Mosan art

Mosan art
Book-cover by Hugo d'Oignies
Nivelles. Westwork abbey church
Maastricht, church of Our Lady. East choir with carved capitals (XIIth c.)
Liège, St Bartholomew's Church. Baptismal font by Renier de Huy (detail)

Mosan art is a regional style of art from the valley of the Meuse in present-day Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Although the term applies to art from this region from all periods, it generally refers to Romanesque art, with Mosan Romanesque architecture, stone carving, metalwork, enamelling and manuscript illumination reaching a high level of development during the 11th, 12th and 13th century.

Contents

Development of Mosan art and geographical spread

The Meuse valley lay in the heart of the Carolingian Empire and therefore the style draws largely from the heritage of the Carolingian art tradition. Thus, Mosan art contains strong classical elements, which separates it from the international Romanesque style seen elsewhere during the period, for example in France (see [1]), Germany (see [2]), England and Italy. However, it shares with mainstream Romanesque art elements such as the treatment of space. Although the iconography of 11th and 12th century Meuse valley art largely draws on Biblical inspiration, some of the elaborately carved capitals in the two main churches in Maastricht depict scenes from many aspects of daily life, as well as images from an intriguing world of fantasy.

The Mosan region was formed largely by the boundary of the Bishopric of Liège, which had strong political links to the Holy Roman Empire, and ecclesiastical links to the archbishopric of Cologne. The region's main artistic centres were the cities of Liège, Huy, Dinant, Namur, Tongeren, Maastricht, Roermond and Aachen, as well as a number of important monasteries (Sint-Truiden, Aldeneik, Herkenrode, Averbode, Munsterbilzen, Susteren, Sint Odiliënberg, Rolduc, Burtscheid, Kornelimünster, Stavelot, Nivelles, Aulne, Floreffe, Flône, Celles, Gembloux and Lobbes). Mosan art at its peak had a strong influence on bordering regions, notably on Rhineland art (Cologne, Bonn).

Highlights of Mosan art

Mosan Romanesque art has been described by art historians as the first golden age of Netherlandish art (before early Netherlandish painting and Dutch Golden Age painting). Usually the term Mosan art does not include Medieval literature although Heinrich von Veldeke is considered the first poet writing in Middle Dutch (as well as in Middle High German).

Architecture

Mosan architecture is a distinctive branch in Romanesque architecture that produced imposing churches in Liège and Maastricht, as well as powerful monasteries in rural areas. The fully developed Mosan style of the 12th century is a comprise between the older Meuse valley traditions and foreign influences, mainly coming from the Rhineland and Italy. An outstanding factor in Mosan architecture is the closed west front (westwerk). Unfortunately, some of the main churches, such as the Stavelot and Sint-Truiden abbeys, and Liège cathedral, were destroyed and nothing remains of them.

Stone carving

Mosan stone carving reached a peak in the 12th century in Maastricht, Liège and Nivelles. Maastricht 'metsen' (stone carvers) worked on capitals and reliefs as far afield as Utrecht, Bonn and Eisenach.

  • Maastricht, Basilica of Our Lady. Carved 4-fold capital

  • Maastricht, St Servatius. Carved capital in westwork

  • Liège, Curtius Museum. Carved capital from St Lambert's Cathedral

  • Eisenach. Dragon capital in the Wartburg

  • Liege-Vierge de Dom Rupert.jpg

    Liège, Curtius Museum. 'Vierge de Dom Rupert'

  • Maastricht, Church of Our Lady. 'Oath on the Relics'

  • Maastricht, St Servatius. 2-part relief

  • Utrecht, St Peter's. 4-part relief. Pilate pointing at Christ

Metal work

Metalwork has traditionally been considered the high art of the 12th century Meuse region, culminating in the work of Nicholas of Verdun, which is of exceptionally high quality. The Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral, the Anno Shrine in Siegburg and the Shrine of Our Lady in Tournai are among the best examples of his work.

Painting, illumination and other works of art

Very little has come to us from what must have been an impressive body of Mosan murals. Wolfram von Eschenbach, in his Parzival expressed his high regard for Maastricht (and Cologne) painters (Parzival, 158, 13-16). Book illumination, like the rest of the arts, was at its zenith in the second half of the 12th century. The principal centres were the abbey of Saint Laurent in Liège and the abbeys of Stavelot and Lobbes. Another highly developed art was vitreous enameling.

See also

References

  • Chapman, Gretel (1987). "Mosan art". Dictionary of the Middle Ages. Volume 8. pp. 495–6
  • Hartog, Elizabeth den (2002). "Romanesque Sculpture in Maastricht"
  • Timmers, J.J.M. (1971). "De Kunst van het Maasland"
  • "Mosan school". In Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

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