Misplaced Pages

#239760

75-683: The First Romanesque or Lombard Romanesque is specially present in Catalonia, while the full Romanesque spread from the foundations of the Order of Cluny along the axis of the Camino de Santiago . The late-romanesque of the 13th century, can be found specially in rural buildings. From the 11th century the European artistic influence, specially from the Burgundian Cluniac monasteries and

150-526: A French phenomenon, concentrated in the Paris region, and the first important monument to include sculpture was the Basilica of Saint-Denis , whose abbot , Suger, had a pre-existing Romanesque building remodeled between years 1137 and 1144 and adorned it with great riches. The special importance of Saint-Denis lay in that Charlemagne had been consecrated there, and it was the tomb of Charles Martel , Charles

225-535: A considerable area this process of craft diffusion started in Lombardy and Lombardus became the word for mason at an early period. One might call the First Romanesque style the style of this Italian architectural reconquest. The large promoter and sponsor of this art in Catalonia was Oliva , monk and abbot of the monastery of Ripoll who, in 1032, ordered the extension of the body of this building with

300-562: A façade with two towers, plus a transept which included seven apses , all decorated on the outside with the Lombardic ornamentation of blind arches and vertical strips. Catalan architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch suggested that what was formerly considered the late form of pre-Romanesque architecture in Catalonia bore features of Romanesque and thus classified it as First Romanesque ( primer romànic ). The First Romanesque churches of

375-490: A general hieratical aspect, wishing to convey an impression of spirituality, quite far from the actual anatomy of a body. From the 13th century, the style began to evolve toward greater naturalism and realism, with the progressive absorption of classical influences and a greater observation of nature. Changes in religious doctrine, which led to a rapprochement of God toward man and a softening in his previously inaccessible and inflexible character, also contributed to influencing

450-462: A great variety of extravagant forms of great plastic effect. By 1250, the architectural sculpture was already showing signs of decline, being replaced by abstract or floral ornamentation, with independent statuary, reliquaries , and especially the funeral monuments and tombs of the elite gaining importance. Two innovative features of this particular genre were the creation of small figures installed in niches , usually in an attitude of mourning, and

525-476: A lengthening in the proportions of figures, accompanying the greater verticalism of the buildings. In general terms, the distribution of the images, derived from the consolidated Romanesque heritage, was produced according to the following scheme: Far from being arbitrary choices, the images of the Gothic facade iconography were carefully selected to form a coherent didactic program for the observer, illustrating

600-452: Is no better illustration of this development than the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, 'God rejoices in all things, in each according to its essence.' They are the epitome of the theological justification of naturalism. All things, however small and ephemeral they may be, have an immediate relationship with God; everything expresses the divine nature in its own way and thus gains value and meaning for art as well." In this process of valorization of

675-595: Is visible in some works of this period: the apostolate of the Cámara Santa (Oviedo) , the facade of San Vicente (Ávila) and the Portico of Glory of the Cathedral of Santiago de Cosmpostela authored by Master Mateo . Another of the early sculptors was Arnau Cadell who produced the capitals of the cloister of Sant Cugat . The round bulge carvings that have been preserved in polychrome wood usually depict either

750-774: The Tapestry of Creation of the Cathedral of Girona. The Ivory carving of Andalusian influence developed an important workshop at the Leonese court. Goldsmiths produced elaborated pieces such as the Cáliz de las Ágatas also called "of Doña Urraca" -ca 1063- and the Ark of San Isidoro . Some artists incorporated the Limoges enamels technique as can be seen in the Frontal of Santo Domingo de Silos ). First Romanesque One of

825-767: The Christ crucified in the type called Majesty or the Madonna with Child in the type called sedes sapientiae ("Seat of Wisdom"). An exceptional sculptural group is the Davallament of Sant Joan de les Abadesses , which shows the transition to the Gothic style. Spanish Romanesque can boast some outstanding frescoes such as the Pantheon of the Kings of San Isidoro (León), retained 'in situ', or those removed from their original locations such as San Baudelio de Berlanga and

SECTION 10

#1732791165240

900-540: The Lombard monasteries , was superimposed on local artistic traditions such as " Pre-Romanesque , Visigothic art , Asturian art , Mozarabic art and Repoblación art ) as well as Andalusi art , also called Hispanic Muslim, and cohabited with the so-called Mudéjar Romanesque (or "Romanesque of brick") dominant in some areas such as the centre of the northern plateau – from Sahagún to Cuéllar – Toledo or Teruel, giving rise to an art of strong personality. The chronology in

