Romanesque Art
During the Romanesque period, art most often portrayed biblical events or depicted saints and other religious imagery. There were also several different styles of Romanesque art. The development of these styles can be credited to the geographic area in which the art was made, the audience that the art was made for, and the message that the art was trying to portray. There are three images from the Romanesque time period that illustrate these styles very well. The first image is Virgin and Child from the Auvergne region of France (c.1150-1200), a sculptural piece whose style was developed because of audience. The next piece of art is the South Portal of the Priory Church of Saint-Pierre in France (c.1115-30), which was commissioned by Abbot Roger and portrays a message. The final piece of art which displays a style based on where it was made, is Creation and Fall (c.1106-20) in the Modena Cathedral in Emilia, Italy. It was crafted by the sculptor Wiligelmus. Virgin and Child was made from oak and originally painted, but now there are only faint traces of color on the surface. It was made to attract audiences who were on pilgrimages or crusades. During this time period, churches received their funding from visitors.
Creation and Fall lies on the west facade of the Modena Cathedral in Emilia, Italy. The sculpture is narrative and tells stories from the bible ranging from the creation of earth and man to the flood. When carving this sculpture, Wiligelmus used deep cuts to give the figures a three dimensional look. Compared with other sculptures of the time, Creation and Fall is more detailed. For example, the figures depicted on the South Portal of the Priory Church of Saint-Pierre look flat and have no sense of narrative progression. The stage-like setting that Wiligelmus created in Creation and Fall allows the audience to view the sculpture in scenes, almost as if they are watching a play. Another aspect of this sculpture that differs from earlier renderings is that the characters seem to interact within their environment (Stockstad). The characters in Creation and Fall are naturalistic; they are well proportioned and look human. Many of the characters at Saint-Pierre are expressionistic, they have elongated bodies and some are depicted as animals. It is clear that a new style of Romanesque art was beginning to appear in Italy. The South Portal of the Priory Church of Saint-Pierre portrays a message, like many of the portals during the Romanesque period. It demonstrates a new style because earlier portals did not contain
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