Castles, Gold and more...
ART OF THE ROMANESQUE ERA
The Romanesque castles in Germany, remnants of the feudal system, have the look of "forts" rather than castles.  Built of stone, the structures have few windows and tended to be cold and damp in the winters.
Image of a Romanesque castle in Germany.
Image of a Romanesque water castle.
The Romanesque castle at Mespelbrunn in Germany
The "water castle" at Gluecksburg
Image of a Romanesque castle on the Rhine in Germany.
Image of a Romanesque castle near Frankfurt in Germany,
A Romanesque castle on the Rhine
The castle at Buedingen, near Frankfurt in Germany


Take an "Excursion through Normandy:  Norman Romanesque Architecture"
http://norex.tripod.com/index.html

In addition to architectural sculpture, Romanesque sculpture ranged from silver and gold altar and church pieces, book covers and ivory plaques, and carved painted wood.  The first piece below, the Processional Cross, once held a relic and is inscribed in Latin on the reverse side saying "Sanccia Guildisalvi made me."  This artist, a female, is not unusual as records refer to female artists working in Spain at that time.  The fourth item below, from Auvergne, would also have held a relic.
Spanish Romanesque cross.
Carved ivory plaque from Spain.
French Romanesque painted wood statue of Mary and Jesus.
"Entroned Virgin" from Auvergne
Processional cross, Spanish, late 11th-12th Century.  Silver, partially gilt on wood, with carved gems.  13" X 19". 
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York		 Ivory Plaque, North Spanish (Leon), early 12th Century.  10 1/2" X 5".  Top, "Journey to Emmaus;" bottom, "Nole me tangere."  Part of a larger composition showing scenes from the life of Christ.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York		 "Enthroned Virgin and Child," French (Burgundy), 1130-1150.  Birch and polychrome.  40" H.  This piece shows the influence of Giselbertus' style, a linear quality, and is carved from a single block.
The Cloisters Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art		 "Enthroned Virgin and Child," French (Auvergne) 1150-1200.  Oak with polychrome. 31" H.  The figure is abstracted and conceptual;  rigid frontal pose and a stern, expressionless face. See page 445* in the Gardner text.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Copper gilt and enameled reliquary vessel from Spain or France.
Silver reliquary from Mosan, France, c. 1150-1200
Copper gilt and enameled reliquary triptych.
Reliquary Chasse (enclosed reliquary vessel), North Spanish or Southern French.  Late 11th Century.  Copper gilt and champleve enamel.  Approximately 5"X7"X3".
Metropolitan Museum of Art.		 Silver 'reliquary arm' from Mosan, France, c. 1150-1200.  Silver, champleve enamel on copper, gilt bronze over wood. Center of the "Reliquary Triptych of the True Cross," c.1160, by "artists of the Muese Valley."  Champleve enamel on copper gilt.  11 l/2" X 6 3/4" closed.
Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Painted image from a Romanesque church
"Christ in Majesty" from Lerida, Spain
Painted image from a Romanesque triptych.
Christ in Majesty, from Santa Maria de Mur, Lerida Spain.  See page 444 in the Gardner text.

One of the most fascinating and beautiful sites of the Romanesque world is the pilgrimage church Santiago de Compostela.  For a beautiful photo-tour of Compostela, the church, the countryside and other architecture of the Romanesque era,
click here:   http://www.red2000.com/spain/santiago/photo.html
*Page numbers refer to Gardner 13th edition.
Page updated 8/03/09		  
Copyright M. Hoover and Visual Arts and Technology Department, San Atnonio College, April 2001