Romanesque Architecture Essay

The folllowing sample essay on Romanesque Architecture Essay discusses it in detail, offering basic facts and pros and cons associated with it. To read the essay’s introduction, body and conclusion, scroll down.

Different Architecture of Romanesque and Gothic Inspired Buildings There have been legion pilgrim’s journeies made across France and Spain. each one merely every bit alone as the one before it. Along these paths there are an unmeasurable figure of brilliant churches and temples each with their ain history.

architecture and art work. doing them really typical. Time and topographic point are of import influences of the design of these churches and temples when they were built ; this means that we have encountered tonss of distinguishable architectural types along our pilgrim’s journeies. I will analyze every bit good as comparison the similarities and differences of two types of architecture from the center ages called Romanesque and Gothic. Romanesque and Gothic architecture differ in many ways from how the exterior expressions to the temper on the interior to the sculptures.

arch types and the clearstory. The two architectural types are different because they were influenced by the different forces environing them at the clip.

Similarities Between Gothic And Romanesque Architecture

The periods in clip when these architectures were being defined played an of import function in the result. Romanesque architecture started being used in the sixth century and finally evolved into Gothic architecture in the twelfth century which lasted until the sixteenth century. 1 We can see clear development of the distinguishable characteristics of Romanesque architecture morphing into Gothic architecture.

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During the twelfth century there are edifices incorporating characteristics of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture. As the edifices would take old ages to finish. the initial phases of the edifice would be Romanesque and the ulterior parts would be Gothic. I will look closely at two churches while besides touching on other churches that we have discussed this semester and compare their characteristics.

St Sernin in Toulouse. France and Notre Dame Cathedral in Chartres. France will stand for Romanesque and Gothic creditably. The church of St Sernin is the largest church in Toulouse. the 4th largest metropolis in France. and it is Romanesque architecture at its finest. Toulouse was one time portion of a part called Roman Gaul and the church was built during the clip of the Roman Empire. This is why we see Romanesque architecture throughout France and countries of Spain. The Notre Dame Cathedral in Chartres. France is considered to be one of the most of import Gothic edifices. non merely along the pilgrim’s journey paths but in the universe. Unlike Toulouse. Chartres is a bantam small state town nevertheless. Notre Dame Cathedral is celebrated for its beautiful architecture. alone sculptures and awe inspiring discoloration glass Windowss. The outside of Romanesque architecture was built more for map than beauty. We find most of this architecture embedded in palaces where defense mechanism was imperative. While defense mechanism wasn’t as of import for the churches we can still see this manner bing in many Romanesque churches.

“The walls of Romanesque edifices are frequently of monolithic thickness with few relatively little openings” . 2 Having midst walls and little Windowss. the palaces were about impenetrable nevertheless this meant the design of the churches were comparatively simplistic when compared to Gothic edifices. When we look at St Sernin we able to place these characteristics. There are legion Windowss around the church nevertheless as St Sernin is a instead big Church you would anticipate to see more Windowss with other manners of architecture. The forepart of St Sernin has one big unit of ammunition window but the remainder of this facing is chiefly rock with few comparatively little Windowss. When we compare this to Gothic architecture we can see a important difference. When Romanesque architecture evolved into Gothic architecture the arches were no longer merely for prolonging the weight. they became more visually appealing. Gothic architecture came to be because of “a alone combination of bing technologies…

Those engineerings were the ogival or pointed arch. the ribbed vault. and the winging buttress” . 3 These new engineerings meant that the exterior walls could be thinner and have more Windowss as the weight of the roof and upper degrees were better distributed through clustered columns. Having lighter walls and more Windowss and gaps led to more cosmetic and visually arresting edifices considered to be plants of art. Notre Dame Cathedral is an impressive work of art which uses all the new engineerings in exposing one of the finest illustrations of Gothic architecture. The frontage of the cathedral is high and good decorated. There is a brilliant unit of ammunition window which is the centre piece of the face which is surrounded by countless pointed arch Windowss designed to back up the weight. Unlike the church of St Sernin where most of the forepart wall was rock. Notre Dame’s forepart wall consists largely of Windowss. These exterior characteristics had a important impact on the interior feel and temper of the edifices. The sum of light Lashkar-e-Taiba in by the two comparative architectural types has a batch to make with the feel and temper of the inside. When come ining different edifices one “can experience the difference between the [ two types of ] architecture” . 4 When it comes to the Romanesque manner of St Sernin. really small visible radiation is able to perforate the midst walls with small gaps which makes the interior temper experience dark and glooming. When you compare that to the Gothic Notre Dame. with its legion Windowss it has a wholly different feel. Alternatively of experiencing dark and gloomy like St Sernin. Notre Dame’s inside has a much lighter and a more inviting mood. ]