975-527: The University of Paris . In this more liberal academic environment, relatively independent of the Church, a humanistic philosophy gained ground, and the doctrine of Purgatory was structured, offering an escape route from Hell through a purifying stage prior to the ascent to Heaven . At the same time, Mary, mother of Jesus, as well as other saints, began to be regarded as humanity's great advocates before

1050-732: The Vall de Boí were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in November 2000. The geographical proximity of this Iberian region to the rest of Europe , resulted in depictions of the emerging Romanesque art being brought to Catalonia. While the art failed to take root in the rest of the Iberian Peninsula until the second third of the 11th century, there are numerous examples of its presence in Catalan counties before this time. Though this style may not be considered fully Romanesque,

1125-512: The cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (begun in 1075 with the pilgrimage plan characteristic of most of the churches of the Way (for example St. Sernin of Toulouse ). The 12th century saw the culmination of the style with: The transition from Romanesque to Gothic starts from the late 12th century and can be seen in the Cathedral of Tarragona and La Seu Vella (Lleida) . Few but notable are

1200-505: The griffin , the dragon , and the basilisk , all conveying symbolic meanings that were associated with some moral lesson. The gargoyle shape was often used in cathedral architecture as a water drain. According to some traditions, it had the power to ward off evil spirits, but its interpretation is still uncertain. Moreover, the representation of fantastic animals offered a field free from ecclesiastical censorship , and in it, sculptors could indulge their fantasy and humor by elaborating

1275-766: The hermitage of la Vera Cruz (Maderuelo) , both in the Prado , and the collection assembled in the National Art Museum of Catalonia . Panel painting produced antependiums or altar frontals that specially in Catalonia absorbed the Italian-Byzantine influence from the 12th century ( Altar frontal from La Seu d'Urgell or of The Apostles ). In the later period painting evolved to the Gothic style , of higher narrative capacity and lesser stiffness ( Altar frontal from Avià ). The preparation of manuscripts in

1350-579: The iconoclastic issue throughout the Reformation and during the French Revolution ) and so the determination of the chronology, genealogy and geographical distribution of the style presents many gaps impossible to be filled. Added to this is the fact that when the Gothic style was finally reappraised in the second half of the 19th century, many inadequate restorations were made to the surviving monuments for lack of deeper knowledge. Even in

1425-517: The monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos . The most outstanding examples from the 12th century are the façades of Santa Maria de Ripoll , of the Church of Santa María la Real, Sangüesa , of the monastery of San Pedro el Viejo (Huesca) and the cloister of the monastery of San Juan de la Peña . To the late 12th century belong the facades of the Church of Santa María del Camino (Carrión de los Condes) and Santo Domingo (Soria) . The transition to Gothic

1500-461: The 9th-10th centuries onward, being an influence on Suger , the creator of the first Gothic church to be erected. By this time, the iconoclastic problem had finally been overcome by a number of other theoretical contributions, and sacred art had been definitively consolidated, even if protests were still heard here and there, and had become not only biblia pauperum ("books for the uneducated"), but were also offered as authorized versions, supervised by

1575-764: The Bald , and other founders of the kingdom. Therefore, it was a memorial to the Carolingian dynasty that at the same time became a symbol of the consolidation of the French monarchy —a process in which Suger played a prominent role in his capacity as advisor to the king and regent of France during the Second Crusade . In addition, the Basilica was the monumental reliquary of Saint Denis of Paris , martyr and apostle of France, patron saint of Paris and protector of

SECTION 20

#1732791165240

1650-399: The Gothic, the latter being a natural evolution from the former. Thus, the stylistic distinction between Romanesque and Early Gothic sculpture often becomes subtle. The most obvious innovations of Early Gothic were the application of sculptures to the archivolts and lateral columns of the portals and a growing tendency toward a less compact, more open and rational organization of scenes, and

1725-651: The Romanesque itself. Gothic sculpture Gothic sculpture was a sculpture style that flourished in Europe during the Middle Ages , from about mid-12th century to the 16th century, evolving from Romanesque sculpture and dissolving into Renaissance sculpture and Mannerism . When the classical values started to be appreciated again in the Renaissance , the sculpture from the previous centuries

