ROMANESQUE EUROPEGARDNER CHAPTER 17-4PP. 453-458

NORMANDY AND ENGLAND - ARCHITECTURE

Vikings convert to Christianity in early 10th century -> settle on N. coast of France in present-day Normandy

The Normans were1. aggressive warriors2. skilled administrators3. builders

SAINT-ETIENNE, CAEN

West façade of Saint-Etienne, Caen, France, begun 1067

The masterpiece of Norman Romanesque architecture -> begun by William the Conqueror

West façade is a striking design in the tradition of Carolingian and Ottonian westworks -> 4 large buttresses divide the façade into 3 bays

Towers display a triple division -> spires are a later Gothic addition

Interior of Saint-Etienne, Caen, France, vaulted ca. 1115-1120

Groin vaults made possible an efficient clerestory

Three story elevation w/large arched openings provides ample light and makes the nave appear taller than it is

Light and airy quality that is unusual in the Romanesque period

DURHAM CATHEDRAL

Interior of Durham Cathedral, England, begun ca. 1093

William of Normandy/William the Conqueror’s conquest of Anglo-Saxon England in 1066 began a new epoch in English history

Interior and lateral section of Durham Cathedral, ca. 1093

Several of the classroom scenes at Hogwarts were filmed at Durham Cathedral

Typically English in its long, slender proportions -> in the nave, simple pillars alternate w/compound piers that support the transverse arches of the 7-part groin vaults

First example of a ribbed groin vault over a three-story nave -> quadrant arches in the tribune

EMBROIDERY AND TAPESTRY Funeral procession to

Westminster Abbey, detail from the Bayeux Tapestry, from Bayeux Cathedral, France, ca. 1070-1080, embroidered wool on linen, 1’8” high -> entire length is about 230 feet long

The most famous embroidery of the Middle Ages is The Bayeux Tapestry

EMBROIDERY = decorating textiles by sewing in patterns onto fabrics w/thread

BAYEUX TAPESTRY 11th century work of art that is

the Bayeux Tapestry, is a band of material 70 m by 0.50 in linen embroidered with colored wool

setting out in 58 scenes the reasons and circumstances surrounding the overseas expedition of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, and his army in 1066

This masterpiece, which is unique in the world, was probably commissioned by Odo, half brother of William and Bishop of Bayeux, to an Anglo-Saxon workshop, to be presented subsequently in the nave of the city’s cathedral.

BAYEUX TAPESTRY

Edward the Confessor -> Anglo-Saxon king of England dies

William of Normandy -> Normans believed Edward had named William as rightful heir

Harold -> is named Anglo-Saxon king of England

THE NORMAN CONQUEST -> William invades England -> defeats Harold at the Battle of Hastings

William rewarded his supporters with land and power. He is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry with his half-brothers Odo, Bishop of Bayeux and Robert of Mortain. These two men fought alongside him at the Battle of Hastings. When the King returned to Normandy in 1067 he appointed Odo of Bayeux as one of the two people who would share the position of regent in his absence.

BURY BIBLE Master Hugo, Moses expounding

the law, folio 94 recto of the Bury Bible, England, ca. 1135, ink and tempera on vellum

Master Hugo was a rare Romanesque lay artist -> one of the emerging class of professional artists and artisans who depended for their livelihood on commissions from well-endowed monasteries

EADWINE PSALTER

EADWINE THE SCRIBE(?), Eadwine the scribe at work, folio 283 verso of the Eadwine Psalter, ca. 1160–1170, Ink and tempera on vellum

Portrait represents a living man, not sacred person -- emergence of the artist

More naturalistic representation marks a turning point in Medieval representation towards representational art of the Renaissance.