Calcarius (sculptor)

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Baptismal font attributed to Calcarius in Lunda Church, Uppland (Sweden). Lunda kyrka int07.jpg
Baptismal font attributed to Calcarius in Lunda Church, Uppland (Sweden).

Calcarius (fl. second quarter of the 13th century) was an artist working in late Romanesque style on Gotland (present-day Sweden).

Floruit, abbreviated fl., Latin for "he/she flourished", denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the word may also be used as a noun indicating the time when someone flourished.

Romanesque art artistic style of Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the 13th century

Romanesque art is the art of Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 12th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is known as the Pre-Romanesque period. The term was invented by 19th-century art historians, especially for Romanesque architecture, which retained many basic features of Roman architectural style – most notably round-headed arches, but also barrel vaults, apses, and acanthus-leaf decoration – but had also developed many very different characteristics. In Southern France, Spain and Italy there was an architectural continuity with the Late Antique, but the Romanesque style was the first style to spread across the whole of Catholic Europe, from Sicily to Scandinavia. Romanesque art was also greatly influenced by Byzantine art, especially in painting, and by the anti-classical energy of the decoration of the Insular art of the British Isles. From these elements was forged a highly innovative and coherent style.

Gotland island and historical province in Sweden

Gotland is a province, county, municipality, and diocese of Sweden. It is Sweden's largest island. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the north, as well as the Karlsö Islands to the west. The population is 58,595, of which about 23,600 live in Visby, the main town. The island of Gotland and the other areas of the province of Gotland make up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area.

Contents

Works

There exist no written sources about Calcarius and the name is a label, chosen in the 20th century by art historian Johnny Roosval. It is derived from the fact that this artist was the first to cut sculptures from limestone rather than sandstone on a systematic basis on Gotland. [1]

Johnny Roosval Swedish art historian

John (Johnny) August Emanuel Roosval was a Swedish art historian, Medieval ecclesiastical art specialist, and university professor.

Limestone Sedimentary rocks made of calcium carbonate

Limestone is a carbonate sedimentary rock that is often composed of the skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral, foraminifera, and molluscs. Its major materials are the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). A closely related rock is dolostone, which contains a high percentage of the mineral dolomite, CaMg(CO3)2. In fact, in old USGS publications, dolostone was referred to as magnesian limestone, a term now reserved for magnesium-deficient dolostones or magnesium-rich limestones.

Sandstone A clastic sedimentary rock composed mostly of sand-sized particles

Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized mineral particles or rock fragments.

To the workshop of Calcarius around 20 baptismal fonts are attributed in the Baltic region. Only two of them are on Gotland (in Fole and Buttle Church), indicating that the workshop worked on an export market. The rest can be found in Ångermanland (Nora and Selånger Church), Medelpad (Stöde Church), Hälsingland (Njutånger Church), Uppland (Vidbo and Lunda Church), Östergötland (Gistad Church), Scania (Borrby Church), Öland (Bredsättra, Runsten and Ventlinge Church) and Bohuslän (Tossene Church) (all in Sweden), as well as in churches in Vestfold in present-day Norway, Falster in present-day Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein in present-day Germany. In addition, the workshop created sculptures for church buildings on Gotland. These include capitals and/or tympana on Havdhem, Tingstäde, Fole, Linde and Levide Church. A single sculpture in Visby Cathedral has also been attributed to the workshop of Calcarius. [1]

Baptismal font article of church furniture intended for infant baptism

A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism.

Baltic region geographic region

The terms Baltic region, Baltic Rim countries, and the Baltic Sea countries refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe.

Fole Church Church in Sweden

Fole Church is a medieval Lutheran church in Fole on the Swedish island of Gotland, in the Diocese of Visby.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Karlsson, Lennart, ed. (1995). Den romanska konsten. Lund: Signum. pp. 214–219. ISBN   91-87896-23-0.