A tympanum (pl.: tympana; from Greek and Latin words meaning "drum") is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, door or window, which is bounded by a lintel and an arch.[1] It often contains pedimental sculpture or other imagery or ornaments.[2] Many architectural styles include this element, although it is most commonly associated with Romanesque and Gothic architecture.[3]
Alternatively, the tympanum may hold an inscription, or in modern times, a clock face.
Tympanums in antiquity and the Early Middle Ages
Tympanums are by definition inscriptions enclosed by a pediment,[4] however the evolution of tympanums gives them more specific implications. Pediments first emerged early in Classical Greece around 700-480 BCE, with early examples such as the Parthenon remaining famous to this day.[5] Pediments spread across the Hellenistic world with the rest of classical architecture. engravings on the entablature at the time were sometimes blank but often contained statues of the gods and representations of geographic features.[6] There are uncountable stories and messages in these inscriptions however the symbolism remained closely related to the philosophy and democracy associated with classical Greek city states. These themes continued when the Romans spread the style further into Europe, Giving the pediment an aspect of authoritarian symbolism in provinces captured by conquest.[5] Originally serving as the end of a gabled roof, in later imperial Rome the form of pediments was greatly adjusted. Pediments started being placed above any doorway and curved instead of triangle shapes were introduced, ignoring structural value and instead using the now abstracted form purely for decoration.[7]
Rose window on St. Stephen's Cathedral - Vienna
After the collapse of the Roman empire, regions with significant classical architecture quickly adopted and transformed the features. In France examples such as the Baptistry of St. Jean at Poitiers created in the 6th through 7th century CE defined Merovingian architecture. The form became even more abstracted in this period, replacing sculptures with geometric engravings and mosaics, and using small alternating curved and triangular pediments above windows on churches such as St. Generoux from the 9th or 10th century. This transformation continued throughout the later parts of the early Middle Ages, gradually shifting into the large circular stained glass windows of the gothic era known as rose windows.[7]
While tympanums are inspired by the shape and placement of pediments, classical pediments more closely transformed into rose windows than tympanums. And when pedimented shapes reappeared over gothic and Romanesque portals, inspiration can be traced in other directions. According to the Gospel of Luke, above Jesus on the cross was written "this is the king of jews" to mock his powerlessness. This inspired buildings as early as the Arch of Constantine and Old Saint Peters Basilica, both of which featured an engraving a Christ with a poem inscribed in second person perspective, an essential feature of later tympanum inscriptions. Early reliquaries and pilgrimage churches employed this convention, such as the Shrine of Saint Martin at Tours which in 558 installed engravings of the life of Christ and the churches patron saint (Saint Martin). These engravings were situated directly above the main entrances and had poems inscribed directing visitors on how they should feel entering the church. This was quickly replicated in Carolingian era churches such as the Abbey of Saint Gall in Switzerland, completing the form of the tympanum.[8]
Romanesque tympanums
The Romanesque era (1000–1200) saw massive change in church architecture. Pilgrimage required churches to rethink layouts and symbolism and the ever-rising Benedictine Order changed rules on how churches should operate and appear. Architecturally the Romanesque era saw an increased appreciation for classical forms, coupled with an increase in church construction related to several factors including political turmoil and thanking god for not ending the world in the year 1000.[8] Tympanums are one of the most prominent features of Romanesque architecture, originating in this time and replicated in Christian architecture ever since.
