Merovingian art and architecture
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Merovingian art and architecture is the art and architecture of the Merovingian dynasty of the Franks, which lasted from the 5th century to the 8th century in present day France and Germany.
The advent of the Merovingian dynasty in Gaul in the 5th century led to important changes in the field of arts. In architecture, there was no longer the desire to build robust and harmonious buildings. Sculpture regressed to be little more than a simple technique for the ornamentation of sarcophagi, altars and ecclesiastical furniture. On the other hand, the rise of gold work and manuscript illumination brought about a resurgence of Celtic decoration, which with Christian and other contributions, constitutes the basis of Merovingian art.
The unification of the Frankish kingdom under Clovis I (465 – 511) and his successors, corresponded with the need for the building of churches, with plans most probably copied from Roman basilicas. Unfortunately, these timber structures did not survive destruction by fire, whether accidental or caused by the Normans at the time of their incursions. The description in Bishop Gregory of Tours' History of the Franks of the basilica of St. Martin, built at Tours around 472, gives cause to regret the disappearance of this building, one of the most beautiful Merovingian churches.
In Aix-en-Provence, Riez, and Fréjus, three octagonal baptistries, each covered with a cupola on pillars, are testimony to the influence of oriental architecture (the baptistry of Riez, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, recalls that of St. George, Izra', Syria). Very different from these Provençal baptistries, that of St. Jean at Poitiers (6th century) has the form of a rectangle flanked by three apses. The original building has probably undergone a number of alterations, but preserves in its decoration (marble capitals) a Merovingian character.
Among the very many crypts, numerous due to the importance of the cult of saints at the time, only those of St. Seurin, Bordeaux, St. Laurent, Grenoble, and the abbey of Jouarre (7th century) survive.
By the 7th century, the abilities of Merovingian craftsmen must have been well regarded, as they were brought to England to re-introduce glass making skills, and Merovingian stonemasons were used to build English churches.[1]
- See also: Medieval architecture
[edit] Notes
- ^ Bede. The Lives of the Holy Abbots of Wearmouth and Jarrow.
[edit] References
- Much of the content of this article comes from the equivalent French-language Wikipedia article.
