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9/2/2011

Splendors of Romanesque Art

Fundacion Mapfre, Madrid

From February 9th to May 15th 2011, the FUNDACIÓN MAPFRE presents the exhibition “Splendors of Romanesque Art”, in the gallery spaces at Paseo de Recoletos in Madrid. These masterpieces belong to the MNAC, a museum that holds the most important collection of Romanesque art in Europe. For the duration of this exhibition, Madrid will become the European capital of Romanesque art and enable audiences to admire these works for the first, and probably only, time. The last opportunity to admire an ensemble as significant as this one dates back to 1937 in an exhibition in Paris. This exhibition coincides with the refurbishing campaign in the galleries devoted to Romanesque art at the MNAC in Barcelona towards which the MAPFRE Foundation has donated 900.000 euros. These two museums are thus beginning a long collaboration.

With the aim to make this unique art available to the general public as well as to an audience of experts, the curators have selected a group of 59 works that represent all the major themes and techniques of Romanesque art in order to give a general overview. New technologies allow a detailed recreation of the atmosphere evoked by this art at the time of its making. Life-size reproductions of the paintings in the apse of the church of Sant Quirze de Pedret (Catalunya) have been specially made for this exhibition, alongside a 2008 virtual reconstitution of a three-dimensional portico at the monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll (Catalunya).

The 11th and 12th centuries were a period of great economic development which allowed for the communication and exchange of different ideas and cultures in Europe. Romanesque art is the artistic and symbolic manifestation of this moment. From Compostela to Jerusalem, the church had a network of pilgrimage sites which were becoming rich economic centres. The concept of an authoritarian but protective God is conveyed in Romanesque art. This message had to be represented in a simple and pictorial way for a society that was still largely illiterate. According to Hugh of St. Victor (ca. 1090-1141): “All visible objects are available to us in a visible way to awaken our symbolic sense, that is to say they are presented to us, transmitted figuratively, in order to point to invisible objects.” This premise is the foundation of Romanesque art and it explains its enigmatic, austere and compelling nature.

These works retain their strength and capacity to influence; indeed they have significantly inspired modern avant-garde movements. While the actors of various “isms” in Paris were mostly seeking their inspiration in Primitive arts, some of the greatest Spanish artists of the 20th century such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and later Antoni Tàpies were captivated by the evocative power of Romanesque art.

The exhibition is divided into five sections, presenting applied arts and architecture (wall paintings, stone sculptures), as well as examples of liturgical objects and decoration (panel paintings, wooden sculptures, metal and enamel work).

1 – Colour in Architecture

The first section of the exhibition looks at Colour in Architecture. It is important to highlight the inclusion of the Stoning of St Stephen, shown for the first time since its recent restoration. Using bright colors in churches was motivated by didactic reasons, so they could be seen by the worshippers from the benches, as well as ones related to power to do with adding to the magnificence of the buildings, and showing off the wealth and might of the donors. Catalunya is the region in Europe where the best preserved mural paintings can be found. The allegories are obvious and the narrative depth of the painted scenes is unparalleled. Examples are Apostles of the Abbey of Àger, as well as the fragment of Arrest of Santa Catalina from La Seu D’Urgell (Lleida).

2 – Monumental Sculpture

The use of sculpture came late in Catalan Romanesque art. Monumental sculpture was adopted by the artisans, architects and builders. The monastery of Ripoll was one of the most active centers for this type of production. Catalan Romanesque art is characterised by its interest in classical models, the relationship and influence of Northern Italian sculpture. The Ripoll Voussoir and the 3D virtual representation that accompanies it make it possible to study and understand ‘the iconographic depth’ of Romanesque porticos.

3 – Narrative Space

The third section offers fine examples of tempera painting on wood panels. One reason for the exceptional state of preservation of these colours is the use of inorganic pigments in the paint preparation. In the richest churches, altar dressing tended to be in metalwork, though wooden decoration was also appreciated. The richness of this painting can be observed in the the Conjunto de Tavèrnoles and the Ciborium (canopy) of Tost. These altars were usually equipped with side panels that surrounded the whole structure. This occurs for instance in the majestic Tavèrnoles altar.

4 – The Power of Images

“We do not worship these images, nor call them God, we do not place in them any hope of salvation because that would be idolatry. Instead we venerate them as memory and recollection of events that took place in other times”, said Guillaume Durand, Bishop of Mende, (1230- 1296). The Power of Images points to the evocative power of these religious representations at the time they were made, and to the fact that they retain the same potential impact today. For example, the Batlló Majesty is an iconic representation of Christ's triumph over death. The design of the exhibition, places this piece on its own in a circular room, encouraging the visitor to find a feeling of reverence.

5 – Treasures of the Church

The exhibition ends with this section. Metal and enamel works had liturgical and secular functions. These collection items were part of the patrimony of the church and sometimes used as currency. As a consequence, they were kept in the sacristy or in a safe.

CATALOGUE
To accompany this exhibition, FUNDACIÓN MAPFRE is publishing a catalogue (in Spanish) with colour reproductions of all the works on display, texts by the curators Jordi Camps and Gemma Ylla-Catalá, as well as by the experts Lucía García de Carpi and Manuel Castiñeiras. Each section of the exhibition is commented upon, and an entire chapter is devoted to a detailed inventory, with a chronology and a map charting the evolution of Catalan Romanesque art. Finally, at the end of the catalogue, there is a complete bibliography on the subject.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME
Alongside the Splendors of Romanesque Art exhibition, and in accordance with its chosen aims, the Cultural Institute of the FUNDACIÓN MAPFRE is proposing visiting workshops for schools, from pre-school to secondary school, and for families (in Spanish). Please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

INTERNET
To delve deeper into the content of the exhibition and make it as accessible as possible to wide audiences, FUNDACIÓN MAPFRE has developed a monographic web page. Internet users can discover the most important artistic concepts raised by Romanesque art, take a virtual tour in high definition in all the galleries with commentaries and descriptions by specialists. Similarly, extracts of the catalogue will be available online, as well as practical information on the workshops and visits, including audiences with disabilities.
www.exposicionesmapfrearte.com/romanico

The exhibition is also presented on an educational website www.enredarte.com in Spanish, where families, professors and children can further the discoveries made during their visit to the exhibition with bonuses and games.

Image: Paintings from Àger: Apostles Thaddeus and James
End 11th–early 12th centuries
Fresco transferred to canvas
Church of San Pedro de Àger (Noguera, Lérida)
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
Photo: Fernando Maquieira

Fondation MAPFRE – Cultural Institute
Salle Recoletos, Paseo de Recoletos 23, Madrid
Opening hours: Mondays: 2-8pm
Tuesday to Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sundays and bank holidays: 11am-7pm
Audioguides available in Spanish and English.
Audioguides with descriptions of the works (in Spanish), specially adapted for audiences with visual impairments to transform the images into verbal descriptions. Sign language, portable devices screening a video in which the works on display are described with subtitles (in Spanish).

stampa

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