1800-545: The Romanesque schematization. Both the sculptures of Saint-Denis and those on the other facades of Chartres were largely destroyed, mutilated, replaced, or poorly restored in later times, preventing a comprehensive understanding of their iconographic programs, but the Laon Cathedral , which has survived without much damage, provides a complete overview of the Early Gothic. Other good examples, later in time, are

1875-603: The Roussillon area which share similar iconography. One can be found in the Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines Abbey (dated in 1020) and the other in the monastery of Sant Andreu de Sureda . Also from the 11th century are the tympanum of the Cathedral of Jaca , the gables of San Isidoro (León) , the Platerías façade of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela from Master Esteban and the cloister of

1950-445: The absorption of elements of Classical antiquity in art, loosened the strict ethics that had guided moral thought in previous centuries, and directed the cultural atmosphere toward greater secularization , favoring the displacement of interest from the supernatural to the mundane and the human. It also rescued the value of the pure beauty of forms that had been lost since antiquity, considering, as did Thomas Aquinas , that Beauty

2025-586: The area contained many of the defining characteristics of this artistic style. To avoid the term Pre-Romanesque, which is often used with a much broader meaning than is generally suited to refer to early Medieval and early Christian art , and in Spain may also refer to the Visigothic , Asturias , Mozarabic and Repoblación art forms, Puig i Cadafalch preferred to use the term "First Romanesque" or "first Romanesque art" to designate those Catalan anticipations of

2100-481: The cathedrals of Bourges , Le Mans , and Angers , with varying degrees of preservation. The production of sculpture during the Gothic period was so vast and varied—in Chartres alone the facade boasts more than two thousand pieces—that its detailed study is out of the question here, and it is only possible to trace its main evolutionary lines and its more generic characteristics. Around 1200, its primitive language

2175-462: The cathedrals of Reims , Amiens , and Notre-Dame de Paris , the Gothic style is already free of the Romanesque influence, and their statues are of a very advanced naturalism. The statues are already independent of the columns and, possibly for the first time in the Middle Ages, the contrapposto is used to give the images more grace and movement, complemented with more dynamic attitudes in

2250-701: The churches of central plan, which are often associated with models from the Holy Land brought by the military orders. The main examples are the church of Saint Mary of Eunate in Navarre, the church of the Holy Sepulchre (Torres del Río) and the church of the Vera Cruz (Segovia) . The earliest works of Romanesque sculpture in the Hispanic-Christian peninsular kingdoms are two lintels of

2325-497: The constituted ecclesiastical hierarchy, for the rectification of oral traditions that misrepresented or unduly embellished sacred history. The proof of this success is in the great proliferation of sacred representations that took place during the final phase of the Romanesque , between the 11th and 12th centuries, establishing a body of thematic motifs and forms suitable for conveying religious doctrine. Regarding sculpture,

Spanish Romanesque - Misplaced Pages Continue

2400-465: The depiction of sacred images came from Pope Gregory I , who in letters to the Bishop of Marseille written around year 600 laid the groundwork for the controversy that followed. In them, the pope said that images, like other material things, should not be worshiped, but neither should they be destroyed because the representation of scenes from sacred history and of biblical characters were useful for

2475-591: The doctrine to the people and make it more easily understandable. The clear organization of the tympanum scene differed from the compact arrangements of the Romanesque sets, and it's columnar statues were likewise an innovation. The novelties proposed by Suger for the architecture and decoration of the facades, supported by the great prestige of Paris as a cultural, artistic, and university center, immediately began to radiate, appearing next in Chartres Cathedral , begun in 1145, whose west portal constitutes

2550-404: The end of this phase. First of all, the fundamental data in this change of focus was that part of cultural conservatism dissolved and a genuine interest in all that was new developed. Chroniclers of the time expressed their enthusiasm at the emergence of a new order of values that would make it possible to build a more balanced society, where material well-being became a valid goal even though it

2625-415: The ensembles tended to preserve a remarkable sense of unity and harmony. As for form, it moved toward a more detailed study of nature, seeking to reproduce the effects of light and shadow, the textures of fabrics, the subtle nuances of expression, the freshness of youth and the marks of old age. It seemed that all objects became vehicles of beauty and worthy of representation. According to Hauser : "[...]

