Romanik

Taschen Basic Genre

by Norbert Wolf

The first universal style of the European Middle Ages Reaching its peak in the 11th and 12th centuries, the Romanesque movement was marked by a peculiar, vivid, and often monumental expressiveness in architecture and fine arts. The main centres were located in Italy, France, the German-language countries, Spain, and England, though the voices of Scandinavia and Eastern Europe expressed themselves distinctly in the genre, which patterned itself on antique and Byzantine art. Despite untold losses, countless Romanesque masterpieces remain preserved today. Highlights include: Frescoes in Galliano near Cant?, Sant?Angelo in Formis, Saint Chef, Saint-Savin-sur Gartempe, Lambach, S. Pietro al Monte near Civate, S. Clemente in Rome, from S. Maria de Tahull, Berz?-la-Ville, Tavant, Pante?n de los Reyes in Le?n, Castel Appiano, from Sigena; the golden Altar-Piece from Lisbjerg; the Bayeux Tapestry; stained glasses in the Cathedral of Augsburg and Le Mans, mosaics in S. Clemete, Rome, and in S. Marco, Venice; coloured panels und crosses from La Seo de Urgel, Sarzana and the panted ceiling in St. Michael, Hildesheim; sculptures in Souillac, Autun, Santiago de Compostela; examples of metalwork, of manuscripts and enamels.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Norbert Wolf is an art historian and author based in Munich. He has published several books with Prestel, including "Art Nouveau", "Art Deco", "Impressionism", "Spanish Painting", and "The Golden Age of Dutch and Flemish Painting", as well as monographs on Albrecht Dürer and Titian.

Reviews

[Andrew Herting · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came to this book hoping that it would unlock the qualities that make these works compelling, enjoyable and relevant. Instead of digging into the aesthetic qualities of the work, most descriptions assume too much knowledge and interest in historical details. The first few paragraphs often discuss the where, when and who, but certainly most readers will be unfamiliar with the churches, artists and patrons described. Dedicating the time to learning the difference between Masters Gislebertus and Guillielmus yields little enjoyment or insight into the work except for experts, who wouldn't care about such a brief summary anyway. Unfamiliar terms and genres are dropped without explanation - nowhere could I find a distinction between "Majestas Domini" and "Christ Pantocrator". A few aesthetic remarks close each section, often not going beyond a comment on handling of drapery or an unexplained heaping of praise on a work.

The works presented are startling, bravely experimental, widely differentiated and memorable. This type of book (a text-light summary under 100pp) should be able to approach them from the perspective of the naive beginner; instead the novice will find themselves crushed by too many unexplained terms and historical trivia and look elsewhere.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best part of this book was the pictures. I don't feel as if I know much more about Romanesque art than when I started.