Another specifying characteristic of Gothic architecture is one of the new engineerings. the pointed or ogival arches. This new manner of transporting the weight was radical as costs could be cut by holding more glass and less rock work. Structural “use of the pointed arch gave a greater flexibleness to architectural signifier. it besides gave Gothic architecture a really different ocular character to Romanesque” . 5 These arches meant the ceiling could be made higher than before symbolizing an aspiration for Eden. All Gothic gaps such as Windowss. room accesss and galleries are made with pointed arches. The church at St Sernin is no exclusion to this regulation. Looking at the exterior of the edifice all you can see is pointed condescending doors and Windowss. It is the same one time you have entered the edifice. pointed archways running down both sides of church. Compared to Gothic architecture. Romanesque architecture was an out-of-date technique when it came to efficiency. Romanesque design wasn’t as advanced. alternatively of utilizing efficient pointed arches like Gothic designs ; rounded or semi circle arches were used for their arches. This is more efficient at keeping weight than a square room access but non every bit efficient as a pointed arch. To get the better of this failing of the rounded arches “instead of a individual unit of ammunition arch of rock to cross an opening… [ they use ] countless arches” . 6 This manner the weight burden is spread over legion arches alternatively of a individual arch. When we look at the church in St Sernin the room accesss and Windowss are all rounded. The chief entryway has two big rounded room accesss. when we look closely we can see it isn’t a like the other arches. to transport the weight they have made the arch wider than the wall coming out a few pess. When we go inside we can see that on top of the rows of columns on the inside there are rounded arches. even the roof is a rounded arch which is supported by moulded arches.

Sculpture work that exists on the interior and outside of churches had two intents. Intricate sculpture works on the churches were visually appealing doing them more attractive to pilgrims and tourers and it was besides a manner of storytelling that was guaranteed to last every bit long as the church. Romanesque sculptures evolved over the old ages holding three distinguishable periods. A crude period. the 2nd period was marked by churrigueresque hyperbole and the concluding refinement and assimilative period. 7 This manner of sculpture work frequently depicts scenes of mundane life including both people and animate beings. While the scenes of the sculptures seldom altered. how they were depicted was. In the 2nd period “ [ g ] rotesque figures of work forces and animate beings. and designs derived from vegetable kingdom”8 were common. As we move into the 3rd period word pictures are more realistic. At St Sernin there is an copiousness of Romanesque sculptures carved into the south portal. It is an early piece of Romanesque sculpture work as the topics of the art work are all regular in visual aspect. Over the south portal is a scene of Christ with the 12 apostles below looking up at him. This was a common adequate word picture of Christ in Romanesque design. a really similar piece had been carved on a different church carved twelve old ages earlier.

The terminal of the Romanesque period flowed swimmingly into the new Gothic manner of sculpture work. While it continued the “tradition of Romanesque sculpture. but it changed in its iconography … be givening towards a didactic representation of the most of import individuals and scenes in the Holy Scripture” . 9 Other common subjects are the 12 months and the marks of the zodiac. angels and saints. Gothic architecture took the already bing Romanesque architecture and channelled this into a more comprehensive and deliberate work of art with the ability to touch any single that gazes upon her art and for persons who understand Gothic sculpture have a deeper grasp. The facade at Notre Dame Cathedral has three magnificent room accesss. and above the Centre room access is a great word picture of Christ created utilizing a Gothic sculpture manner. Jesus is standing surrounded by an bird of Jove. bull. king of beasts and a winged adult male. Visitors are able to bask this work for its quality although those who understand the piece realise that the bird of Jove represents Saint John. the bull represents Saint Luke. the king of beasts represents Saint Mark and the winged adult male represents Saint Matthew. Gothic and Romanesque architecture dominated the in-between ages used to make brilliant churches. temples and palaces considered to be plants of art. Romanesque architecture evolved into Gothic architecture during the twelfth century.

While these two types of architecture sometimes overlapped during the transitional period. Gothic and Romanesque architecture are like chalk and cheese when you examine them
closely. From the inventiveness of the design. the temper and feel of the inside. the ocular consequence of the outside and the beautiful sculpture work. Gothic architectures used all of the available engineerings available to them. so they were able to make constructions that Romanesque architectures could merely woolgather of. These new design methods meant that the interior temper has besides morphed ; Romanesque architecture had a moist and dark temper which evolved into the bright and ask foring Gothic architecture. Sculptures went from being monstrous figures in Romanesque architecture to a more defined and meaningful work of art in Gothic architecture. These two different manners of architecture may be different nevertheless they are still both rather capable of animating persons which means that they will be a finish for pilgrims and tourers for the old ages to come.

Bibliography
Browne. Edith A. Romanesque Architecture ( Kessinger Publishing. 2005 ) Frankl. Paul. Gothic Architecture ( Yale University Press. 2000 ) Groce. Jenae. An Introduction to Gothic Architecture ( World Technologies. 2012 ) Morey. Charles R. . The Beginning of Romanesque Sculpture ( College Art Association. 1919 )