2700-407: The evolution of preferred forms and themes. By the 14th century, the Gothic style had spread far beyond the borders of France, important regional schools were formed, and by the 15th century it dominated most of Europe, then began a decline that followed different patterns in different regions. Gothic sculpture in its late stages continued to be widely used in architectural decoration, but by this time,

2775-535: The evolution of the faith from its foundation by the Hebrew patriarchs to the advent of Christ incarnate with his doctrine of redemption, and finally presenting its teleological corollary in the apocalyptic condemnation of the wicked and the apotheosis of the good in the Kingdom of God . At the same time, the approach to the motifs found in the Romanesque iconographic tradition also began to change. Until then,

2850-401: The existence of wealthy patrons in many places made it possible to cultivate a wide range of new artistic possibilities. The sculpture of this period is no longer monumental, except for sporadic cases, and it concentrates on portable pieces, retables and altars . The 13th century, as we have seen, was characterized by the emergence of naturalistic rhetoric derived from the appreciation of

2925-496: The face of so many difficulties, the legacy of Gothic sculpture is still vast and lives on in buildings, collections, museums, widely circulated textbooks and other forms. The Gothic style was largely the result of the definition of a new visual vocabulary for the representation of images, accompanying the debate that was taking place about certain concepts of the Christian religion. One of the most important points in this debate

3000-442: The first streams of Romanesque architecture in Europe from the 10th century and the beginning of 11th century is called First Romanesque or Lombard Romanesque . It took place in the region of Lombardy (at that time the term encompassing the whole of Northern Italy ) and spread into Catalonia and into the south of France . Its principal decoration for the exterior, bands of ornamental blind arches are called Lombard bands . It

3075-581: The following centuries, various other prelates wrote texts defending sacred art , and both the texts from the early church and from ancient philosophers continued to be cited as authorities. Specially linked to the rise of the Gothic were the texts of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite , an author who had drunk from the Platonic fountain through Plotinus and who was held in high esteem in France from

Spanish Romanesque - Misplaced Pages Continue

3150-568: The great transition of the European spirit [was fulfilled here], from the Kingdom of God to Nature, from eternal things to the immediate environment, from the tremendous eschatological mysteries to the more harmless secrets of the created world. (...) Organic life, which after the end of antiquity had lost all value and significance, once more becomes honored, and the individual things of sensible reality are henceforth held up as subjects of an art that no longer requires supernatural justifications. There

3225-504: The justice of Christ. In the process, the old tendency of the Christian faith to correct the sinner through fear and the threat of eternal damnation was tempered by visions that emphasized mercy rather than divine wrath and that took more account of the inherent fallibility of human nature. Thus, the Last Judgment scenes continued to be a frequent motif, but now they were conceived to emphasize order, hope, and justice, showing

3300-401: The kingdom, and Suger wished to make it the most important centre of French pilgrimage. It was thus clothed with spiritual and political meanings. For Suger, who had been influenced by the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius, the church's ornamentation with gold objects and precious gems, stained glass windows, paintings, and sculptures was a valuable educational tool, being a way to visually present

3375-414: The limbs and a treatment of anatomical volumes that in many cases are no longer hidden by clothing. However, the Gothic contrapposto differs from the classical in that it seems more externally imposed than the result of a correct understanding of anatomy, and is more ornamental than organic. While the humanism taught in schools of philosophy redefined fundamental principles of faith, it also made possible

3450-413: The main Romanesque iconography was left in the decoration of the tympana over the main entrances of churches and cathedrals, conceived as a visual introduction and a spiritual preparation for the worship that was to take place inside, which coincides with the appearance of the first Gothic examples in the 12th century. In fact, the Romanesque iconographic programs naturally exerted great influence on

3525-655: The monasteries and cathedrals scriptoriums was an outstanding activity that continued the tradition of Beatus de Liébana's Commentary on the Apocalypse and incorporated European influences. Some of the best examples include the Libro de los testamentos , the Tumbos compostelanos and the Codex Calixtinus . Some excellent examples of textiles from liturgical vestments and tapestries have survived such as

3600-406: The most important sculptural ensemble in good condition of the first phase of Gothic. Its columnar sculptures have a very elongated design and function as an echo to the vertical emphasis of the building, and their forms still evidence of the Romanesque heritage in the linear treatment of the costumes and in their rigid attitudes. The faces, however, show a very naturalistic treatment that contrasts to

3675-430: The natural, the human body was especially benefited, since until then it was seen more as "a mass of rottenness, dust and ashes", as Peter Damian said in the 11th century. This aversion to the body had been an omnipresent note in the previous religious culture, and the representation of the man was characterized by a stylization that minimized his carnality. But now the symbolic schematism of the Romanesque and Early Gothic