France
Tympanum of Abby of Sainte-Foy - Conques
The Tympanum above the west portal of the Sainte-Foy church in Conques is one the most iconic tympanum; carved in the early 1100s it is emblematic of the style, purpose and culture of Romanesque tympanums. This tympanum depicts the last judgement, which was the subject of a large portion of tympanums, however, the Conques tympanum is far more detailed in its figures and scenes in a way reminiscent of Roman reliefs. This work was meant to be horrifying to the people who passed under it, on the right demons torture the souls of the damned, sinners are fed to grotesque monsters, and people are crammed into small spaces as they await their judgment. Contrasting this is Christ in the middle and the saved souls on the left, serving as a reminder for pilgrims of why they made their journey.[9] The imagery on this tympanum is primarily meant to remind the viewer of the power of gods judgement, part of many ways that tympanums from the era mentally prepared pilgrims for the experience of the church. There are many more subtle messages however, such as encouraging donations through depicting a miser character being damned, and even making comments about politics by showing Charlemagne bowing his head.[8]
The Coucy Doujon tympanum was carved between 1225 and 1230 and is evidence that tympanums were used in secular settings as well. The large tympanum was positioned above the door to the largest tower, as a way to tell anyone entering the building a message. The message for this particular tympanum is relatively unknown, featuring a figure likely from Coucy family history fighting a lion. Lions had many symbolic meanings in the Romanesque era and this one is likely a reference to a king or an event from the crusades. Despite the secular theme, it has a very similar style, form, and purpose to the many tympanums on nearby churches. Retaining the shape and inscription and showing a large central character with classically inspired detail, movement and emotion.[10]
Spain
Tympanum on the Santiago de Compostela cathedral - Spain
Tympanums are also prominent in Spanish architecture. Appearing on the pilgrimage churches that spread southwest through the Reconquista. Santiago de Compostela was one of the most prominent pilgrimage churches and features a tympanum over both of its portals with the archetypical deep carving and emotional display.[11] Many other examples appeared throughout the Iberian peninsula starting with the church in Jaca which the 1090s was carved with one of the first archetypical Romanesque tympanums in Europe.[8] Spanish architecture from the Reconquista era is defined by the combination of Christian and Arabian styles, and tympanums were no exception to this. Many of the sculptors for Spanish Romanesque churches were Moorish, and adapted Arabian forms and styles into tympanums, resulting in brighter reds and nature-like geometric patterns. these sculptors continued their work throughout the continent, spreading Arabian influences as far as Le Puy and Conques.[8]
Eastern European
Mosaic from the Hagia Sofia - Turkey.Shows a Byzantine mosaic in the form that would later be adapted to tympanums.
Tympanums were an essential part of Christian architecture in this time, and thus were common in the highly religious Byzantine empire. The Hagia Sofia has several tympanums, carved either when the church was finished in the 500s or during renovations the 800s and 1200s.[12] While this seems to challenge the development of tympanums explained in the first section of this article, these late antiquity Tympanums were an evolutionary prequal to Romanesque tympanums. The major differences are that Early Byzantine tympanums are all mosaic in the Byzantine style, are all inside of their churches, and very few are above doors.[8] Despite this there are still notable similarities, namely the half moon shape and a large central image of Christ or an important Saint. Coupled with their inscriptions, these early tympanums would've had the same purpose and message as later tympanums. Which used this convention and changed the medium to integrated them more with other features and emphasize their message.[12]
While many of the distinct changes in Tympanum style happened in France and Spain in the 1000s,[8] we find the Romanesque style all across the Christian world. The church at Javari Georgia built in the 600s was significant throughout the Middle Ages, sitting at a hotspot for war and pilgrimage. The tympanums, at the time their carving, served to align Javari with western conventions while using the imagery to support their political struggle. This was quickly copied throughout the Caucuses and further, for example Mren church in Armenia has a typical tympanum layout and common Christian figures, however these figures are carved in a Persian style with Persian clothes, showing regional stylistic differences.[13]
Gothic Tympanums
Despite being most heavily associated with the Romanesque era, Tympanums are still used to this day. Gothic architecture heavily featured tympanums, taking influence from Romanesque examples and adapting them to better match the Gothic style. Gothic architecture and decoration is known for its ostentatious detail, and tympanums were no exception, becoming more decorative through deep carvings and intricate archivolts. Another important change in Gothic tympanums is the loss of the inscription, making more room for decoration and reflecting changing ideas about how people were meant to view churches.[8]
France
While France is often credited for inventing the Gothic style, by the 1200s tympanums had already spread throughout Europe. There was still significant innovation made in French early-Gothic tympanums, much of which can be credited to the sculptor Gislebertus. Gislebertus worked on several churches between France and Italy, and applied many similar features across them. The Autun Cathedral is an excellent example, emphasizing thinness and decoration in everything from the towers to the walls to the tympanum. Also common in Gilbertese's work, The Autun tympanum has a very narrow inscription below it, and while this inscription is still very emphasized, it foreshadows the complete removal of the inscription.[8]
The Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the most iconic examples of French Romanesque-Gothic architecture, and has several tympanums. The original 1163 reliefs are typical Romanesque tympanums in form and style, featuring common characters such as Christ, Mary, and a select couple saints. In the late 1300s there were significant renovations, which sought to make the cathedral match contemporary gothic styles by widening, restoring and replacing many of the tympanums. The image on the right shows many of the features common to Gothic tympanums, retaining the shape and large central figure surrounded by smaller characters. There is much more space given to intricate detail however, manifesting in the archivolts, caryatids, and relief.[14]
