The Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos is located in Burgos province in northern Spain. It was originally built in the 11th century but was reconstructed in the 18th century, losing some of its original Romanesque features. The monastery is known for its Gregorian chants and was an important center of book making, metalworking, and scholarship during the Middle Ages. Sculptures at the monastery combine Romanesque and Gothic styles and were used both decoratively and to illustrate biblical stories for illiterate viewers.

1. Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos
Albena Gradeva,
Madina Ismailova

2. 1. Introduction
 Historical context of the artwork.
 Artistic context.
 The author.
2. Analysis
 Description
 Style
 Features
 Symbolic Meaning
3. Conclusion

3.  Historical context
- Burgos province,
North of Spain
- Village built up due to
the monastery
- Firstly from Visigoth
period (7th. Century)
- Destroyed during the
Islamic rule

4. - Romanesque part built in 1088
- 1751 Romanesque part disappears: neoclassical
temple, built by Pedro Machuca plans Ventura
Rodríguez (many Romanesque features lost)
- Author: not clear, only 2 different styles of 2
teachers are visible

5.  Driven out of monastery San Mila de Cogola by
King of Navarre
 Found refuge under protection of Ferdinand I of
Leon
 Rebuilt monastery :wealthy patrons endowed the
monastery
 ransomed Christians from the Moors
 Center of book design, gold and silver work,
scholarships and charity

6. Transept
- Successor : Abbot Fortuni
- He started the transpet and
cloister

7.  Mainly Romanesque style
 Few pieces showing early Gothic style
(annunciation)
 Two styles distinguished by columns

9.  Puerta de las
Virgenes
 One of the few
preserved
Romanesque features
 Southern Arm
connecting transpet
and cloister
 Horse-shoe arch :
Mozarabic style

10.  Pillars also typically
Romanesque
 Two men holding a
pair of rampant lions
with ropes.(childish
depiction)
 Detailed geometrical
shapes: Islamic
Influence

11.  Monastery famous for
it’s Gregorian Chants
 Gives a very chilling
and mysterious
atmosphere
 http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?NR=1&v=8J
7NjHD1O_o

12. Sculpture used for 2 purposes
1) Decoration
2) Illustrate stories of the Bible

13.  Disciples of Emmaus
- sketchy,
experssionless, little
attention paid to detail
- No sense of depth
- Little movement and
unnatural
(placed above eye
level)

14. - Silos-Duda
 Little anatomic
perfection
 Thin and elongated
with large eyes and
heads
 Unrealistic position of
Jesus’s Hand (looks
like a stick: very stiff)
 Representation:
unrealistic; as if they
are standing on a
staircase

15.  Stiffmother Marry and
young Jesus: sitting
very unnaturally on
the side of his mother
 Although baby Jesus
moves from the
middle, still looks like
he is sitting on a
throne

16.  Cloister
- semi-circular arches
- Arcades(piers
supporting the
building)
- Walls: thick

17.  (Entombment+Resurr
ection )
 Putting two stories
together:typically
medieval
 Many people illiterate
so no writing
 Almost like a comic
book

18. 1) First School
- Main protagonists are
animals (surrounded by
foliage/stems)
- Delicate and finesse
artworks: Hispano-
Muslim influence e.g.
Hair, feathers etc...

19. - Plenty of rhythm
and repetition

20.  Annunciation of Marry
 Later in 12th. Century
 Late Romanesque,
Early Gothic
 Figures and details
more refined and
realistic

21. - Main protagonists are
harpies and dragons