Sculpture

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Early Christian Sculpture

Surviving examples of Early Christian sculpture date from the 4th century. These works no longer corresponded to the classical ideal of beauty although there is no clear stylistic divide with other late Roman sculpture. The carved marble sarcophagus of Junius Bassus (c. ad 359, Grotte Vaticane, Rome) portrays ten biblical scenes; its figures are oddly proportioned, wearing drapery that falls in rather monotonous folds. This style—sometimes called Late Antique—is perhaps the result of influences from invading Germanic tribes and may be the work of less skilled artists; in general, as the centuries passed, the biblical prohibition of graven images diminished the role of sculpture. Instead of life-size statuary, small-scale sculptures were made: portable ivory altarpieces, diptychs (two panels of carved ivory hinged together), or small enamelled caskets in the Byzantine style. The latter are exemplified by the Limburg Reliquary (Limburg an der Lahn, Germany), a 10th-century container made of silver gilt, jewels, and enamel. Sculpture remained an art of surface ornament until later in the Middle Ages. See Byzantine Art and Architecture; Early Christian Art and Architecture.

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Scandinavian and Carolingian Sculpture

During the early Middle Ages in northern Europe, particularly from the 9th to the 12th century, Scandinavian artisans were masters of metalwork and woodcarving. The prow posts and sternposts of Viking ships, sleds, and other objects of daily use were decorated with figures of animals that were transformed into semiabstract linear patterns. The Norwegian stave churches (11th and 12th centuries) are profusely decorated in carved wood of the same design. This style, combining organic and abstract shapes, was also important in Celtic-Germanic art (see Celtic Art), as seen in an 8th-century relief (National Museum of Ireland, Dublin) displaying a primitive crucifixion scene.

Little sculpture has survived from the Carolingian period, despite the great interest that Charlemagne took in the arts and his revival of classicism. A 9th-century bronze statuette depicting him on a horse, with his crown, sword, and imperial globe, demonstrates a knowledge of Roman sculpture. A bejewelled gold book cover for the Lindau Gospels depicting the crucifixion (c. 870, Pierpont Morgan Library, New York) also shows Classical rather than Celtic-Germanic influences.

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Ottonian Sculpture

In contrast to the lack of extant pieces from the Carolingian period, some impressive sculpture remains from the Ottonian period, dating from the mid-10th to the early 11th century in Germany. The Gero Crucifix (Cologne Cathedral), life-sized and carved in wood, powerfully portrays Christ's suffering. Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim commissioned a pair of bronze doors (c. 1015, Hildesheim Cathedral, Germany) with 16 richly sculptured panels depicting the Fall of Man and the Redemption, expressionistically rendered in high relief. Bernward may have derived his inspiration for these doors from his trip to Rome; he also ordered a large bronze columnar candlestick (early 11th century, Hildesheim Cathedral) carved with scenes arranged in bands, a scheme similar to that on Trajan's Column in Rome.

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Romanesque Sculpture

The revival of monumental stone sculpture, an art that had virtually disappeared with the ancients, took place in the Romanesque period, during the 11th and 12th centuries. Churches in southern France display on their exteriors an abundance of sculpture, meant to attract and to instruct the worshipper. Attached to the stonework rather than free-standing, the carved image becomes an integral part of the architecture, conforming in design to the area where it was placed—portal, tympanum, or jamb. A favourite subject was the Last Judgement, with angels and demons vividly portrayed. Different styles are apparent: on some churches, such as those at Moissac, Autun, or Vézelay, a nervous intensity is conveyed; on others, such as those at Toulouse or Saint-Gilles-du-Gard, serene classicism is evident. See Romanesque Art and Architecture.

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Gothic Sculpture

In the Gothic period, remarkable sculpture was produced in France, Germany, and Italy. As in Romanesque times, much of it was made in conjunction with church architecture, although sculptured figures are also found on tombs, pulpits, and other church furnishings. The sculpture of the 13th and early 14th centuries demonstrated the move to naturalism that also marked the painting of the period.