Spain
While the Reconquista was unconducive to large building projects, as Iberia became more peaceful in the early gothic era the lingering Arabian influences lead to many unique architectural developments. The Cathedral of Barcelona from the early 1400s is similar to Moorish buildings in almost everything about the plan, both on the interior and exterior; namely, the cathedral is filled with evenly distributed columns over an open space, which was one of the most common elements of Moorish architecture. Much of it is still Christian however, and the tympanum was an effective way to show messages on an medium associated with Christian culture. Saint Hermandad in Toledo is another 1400s gothic cathedral and also shows the influence of Moorish culture. The tympanums are carved with both religious and secular images, showing the head of Christ on one side and an eagle on the other. This shows how even without the inscription, Gothic tympanums still served to set a mindset for people who enter, reminding the (religiously diverse in the case of Spain) population of the importance of Christianity and the royals that justified their power through god.[15]
Italy
Relief originally from the tympanum on the Scuola Vecchia - Italy
While there are many consistent features of gothic architecture, regional differences were strong throughout Europe. Similarly to Spain, Italian tympanums show influence from local culture, keeping features that were already common in Italian architecture and adding new developments.[8] The Scuola Vecchia was a cult meeting house made in Venice around 1445–50. What makes it particularly famous is the tympanum over the main door which has been “a prominent feature in the Venetian land-scape for over five hundred years”, despite being moved 5 times.[16] This church is very similar to many other Italian churches, such as Madonna dell'Orto nearby and at the church of S. Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, both of which have feature especially pointed tympanums with columns on either side and another column or caryatid above. The feature most associated with Italian Gothic tympanums however is that the inscription is retained, which we can see on all of the tympanums mentioned in this paragraph. The tradition of putting inscriptions on curved pediments originated in Italy in late antiquity constructions, such as Old Saint Peters basilica.[8] While these were an inspiration to the archetypical tympanum, Italians kept many of their architectural traditions consistent, retaining features such as the pointed shape and the inscription. This by no means however means that there is no outside influence. Italian tympanums feature the same style and purpose as other examples, using large, deeply carved, central figures of Christ and an important contemporary person to remind people of the importance of these figures as they enter the church.[16]
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Romanesque is characterized by semicircular arches, while the Gothic is marked by the pointed arches. The Romanesque emerged nearly simultaneously in multiple countries ; its examples can be found across the continent, making it the first pan-European architectural style since Imperial Roman architecture. Similarly to Gothic, the name of the style was transferred onto the contemporary Romanesque art.
Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice, or entablature if supported by columns. In ancient architecture, a wide and low triangular pediment typically formed the top element of the portico of a Greek temple, a style continued in Roman temples. But large pediments were rare on other types of building before Renaissance architecture. For symmetric designs, it provides a center point and is often used to add grandness to entrances.
Cathedrals, collegiate churches, and monastic churches like those of abbeys and priories, often have certain complex structural forms that are found less often in parish churches. They also tend to display a higher level of contemporary architectural style and the work of accomplished craftsmen, and occupy a status both ecclesiastical and social that an ordinary parish church rarely has. Such churches are generally among the finest buildings locally and a source of regional pride. Many are among the world's most renowned works of architecture. These include St Peter's Basilica, Notre-Dame de Paris, Cologne Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, Antwerp Cathedral, Prague Cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral, the Basilica of Saint-Denis, Santa Maria Maggiore, the Basilica of San Vitale, St Mark's Basilica, Westminster Abbey, Saint Basil's Cathedral, Antoni Gaudí's incomplete Sagrada Família and the ancient cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, now a mosque.
An archivolt is an ornamental moulding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch. It is composed of bands of ornamental mouldings surrounding an arched opening, corresponding to the architrave in the case of a rectangular opening. The word is sometimes used to refer to the under-side or inner curve of the arch itself. Most commonly archivolts are found as a feature of the arches of church portals. The mouldings and sculptures on these archivolts are used to convey a theological story or depict religious figures and ideologies of the church in order to represent the gateway between the holy space of the church and the external world. The presence of archivolts on churches is seen throughout history, although their design, both architecturally and artistically, is heavily influenced by the period they were built in and the churches they were designed for.
Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term rose window was not used before the 17th century and comes from the English flower name rose.
A mandorla is an almond-shaped aureola, i.e. a frame that surrounds the totality of an iconographic figure. It is usually synonymous with vesica, a lens shape. Mandorlas often surround the figures of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary in traditional Christian iconography. It is distinguished from a halo in that it encircles the entire body and not just the head. It is commonly used to frame the figure of Christ in Majesty in early medieval and Romanesque art, as well as Byzantine art of the same periods. It is the shape generally used for mediaeval ecclesiastical seals, secular seals generally being round.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos is a Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary located in the historical center of the Spanish city of Burgos. Its official name is the Holy Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica Church of St Mary of Burgos.
