Romanesque Ornament - So soon as charlemagne had succeeded to a certain extent in consolidating his empire, he selected Aixla-Chapelle as his place of residence, and called around him in that city artist of all kinds both from the former Western as well as from the Eastern Roman empires. These artist were engaged in decorating and adorning his palaces, and it was here that a new style, the Romanesque style, based upon classic architecture, and very strongly influenced by Byzantine art, which stood then at its highest glory slowly developed itself.
At first, after the death of Charlemagne, art could not make much progress in the empire, a circumstance due to the fact that Charlemagne’s succesor was an incapable ruler under whose dominion the land lay diseased and dormant, awaiting with dulled apathy the end of all things. It was not until the year 1000 had come that new life began to be again manifest, and later on when the religious zeal was stirred up by the Crussades that some really great and genuine works of art were produced. The Romanesque stye of architecture, whose earliest architects were priests and monks, the lay element being introduced later on, is a genuine Orthodox style. In the beginning this style was heavy, but it soon developed, and reached its highest standard in the 12th and 13th centuries. The aftergrowths of the Romanesque style in Germany were produced by a combination of the same with Gothic, a style which came in from France, resulting in the pointedarch style which sprung into existence. The Romanesque style itself spread rapidly into all those countries which were included in the former Western Roman empire, its character becoming changed in accordance with the character of the inhabitantsof each particular country. In France Spain and England the Romanesque style developed into the Gothic, and some time afterwards, towards the middle of the 13th century, Germany, following the example of France and using the French Gothic as a standard, began also gradually to develop, the Gothic style of architecture.
The Romanesque style of brick architecture was introduced into the Altmark, at Jerichow, and into parts of Mecklenburg, Holstein, and Pomerania, during that period of time when these Wendic lands were being germanised. These districts being poor in stone and very rich in clay, nessesscitated the employment of burnt bricks. The origin of brick architecture has been traced to Lombardy by Herr O. Stiehl, Goverment architect, who carried out a series of careful and searching inquiries into this question (O. Stiehl, Der Backsteinbau romanischer Zeit, besonders in Oberitalien und Norddeutschland). From Lombardy it was introduced into the Wendic districts by missionaries. As the Romanesque style of architecture was the prevalent one at that period, the brickwork was constructed in accordance with it.
The Historic Art Exhibition held in Dusseldorf in the year 1902 contained a most beautiful and unequalled collection of German Enamel-Work from the Romanesque Art-epoch. The different works of art contained in this collection have since been reproduced by Otto von Falke and Heinrich Frauberger in their beautifully illustrated work “Deutsche Schmelzarbeiten des Mittelalters”. There ca be hardly any doubt but that the German artistic enamel-work has its origin in the Byzantine empire. In Germany itself certain centres for this art were established in a few cities, the masters giving instruction each according to his own particular school. One of the most celebrated centres was at Cologne, where the great and celebrated master Frederick taught. Celebrated schools were also established in Treves, Coblenz, and a few other places.
In the provinces of France, the Romanesque style of architecture developed itself in a somewhat peculiarly characteristic fashion, while the Roman classic predominated in the south, more especially in Provence, but the Byzantine style held sway in the south-west. In the north of France, and in Normandy, the two styles were blended together.
In the Middle Ages, certain centres of art were formed in France as well as in Germany, one of the most celebrated art-schools in the 12 th century being established at Verdun. The Verdun Altar is the most renowned work of art during this epoch. It was prepared by Nicholas of Verdun in the year 1191, and is at present in the religious establishment at Klosterneuburg near Vienna (Karl Dresschler, Der Verduner Altar).
The Lombard-Romanesque style shows edvences of Germanic influence but does not evince such a high degree of development as the German-Romanesque style. In Tuscany and Venice, this style had to give way before the Florentine and Byzantine style.
The Normans where originally a northern tribe which had settled in Norway, and who afterwards, being forced through over-population to leave their Scandinavian home, founded a colony in Normandy. They conquered Sicili and Lower Italy and established also colonies in these countries. In the 11th century a characteristic Romanesque style had developed in Normandy. In the Norman colonies in Lower Italy, this style, being very strongly influenced by the Islamite style of the Saracens, developed further into another most characteristic style, which reached its highest standard in the 12th century. From this combination of Oriental and Christian art, the only exemple perhaps of the kind in history, from this union of quick Oriental fancy with the courage, strength, and power of the Northman, have sprung works of art whose delightful, and entrancing beauty charm the beholder and excite his wonder and admiration.
Romanesque church architecture in Spain was influenced by Moorish architecture of which there are many remains.
The art of the early Middle Ages in England can be divided into two perios :
1. The Anglo-Saxon period, from 449 to 1066. The art of this period consisted in an attempt to reproduce the remains of Roman architecture in the country, or in Italy.
2. The Norman period, from 1066 to 1189. The art of this period was an imitation of the Norman French, developing gradually into a characteristic national style.
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Gradually, as the political supremacy of a country begins to decline, Art in that country begins also to decay. The decline of classic art was the natural consequence of the political weakness and final decay of the Western Roman Empire, as well as of the decisive victory which Christianity finally obtained over Heathenism. READ MORE.
Byzantine is the title given to that conglomerate style of art which was developed in the Eastern Roman Empire from all the different styles which were in existence at that early period. The first impulse to the development of a Byzantine style was given in the year 30 A. D., when Byzantine or Constantinople became the seat of the royal residence of the emperor Constantine. READ MORE.
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