Mosan art
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mosan art or Rheno-Mosan art is medieval art from the valleys of the Meuse and Rhine, in present-day Belgium and Rhineland, from the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. The Mosan region was formed largely by the boundary of the Bishopric of Liège, which had political links to the Holy Roman Empire, and ecclesiastical links to the archbishop of Cologne. The region included also the city of Maastricht which was governed in common by the Duchy of Brabant and the Bishopric of Liège.
The Meuse valley lay in the heart of the Carolingian Empire and therefore the dominant style draws largely from the heritage of the Carolingian art tradition. Thus, Mosan art contains strong classical elements, which separate it from the international Romanesque art style seen elsewhere during the period in France (especially in Limoges, see for example [1]), Germany (see for example [2]), England and Italy. However it shares with Romanesque elements such as the treatment of space.
Goldsmithery was the high art of the 12th century Meuse region, created on commission, often by traveling workshops. The quantity of work was low, few commissions were made, but always of exceptionally high quality. See for example the Stavelot Triptych.
The iconography of the Meuse valley is distinctive in its visual typological display of scenes from the New Testament and Old Testament.
The culmination of Mosan art was the work of Nicholas of Verdun (dated works between 1181-1205). An example of his work include the Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral.
[edit] Mosan art examples
- Brass baptismal fonts, executed by Rainer of Huy between 1107-1118 for the church of Notre-Dame-aux-Fonts, Liège (now in St Bartholomew's Church, Liège).
- Stavelot Triptych, 12th century
- Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral, 12-13th century, Nicholas of Verdun
- Floreffe Bible, 12th century
- Shrine of Saint Servatius (Maastricht)
- Shrine of Saint Remacle in Stavelot
- Retable of the Pentecost (1160-1170, Cluny Museum, Paris -- [3])
- Shrine of Saint Hadelin (Visé)
[edit] References
- Chapman, Gretel (1987). "Mosan art". Dictionary of the Middle Ages. Volume 8. pp.495-6