The Santiago de Compostela Arch cathedral Basilica is part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela and is an integral component of the Santiago de Compostela World Heritage Site in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial place of Saint James the Great, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. It is also among the remaining churches in the world built over the tomb of an apostle, the other ones being St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, St Thomas Cathedral Basilica in Chennai, India and Basilica of St. John in Izmir, Turkey.
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.
The Cathedral of Saint Lazarus of Autun, commonly known as Autun Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Autun and a national monument of France. Famous for its Cluniac inspiration and its Romanesque sculptures by Gislebertus, it is a highlight of Romanesque art in Burgundy. It is the seat of the Bishop of Autun. The Bishop of Autun set forth the construction of St. Lazarus Cathedral as a result of the large movement of pilgrims travelling to Vezelay as they progressed on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.
Christ in Majesty or Christ in Glory is the Western Christian image of Christ seated on a throne as ruler of the world, always seen frontally in the centre of the composition, and often flanked by other sacred figures, whose membership changes over time and according to the context. The image develops from Early Christian art, as a depiction of the Heavenly throne as described in 1 Enoch, Daniel 7, and The Apocalypse of John. In the Byzantine world, the image developed slightly differently into the half-length Christ Pantocrator, "Christ, Ruler of All", a usually unaccompanied figure, and the Deesis, where a full-length enthroned Christ is entreated by Mary and St. John the Baptist, and often other figures. In the West, the evolving composition remains very consistent within each period until the Renaissance, and then remains important until the end of the Baroque, in which the image is ordinarily transported to the sky.
Portuguese Gothic architecture is the architectural style prevalent in Portugal in the Late Middle Ages. As in other parts of Europe, Gothic style slowly replaced Romanesque architecture in the period between the late 12th and the 13th century. Between the late 15th and early 16th century, Gothic was replaced by Renaissance architecture through an intermediate style called Manueline.
The Primatial Cathedral of Tarragona is a Roman Catholic church in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The edifice is located in a site previously occupied by a Roman temple dating to the time of Tiberius, a Visigothic cathedral, and a Moorish mosque. It was declared a national monument in 1905.
St Martin's Cathedral is a cathedral in Slovakia. It is located in the town of Spišská Kapitula and is the cathedral church of the Spiš diocese.
The Portico of Glory of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is a Romanesque portico and the cathedral's main gate created by Master Mateo and his workshop, on the orders of King Ferdinand II of León. The king donated to Mateo one hundred maravedís annually between 1168 and 1188. To commemorate its completion in 1188, the date was carved on a stone set in the cathedral and on the lintel that supports the richly ornamental tympanum. Under the contract made in 1168, if Mateo was to renege on the deal to create the portico at any time, he would have to pay 1,000 gold pieces (aureos). The complete three-piece set took until 1211 to completely finish; when the cathedral was consecrated in the presence of King Alfonso IX of León.
The Romanesque style of architecture was introduced in Portugal between the end of the 11th and the beginning of the 12th century. In general, Portuguese cathedrals have a heavy, fortress-like appearance, with crenellations and few decorative elements apart from portals and windows. Portuguese Romanesque cathedrals were later extensively modified, among others the Old Cathedral of Coimbra, although it only had some minor changes.
Romanesque architecture appeared in France at the end of the 10th century, with the development of feudal society and the rise and spread of monastic orders, particularly the Benedictines, which built many important abbeys and monasteries in the style. It continued to dominate religious architecture until the appearance of French Gothic architecture in the Île-de-France between about 1140 and 1150.
Gothic cathedrals and churches are religious buildings created in Europe between the mid-12th century and the beginning of the 16th century. The cathedrals are notable particularly for their great height and their extensive use of stained glass to fill the interiors with light. They were the tallest and largest buildings of their time and the most prominent examples of Gothic architecture. The appearance of the Gothic cathedral was not only a revolution in architecture; it also introduced new forms in decoration, sculpture, and art.
Pedimental sculpture is a form of architectural sculpture designed for installation in the tympanum, the space enclosed by the architectural element called the pediment. Originally a feature of Ancient Greek architecture, pedimental sculpture started as a means to decorate a pediment in its simplest form: a low triangle, like a gable, above an horizontal base or entablature. However, as classical architecture developed from the basis of Ancient Greek and Roman architecture, the varieties of pedimental sculpture also developed. The sculpture can be either freestanding or relief sculpture, in which case it is attached to the back wall of the pediment. Harris in The Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture defines pediment as "In classical architecture, the triangular gable end of the roof above the horizontal cornice, often filled with sculpture." Pediments can also be used to crown doors or windows.
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