Romanesque art developed in Western Europe between the 11th and 12th centuries CE. It was characterized by architectural styles featuring round arches and columns, as well as religious sculpture and paintings. Major Romanesque works included cathedrals and churches like Pisa Cathedral featuring its leaning bell tower. Romanesque art told biblical narratives through architectural details like capitals and portal sculptures featuring relief carvings.

1. Romanesque Art

2. Romanesque Art
• 11th
and 12th
Centuries CE in Western Europe
• Romanesque refers to “in the Roman style”
• Term Romanesque Art first used in 19th
Century
• Architectural style includes Roman style details,
including Roman columns and round arches in the
windows

3. Major Events during Romanesque Period
Pilgrimages - religious travel to important sacred sites
Crusades - series of military campaigns waged by Roman
Catholics to gain control over the Holy Land in the Middle East
First Crusade: 1095 – 1099 CE
Second Crusade: 1147 – 1149 CE
Third Crusade: 1188 – 1192 CE

4. Pisa
Cathedral Complex of Pisa (Tuscany, Italy),
Romanesque Architecture, begun 1173 CE

5. Pisa
• “Leaning Tower of Pisa”
part of Cathedral
complex of buildings
• Tower is a Campanile
(type of bell tower)
• Campanile built on top
of the ruins of an old
building
• Campanile started to
lean right away
• Today, the Campanile
leans 13 feet off of the
perpendicular
• The tower continues to
move, but much less
since they’ve added lead
to the foundation of the
building
Cathedral Complex of Pisa (Tuscany, Italy),
Romanesque Architecture

6. Campanile
(Bell Tower)

7. Romanesque Churches
Plans were designed in the shape of a Crucifix
nave apse
t
r
a
n
s
e
p
t

8. Church of Sainte-Foy
(France)
Abbey Church of
Sainte-Foy (Conques,
France), Romanesque
Architecture, 1120 CE

9. Church of Sainte-Foy
(France)
• Pilgrimage Church (Religious
Travel)
• People travel here to be healed
• Sainte-Foy was a child Saint in
4th Century
• Contains the bones of Sainte-
Foy (reliquary) that were stolen
by monks
• Additive Architecture (added
extra towers, and rebuilt some
parts later) - Original Dome
Collapsed
Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy (Conques,
France), Romanesque Architecture, 1120 CE

10. The nave of St. Sernin, Toulouse,
France, 1080 – 1120 CE
Nave – “body of the church”
Romanesque round arches
Masonry (stone) arches
Arched Vaulted Ceiling and
Columns on walls support the
ceiling
Design leaves little space for
windows (lack of natural light)
St. Sernin – pilgrimage church
– very large building for a
Romanesque style church –
needed large space for visitors

11. Romanesque Portals
• A Portal is the
decoration around
the entrance to a
building, usually
Churches
• Round Arches
• Relief Sculpture

12. Romanesque Portals
• A Portal is the
decoration around
the entrance to a
building, usually
Churches
• Round Arches
• Relief Sculpture

13. Portal Cathedral of Saint-Lazare

14. Portal Cathedral of Saint-Lazare
• Judgment of Christ
(Christ deciding who goes
to heaven or hell). Sinners
on one side and saints on
the other side of Christ in
center on Tympanum
• Warning to those
entering the church,
including text (written in
Latin)
• Relief Sculpture
Portal, Cathedral of Saint-Lazare
(Burgundy, France), Romanesque
Architecture, 1130 CE

15. Creation and Fall of Adam and Eve

16. Creation and Fall of Adam and Eve
Wiligelmus, Creation and Fall of
Adam and Eve, Modena Cathedral
(Italy), height 92cm, 1099 CE
Artist - Wiligelmus
Narrative Portal - (narrative is a story)
Tells the Story of Adam and Eve
Relief Sculpture - modeling of figures
gives relief strong 3-D feeling.
Originally Painted with Bright Colors
Three Scenes
Scene 1 - God with angels and God
Creating Adam
Scene 2 - Eve Born from Adam
Scene 3 - Adam and Eve eat forbidden fruit
in shame

17. Romanesque
Capitals

18. The Magi Asleep

19. The Magi Asleep
The Magi Asleep, capital from interior of
Catedral of Saint-Lazare, 1125 CE
Capital - Decorative top of
Architectural Columns
Creation of Narrative Scenes on
Capitals is a Romanesque
innovation
Also called “Historiated
Capitals”
Scene from childhood of Jesus -
story of Angel Waking the 3 Wise
Men
View from Above

20. Christ in
Majesty

21. Christ in Majesty
Christ in Majesty, detail of apse wall
painting from Church of San Climent
(Barcelona, Spain), 1123 CE
Christ figure in center of wall painting
Christ as ruler and judge of the world
Alpha and Omega - first and last letters of
Greek alphabet on either side of Christ
(“Beginning and End”)
Christ holds a book with Latin “ego sum lux
mundi” (“I am the light of the world”)
Decorative patterns and stylized forms
Colorful palette - Romanesque artists liked
bright colors

22. Bayeux
Embroidery

23. Detail from the Bayeux Embroidery

24. Bishop Odo Blessing the Feast
(from Bayeux Embroidery)

25. Bishop Odo Blessing the Feast,
detail from Bayeux Embroidery,
Linen with Wool Thread, 1066 - 1082 CE
Strip of Embroidered Linen known as
Bayeux Embroidery created by women
in France
Embroidery - handcrafted stitches
using thread on already-woven fabric
creating images and text
50 Scenes with 600 human figures,
700 horses, dogs, and other creatures,
2000 letters
This Scene is a feast before a battle
- Bishop and Knights eating at curved
table
Translation of text: “…and here the
servants perform their duty. Here they
prepare the meal. Here the bishop
blesses the food and drink.”

26. Reliquary
Statue of
Sainte Foy

27. Reliquary
Statue of
Sainte Foy
Reliquary Statue of Sainte
Foy, Wood with Gold and
Gems, Height 85 cm, 980 CE
Relics of Sainte Foy stored inside the sculpture -
body is hollow (relics are sacred objects from a
religious figures - can include bones, hair, teeth,
personal objects, etc.)
Gems and Cameos added by those making a
pilgrimage to Reliquary Church of Sainte-Foy in
Conques, France
Head may be from an older sculpture from
Roman Empire (head of a Roman emperor?)
Sculpture survived several wars through history,
including French Revolution in late 18th Century

28. Virgin and Child

29. Virgin and Child
Virgin and Child from Auvergne,
France, late 12th Century, height
78.7cm, Oak Wood
Only wealthy churches could afford art works
in precious metals and gems - wood was
more common medium
Statue of Virgin Mary and Christ Child
Serious and Stiff
Stylized drapery of clothing
Mary seated on a throne (represents
wisdom)
Christ Child once held a book in his left hand
representing wisdom, his right hand raised in
blessing