence of Romanesque period on astrology today as well as offer insights on the related subjects of astrology as practiced in medieval Europe (8). The book offers insights into the discovery of manifestation of modern astrology. The book indicates that the history of astrological practice is over 2,000 years. The book presents not only the literary materials which describe the artistic history of astrology, but also through visual representations. The purposeful organization of the book presents a precise flow that allows the readers to follow the flow of the information easily and in a more understandable way. Astrology is very artistic and therefore not easy for an outsider who does not understand the art to interpret and practice astrology. As such, it is highly commendable the way this book has been organized, making it easy for everyone interested in astrology to understand. The book presents information about the connection between the practice of the astrology and the visual signs during the Romanesque period and how such signs have gained interpretation in modern astrology. The book indicates that the application of astrology in the heart of practice was based on the understanding of how the qualities, elements and dualities are connected when reading birth charts. The systematic organization of information helps a person who has no background knowledge about astrology to understand the relationships between modern and central astrology (9). Western astrology as applied in the modern world is inspired by ancient art that covers all aspects such as fatalistic prediction of the future to vague acceptance of stellar influences of the practical lives of men. The images used in astrological practice are inspired by Romanesque art marked on the wonderful illustrations of the Zodiac. The book traces the existence of astrology to the discovery of mathematical systems which allowed men to use the background of a fixed car as a benchmark to plot the relative position of the planets and the earth. The origin of medieval astrology can be traced in the fifth century BC in Greece. This is where the absorption into protoastrological philosophies of Greece from the east took place. Different sequential attributes of Greek culture made astrology gain respect in the renaissance period. Some of those practice include; Greek magic, philosophy, rational thought, geometry, Plato’s philosophy and Stoic’s philosophy (10). The modern practice of western astrology began with Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos. This book was written in the second century AD and it laid down the manifestations and background representation of the main lines of astrological practice. Jim Tester has been very practical in showing how astrology was influenced by Romanesque art and also emphasizes how little it has transformed despite having taken a long journey from Greek to the Islam world and eventually to the West in the 12th century (11). Astrology has hence remained relatively medieval and unchanged even in the 17th century during the renaissance period where there was massive changes in cultures, astrology remained conservative. However, in the 17th and the 18 century, there was heavy shift in ideas and this eventually killed astrology. The revival of astrology has been traced to the 19th and 20th centuries. While its death and revival of astrology are aspects that are out of the scope of this study, they are important in analyzing the changes that happened to astrology from the 12th century to western astrology. The critical review of the books used in this work has provided clear insights on the Pre-Romanesque and Romanesque art. The books are presented systematically with both literature and a variety of relevant arts in order to enable the reader to understand the Pre-Romanesque and Romanesque art better. From the literature, it is evident that astrology has borrowed immensely from Pre-Romanesque and Romanesque art from the medieval period up to the modern times. It is imperative to note that the review of the sculpture designed during the twelfth century cannot be properly interpreted without the context of monastic life and the time in which the sculpture was designed. As such, the understanding of the concept of time and space in which the architecture was designed is key to unraveling the related subjects and inspiration of the art. In conclusion, it is important to appreciate the three books used in the analysis of this paper as they have been very effective and informative. Notes (1) Simona Cohen, "The Romanesque Zodiac: Its Symbolic Function on the Church Facade," Arte Medievale 4 (1990) 43-54. (2) Salet, Francis. “La Madeleine de Vezelay”. (Melun: 1948). (3) Simon Cohen, 46. (4) Margorie Panadero, “The Labors of the Months and the Signs of the Zodiac in Twelfth Century French Facades.” (PhD diss, Univ of Mich 1984). (5) Panadero, Majorie Jean Hall. “The Labors of the Months and the Signs of the Zodiac in Twelfth-century French Facades.” (Ph. D. diss., University of Michigan, 1984). (6) Katzenellenbogen, Adolf. “The Central Tympanum at Vezelay: Its Encyclopedic Meaning and its Relation to the First Crusade.” Art Bulletin 26 (1944): 141-151. (7) Katzenellenbogen, 147 (8) Campion, Nicholas. “History of Western Astrology”. Vol. 1 & 2. (London: Continuum, 2009). (9) Tester S.J., A History of Western Astrology (Woodbridge 1987). (10) Tester, 55 (11) Tester, 67 Bibliography Campion, Nicholas. “History of Western Astrology”. Vol. 1 & 2. (London: Continuum, 2009). Katzenellenbogen, Adolf. “The Central Tympanum at Vezelay: Its Encyclopedic Meaning and its Relation to the First Crusade.” Art Bulletin 26 (1944): 141-151. Margorie Panadero, “The Labors of the Months and the Signs of the Zodiac in Twelfth Century French Facades.” (PhD diss, Univ of Mich 1984). Panadero, Majorie Jean Hall. “The Labors of the Months and the Signs of the Zodiac in Twelfth- century French Facades.” (Ph. D. diss., University of Michigan, 1984). Salet, Francis. “La Madeleine de Vezelay”. (Melun: 1948). Simona Cohen, "The Romanesque Zodiac: Its Symbolic Function on the Church Facade," Arte Medievale 4 (1990) 43-54. Tester S.J., “A History of Western Astrology” (Woodbridge 1987). Webster, James C. “The Labors of the Months in Antique and Early Christian Art: Third to Seventh Century”. (New York: 1979). Figure 1: Vézelay, south narthex portal Figure 2: Vézelay, north narthex portal Figure 3: Vézelay, lintel Figure 4: Vézelay, trumeau: St. John the Baptist Figure 5: Vézelay, right Engaged column: Figure 6: Vézelay, left St. Peter and apostle engaged column: apostles Figure 7: Vézelay, central tympanum: Figure 8: Vézelay, central tympanum: Apostles Apostles Figure 9: Vézelay, central Figure 10: Vézelay, left lintel: tympanum: Christ figure Offering Figure 11: Vézelay, left lintel: offering Read More