Romanesque Art Period Overview
The Romanesque art period generally refers to the era of monumental revival that prevailed throughout Europe, precisely from the 10th to the middle of the 12th century with traces of continuation in later periods throughout the continent of Europe.
The term “Romanesque” as an adjective means “in the manner of the Romans”. It refers to the generality of art and architectural elements, that characterized the different parts of most church buildings in many parts of Europe, beginning with the ancient Rome.
In this survey, we are going to take a cursory look at the evolution of art throughout the Romanesque period.
Romanesque Art and Its Period
The romanesque art made its debut in the ancient Roman Empire during early era of the 10th Century. From there it widened its tentacles to the other parts of Europe such as France, Germany, Austria, and others. During this period, the entire Roman Empire and indeed the greater part of Europe witnessed massive growth in the number of church and other monumental buildings of various shapes and sizes. This growth led to diverse works of art, designed within those buildings, which were done not only for aesthetic purposes, but also for the dissemination of the gospel message.
The Charateristics Of The Romanesque Art Period
The romanesque art period was characterized by exciting revival in the creation of diverse art works of all kinds, which could be categorized under sculpture, painting, book illumination and other architectural works.
The art works originated from the great minds of the ancient Roman Empire. It moved to the time of the medieval artists while skyrocketing during the renaissance period, which ignited the fire of rebirth in thoughts of many thinkers hence, resulting in the widest expansion of diverse artist ingenuity in other parts of the European continent.
The Art Categories of the Romanesque Period
The romanesque art period could be viewed in categories such as: sculpture, painting, metal works and manuscript illumination.
- The sculpture category
The romanesque art period saw the rise of great sculptors, who began to design gigantic monuments ranging from churches to other carved images, which adorned the interiors of these churches and other places throughout Europe.
- The painting category
The romanesque period also witnessed outlandish mode of painting that beautified those buildings. Fresco or mural wall painting was the best of the time.
- Metal works category
The revival fire also modified the system of metal works, resulting in the production of crucifixes, candlesticks, vessels and other art works.
- The manual illumination category
- The romanesque art period also saw the rebirth of the art of writing in a unique manner known as manuscript illumination. This saw the massive production of the bibles, the Psalter and other great books, used both in churches and the society.
The romanesque art period was indeed a period of rebirth. Great destinies came onboard and most of them succeeded in stamping their names in the annals of history.

