Romanesque and Gothic Art in Europe: Architecture, Painting
Romanesque Art
From the eleventh century, a new artistic style spread throughout Western Europe. We call it Romanesque art. Religiosity is the most important feature of Romanesque art. Religious influence on architecture was notable in the types of buildings, because the most representative were churches, cathedrals, and monasteries. In religious painting and sculpture, the search for the spiritual meaning of things was present. Another feature of Romanesque art is the use of symbols. Everything transmitted a message, from the shapes of buildings to the materials used or decorative motifs.
Romanesque Architecture
The main Romanesque buildings were constructed with stone. To cover large stone buildings, architects returned to using Roman elements, such as barrel vaults and domes. These rested on arches and columns and needed strong pillars. Because the building should not fall, they used very thick walls, reinforced the building with buttresses, and reduced both the number and size of windows. These features give a very solid and compact appearance and result in low light indoors. Churches used to have a Latin cross plan to remember the cross on which Jesus died.
Romanesque Painting
Most Romanesque buildings were painted both on the exterior and the interior. Romanesque painting was not naturalistic, so the figures were represented in schematic and rigid positions. Moreover, some characters are drawn much larger than the rest to highlight their importance. Mainly religious subjects were painted, and landscapes did not appear in the background. The main types of Romanesque painting were mural painting, which was placed on the walls using the fresco technique, and painting on wood, using the tempera technique.
Gothic Architecture
Features:
- Use of the pointed arch.
- Use of the ribbed vault, pillars inside the building, and flying buttresses and spurs on the outside.
- Thick walls were not needed, and huge windows were opened.
- The windows were closed with stained glass and rose windows.
- The Latin cross form was conserved. Headers, instead of being semi-circular, became polygonal, and the central nave was built much higher and wider than the sides.
The Catholic Monarchs
The history of the Crown of Castile was marked by continuous noble revolts. When King Henry IV died, the Castilians were divided between supporters of his daughter Joan and his sister Isabella. In the Crown of Aragon, Martin died without descendants, leaving the throne vacant. Nine delegates met at Caspe, three for each kingdom that formed the Crown, and they named Ferdinand of Aragon, from the Trastámara dynasty, king, the same dynasty that ruled Castile the previous century.
Dynastic Union
Ferdinand, son of the King of Aragon, and Isabella, sister of the King of Castile, had married. Isabella became Queen of Castile, and Ferdinand succeeded his father on the Aragonese throne. Then there was a dynastic union of the Crowns of Castile and Aragon.
Renaissance Architecture
The architects of the Renaissance recovered classical elements: arches, pediments, barrel vaults, and classical columns. The buildings were lower than the Gothic ones, as they wanted to adapt to the proportions of the human body to give a sense of order and harmony.
The Quattrocento
Among the outstanding architects of the Quattrocento was Brunelleschi. He is considered the first complete artist because he was an architect, painter, and sculptor.