1000 Scupltures of Genius. Patrick Bade
of the twentieth century, who looked back at the vigorous traditions of their national past.
We know the names of a few Romanesque sculptors, but the authorship of far more works is established by the Gothic period, so that known artists began to replace the largely anonymous craftsmen of earlier times. This is an aspect of the individualism of modern times. Other characteristics of the late medieval style seemed to mark the end of an era. The historian Johan Huizinga noted the weariness and melancholy embodied in the late Gothic, and he thought the works to be too abundantly endowed with iconographic niceties and disguised symbolism, where apparently everyday objects bore a religious meaning. This incorporation of the vividness of daily life with religious iconography is clearly seen in the development of passion-plays, in which the Passion of Christ was acted out in public plays throughout Europe in the fifteenth century. The elaborate sculptural projects of the Passion were related to this theatrical trend, and there was an obvious visual interplay between the two art forms.
183. Nino Pisano, 1343–1368, Italian. La Madonna del Latte, c. 1345. Polychrome marble, h: 91 cm. Museo Nazionale di San Matteo, Pisa (Italy). Gothic.
184. Anonymous. The Emperor Triumphant, Barberini Ivory, leaf of a diptych, first half of the 6th century. Ivory and traces of inlay, 34.2 × 26.8 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris (France). Byzantian (?).
185. Workshop of the Palace of Charlemagne. David and St Gerome, Dagulf ivory plaques, before 795. Ivory, 16.8 × 8.1 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris (France). Carolingian.
186. Anonymous. Paliatto, relief from Salerno (Italy), c. 1084. Ivory and traces of gilding, h: 24.5 cm. Museo Diocesano, Salerno (Italy). Early Middle Ages.
187. Anonymous. Coronation of Emperor Otto II and Theophanu, 982–983. Elephant Ivory and traces of polychromy, 18 × 10 cm. Musée national du Moyen Age – Thermes et hôtel de Cluny, Paris (France). Early Middle Ages.
188. Anonymous. Plaque with the Journey to Emmaus and the Noli Me Tangere, 1115–1120. Ivory and traces of gilding, 27 × 13.5 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (United States). Early Middle Ages.
This small plaque is currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is of Spanish origin, but its original context is not known. It is assumed to be part of a series of images showing the life of Christ. The two scenes show Christ after his resurrection. At the top he appears to two disciples, who do not recognise him. The men are in the middle of a journey. Their conversation and movement as they walk are conveyed through the gestures of the figures. In the lower scene, Mary Magdalene recognises Christ. He tells her not to touch him, or “Noli me tangere”. His broad gestures indicate this, and also indicate his other command, that she pass along the news of his resurrection to the disciples.
189. Anonymous. Annunciation to the Shepherds, Birth of Christ, Magi before King Herod and Adoration of the Magi, west panel of the door, St. Maria im Capitol Church, Cologne (Germany), c. 1065. Polychrome wood, h: 474 cm. In situ. Roman.
190. Anonymous. Capital, cloister, former Saint-Pierre Abbey Church, Moissac (France), 1100. In situ. Roman.
191. Anonymous. Harpies, capital of the cloister, Santo Domingo Monastery, Silos (Spain), 1085–1100. In situ. Roman.
192. Anonymous. Samson and the Lion, capital of the transept cross, La Brède Church, La Brède (France), 12th century. Stone, h: 55 cm. Musée d’Aquitaine, Bordeaux (France). Roman.
With the Romanesque sculpture of the eleventh and twelfth centuries there was a revival of stone carving after centuries of dormancy in that art form. Undoubtedly inspired by the fragmentary remains of Roman art still standing in Western Europe, artists of the Romanesque period expressed themselves with a new vivaciousness and spirit. Most of this energy was focused on the architectural details of churches and cloisters, such as the capitals of columns, like the one shown here. Each capital bore a different image, such as a story from the Bible or a mythical creature or demon. The liveliness and imagination expressed in these sculptures were, perhaps, uplifting to those worshipping in the churches or cloisters they decorated. This example shows Samson, a hero of the Israelites, known for his great strength. One of his feats was to fight and kill a lion. He is shown at the moment of the kill, overpowering the great beast. While the proportions make the piece almost like a caricature, the naturalism of the spiralling plants in the background, and the emotional quality of Samson’s facial expression lend an honesty and dignity to the work.
193. Anonymous. Capital, imbedded column, San Martín Church, Frómista (Spain), last quarter of the 11th century. In situ. Roman.
194. Rénier de Huy, died 1150, Belgian. Baptismal Font, Saint-Barthelemy Church, Liège (Belgium), beginning of the 12th century. Bronze. In situ. Roman.
Few sculptors of the Romanesque period are known by name; one is Rainer de Huy, a bronze worker from Belgium. His Baptismal Font is remarkable in that, despite its large scale, it was cast in a single piece, demonstrating the skill of the craftsman. The main register on the basin shows the baptism of Christ. The figure of Christ, standing waist-deep in a stylised pool of water, is flanked by John the Baptist on one side and a pair of angels on the other. Below are twelve oxen, on which the weight of the font appears to rest. The oxen are a reference to the twelve cast oxen of King Solomon’s temple in the Book of Kings, seen by Christians as presaging the twelve Apostles. The figures are in high relief, escaping the bounds of the background. That energy is seen especially in the oxen, whose poses and individuality add vitality to the piece.
195. Anonymous. Baptismal Font, Evangelical Church, Freudenstadt (Germany), second half of the 11th century. Sandstone, h: 100 cm.In situ. Roman.
196. Anonymous. Baptismal Font, Tower of Saint James Church, Avebury (United Kingdom), beginning of the 12th century. In situ. Roman.
197. Anonymous. Virgin in Majesty, beginning of the 12th century. Polychrome wood, h: 73 cm.Musée Bargoin, Clermont-Ferrand (France). Roman.
198. Anonymous. Gold Majesty of St Foy, treasure of goldsmithery, Sainte-Foy Abbey Church, Conques-en-Rouergue (France), 9th-16th century. Heart made of if wood, gold leaves, silver, enamel and precious stones, h: 85 cm. In situ. Roman.
It became customary in the Middle Ages to preserve the relics of a saint. Relics were any physical remains of the saint, usually bones from the body. The relics were usually kept in jewelled boxes called reliquaries. The desire to see, touch, and pray over the relics of a saint contributed to the popularity of the pilgrimage, in which devout Christians would travel great distances to visit relics of saints. This is the reliquary of St Foy, a young girl put to death by the Romans because she refused to worship pagan idols. The relics of that saint, a fragment of her skull, were acquired by the abbey church of Conques in France, and this beautiful reliquary was created to hold them. The saint was said to perform miracles on behalf of those who visited her relics, and the ensuing popularity of the reliquary made it necessary to rebuild the church to accommodate all the visitors, as Conques became an important church on the pilgrimage