3750-408: The other arts, manifested a constant dualism, seeking a compromise formula between both extremes. While the attention to nature forced an enormous advance in sculptural technique, enabling it to imitate natural forms with great resemblance, there was a tendency to fragment the work as a whole, with the parts receiving more attention than the whole, and a sense of unity would only be achieved again at

3825-406: The other was the emphasis on effigies , seeking an approximation of the real physiognomy of the dead. Before the end of the 13th century, the Gothic style had already spread to Germany , Spain , England , Italy , and Scandinavia , paving the way for the next phase: International Gothic. International Gothic comprises the period from mid-14th century to mid-15th century, with its peak around

SECTION 50

#1732791165240

3900-513: The penetration of architectural forms can be followed from east to west. The first examples are in Catalonia ( Sant Pere de Rodes , 1022) and those developed along the Camino de Santiago in Aragon ( Cathedral of Jaca , from 1054), Navarre ( Leire , 1057), Castile ( San Martin de Frómista , 1066) and Leon ( San Isidoro – portal of 1067), ending in Galicia, where the most outstanding work was raised:

3975-412: The permanence of deep-rooted local traditions giving the production a different, sometimes more archaic or exotic note. In addition, the presence of some important master with a more defined artistic personality may have inclined the style towards this or that aspect, although the main Gothic sculpture, at least until the next phase, was essentially anonymous and collective. Yet a word must be said about

4050-540: The rank of Doctor of the Church , like Basil—together with the contribution of John of Damascus , were powerful arguments in the iconoclastic question that agitated Christians from the beginning and raged strongly in the Byzantine Empire . Although the issue was officially settled in year 787 at the Second Council of Nicaea , which legalized the veneration of images, the debate continued, and over

4125-504: The representation—especially in church decoration—of real or fantastic animals, since they held an important place in medieval thought. Along with the purely ornamental decoration of vegetal motifs, there are frequent images of the lamb and the fish, substitutes for Christ, the dove that represented the Holy Spirit , the animals associated with the evangelists — eagle , bull , and lion —as well as those of mythical beasts such as

4200-492: The scene most commonly found on church portals was that of the Last Judgment , with an emphasis on the torments awaiting the infidels in Hell . Since the middle of the 11th century, Paris had become the biggest theological and cultural centre in Europe, with the presence of great philosophers and pedagogues such as Peter Abelard and Hugo of Saint Victor , and the action of several schools, which would merge to form around 1170

4275-418: The sculptors had already experimented with the most diverse materials and explored the most varied uses for reliefs and statues, forming a collection of extraordinary richness and variety. The history of Gothic sculpture still has many uncertainties and grey areas, and its study is far from complete. At various times in history, there was mass destruction of medieval monuments and works of art (for example, in

4350-420: The superficial appearances of objects in the world, even though its foundation was metaphysical . If International Gothic sculpture carried this trend forward on the one hand, on the other it gave it a new approach, which served the distinctive atmosphere of devotio moderna , a movement of religious revivalism that began among the mendicant orders and soon spread among the laity . This "modern devotion"

4425-491: The teaching of doctrine to the illiterate masses, who " could read in them what they could not read in books ", and their contemplation could lead the devout to the contemplation of God . Gregory I had recurred for this to the opinion of Basil the Great , who had stated centuries earlier that " the honor given to the image ascends to its prototype. " The Gregorian statement, coming from a pope considered wise—later elevated to

4500-400: The twelfth century was a turning point in the history of the image of the man in Christian art, as well as in the development of the doctrine of the likeness between the image of the man and that of God. But it would be misleading to assume that by this time naturalism represented a liberation from the dictates of the Church and a radical abolition of interest in the spirit, and sculpture, like

4575-471: The ways of salvation through repentance and the compassionate intercession of the saints. The very pronounced verticality of Gothic cathedrals, and their abundance of large windows that allowed great penetration of light into the interior—in contrast to the much heavier "square" forms and dark surroundings of Romanesque architecture—have been interpreted as a formal feature that mirrored this new, optimistic spiritual impulse. Early Gothic remained essentially

SECTION 60

#1732791165240

4650-409: The year 1400. This was when the style became the lingua franca of European art, with a large circulation of artists and exchanges between regional schools. But when we talk about internationalization, this does not mean that the style became homogeneous. On the contrary, the emergence of large urban centers in various countries, all with their own traditions, created a panorama of great diversity, and

4725-420: Was about the validity of the representation of sacred images, a problem that went back to the very origin of Christianity and was not yet sufficiently clarified. Early Christianity harbored an aversion to the depiction of sacred images, a reservation that had been inherited from Judaism , which forbade the creation of images for worship, fearing idolatry . An explicit command against depiction of sacred images

4800-461: Was already being modified by the progressive interest in naturalism , giving rise to the second stage of his evolution, called High Gothic. The artists from the Meuse valley were important in this transition, notably Nicholas of Verdun and Renier of Huy , the first great masters to leave their mark in the history of Gothic sculpture, dedicating themselves to works in goldsmithery and bronze . In

4875-433: Was born closely linked to architecture —as a result of the decoration of the great cathedrals and other religious buildings—but it eventually gained independence and started to be worked as autonomous art. It started in Paris , France , and had its first important expression in the reform of the Basilica of Saint-Denis between 1137 and 1144. Its first phase developed an austere, sleek style, with elongated proportions and

4950-543: Was broken, giving way to a vision that demanded the validation of abstract principles through sensitive experience, with faith entering into dialogue with reason . With this, the old conception of art changed. While the desire to create figures that could adequately illustrate spiritual principles continued, the empiricism of the time demanded that the images should also be formally correct according to nature. These naturalistic tendencies did not show themselves all at once and in all places, and one must, of course, consider

5025-473: Was called opus modernum ("modern work"), being sculpture one of its most important and sophisticated expressions. However, the negative appreciation lasted until mid-19th century when a revivalist movement appeared, called neo-Gothic , that recovered its values. In actuality, it is known that Gothic art has nothing to do with the Goths—but the denomination remained, consecrated by the use. Gothic sculpture

5100-408: Was characterized by thick walls and lack of sculpture in facades, and with interiors profusely painted with frescoes. During the first quarter of the 11th century, much architectural activity by groups composed of Lombard teachers and stonemasons ( Comacine Guild ), who worked throughout much of Europe and Catalan territories and erected fairly uniform temples, some of which still exist today. For

5175-401: Was closely associated with Virtue and derived from the coordination of the parts of an object with each other in correct proportions and from the full expression of its essential nature. If throughout the 13th century the general trend of sculpture, in technical terms, was to break free from architecture and gain autonomy, it still maintained an intimate relationship with its context, so that

5250-419: Was definitively abandoned to reach in a short time a naturalism not seen since Greco-Roman art . The figure of Christ himself, previously represented mainly as Judge, King, and God, was humanized, and the adoration of his humanity came to be considered the first step to knowing true divine love. The achievement of naturalism was one of the most fundamental of the entire Gothic period, The achievement of naturalism

5325-503: Was issued in the Ten Commandments , where the third one states: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image." On the other hand, the ancient classical pagan tradition, which provided essential elements for the formulation of the new faith, was fully in favor of the representation of gods, and both currents remained in constant friction throughout the Middle Ages. One of the first consistent Christian statements favoring

5400-554: Was more introspective and intimate but could easily spill over into collective outbursts of mystical fervor. It is not surprising, in the face of this more emotionally inclined faith, the multiplication of works with dramatic themes such as the scenes of the Passion of Jesus and the Pietà —which had a more immediate affective appeal and a confessional and penitential character that had not been explored until then, and which were linked to

5475-465: Was one of the most fundamental of the entire Gothic period, and made possible centuries later the even more remarkable advances of the Renaissance with regard to artistic mimesis and the dignification of the man in his ideal beauty. As Ladner said, [...] by the end of the 11th-century, spiritualization had reached a climax beyond which it was impossible to proceed; and therefore the first half of

5550-533: Was seen as shapeless and rough and was given the name of Gothic, since it was believed to come from the culture of the Goths , people considered barbaric and supposedly responsible for the disappearance of the Roman Empire . But the people from the Gothic period never gave themselves that name neither they considered themselves barbarians. On the contrary, in its emergence Gothic art was seen as innovative and

5625-488: Was supposed to prepare for the salvation of the spirit. And since the idea that humanity had been renewed in Christ was reinforced, people no longer had to live so oppressed by the weight of mortality and sin , and could express their beauty, vitality, and joy without guilt. Secondly, the old spiritual unilateralism , which rejected the imitation of reality in art and sought in it only the confirmation of religious doctrine,

#239760