Mosan art is a regional style of art from the valley of the

Meuse The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...

in present-day

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Although in a broader sense the term applies to art from this region from all periods, it generally refers to

Romanesque art Romanesque art is the art of Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic Art, 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 1 ...

, with Mosan

Romanesque architecture 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 Ro ...

stone carving Stone carving is an activity where pieces of rough natural stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. Owing to the permanence of the material, stone work has survived which was created during our prehistory or past time. Work carried ...

metalwork Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals in order to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term, it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on e ...

enamelling Vitreous enamel, also called porcelain enamel, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between . The powder melts, flows, and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating. The word ''vitreous'' comes ...

and

manuscript illumination An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is decorated with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers and liturgical books such as psalters and ...

reaching a high level of development during the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. The

river valley lay in the heart of the earlier

Carolingian Empire The Carolingian Empire (800–887) was a Franks, Frankish-dominated empire in Western and Central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as List of Frankish kings, kings of the Franks since ...

and therefore the style draws largely from the heritage of the

Carolingian art Carolingian art comes from the Frankish Empire in the period of roughly 120 years from about 780 to 900—during the reign of Charlemagne and his immediate heirs—popularly known as the Carolingian Renaissance. The art was produced by and for the ...

tradition. Thus, Mosan art contains strong classical elements, which separates it from the international Romanesque style seen elsewhere during the period, for example in France, Germanywww.musee-moyenage.fr
Spain and Italy. However, it shares with mainstream Romanesque art elements such as the treatment of space. Although the

iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...

of 11th- and 12th-century Meuse valley art largely draws on

Biblical The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...

inspiration, some of the elaborately carved capitals in the two main churches in

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; ; ; ) is a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital city, capital and largest city of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. Maastricht is loca ...

depict scenes from many aspects of daily life, as well as images from an intriguing world of fantasy.

Geographical spread

The Mosan region was formed largely by the boundary of the

Bishopric of Liège In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...

, which had strong political links to the emperors of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

, as well as to the bishops of

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

. The region's main artistic centres were the cities of

Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...

Huy Huy ( ; ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. Huy lies along the river Meuse, at the mouth of the small river Hoyoux. It is in the '' sillon industriel'', the former industrial backbone of Wall ...

Dinant Dinant () is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Namur Province, province of Namur, Belgium. On the shores of river Meuse, in the Ardennes, it lies south-east of Brussels, south ...

Namur Namur (; ; ) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is the capital both of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namur stands at the confl ...

Tongeren Tongeren (; ; ; ) is a city and former municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, as the only Roman administrative capital wit ...

Roermond Roermond (; or ) is a city, municipality, and diocese in the Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg province of the Netherlands. Roermond is a historically important town on the lower Roer on the east bank of the river Meuse. It received City rights i ...

and

Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...

, as well as a number of important monasteries:

Sint-Truiden Sint-Truiden (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality located in the Provinces of Belgium, province of Limburg (Belgium), Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium. With more than 41,500 inhabitants, it is on ...

, Aldeneik, Herkenrode, Averbode, Munsterbilzen,

Susteren Susteren (; ) is a city in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Echt-Susteren, about 7 km northwest of Sittard. It was a separate municipality until 2003, when it was merged with Echt. Susteren received cit ...

Burtscheid Burtscheid () is a district of the city of Aachen, part of the Aachen-Mitte Stadtbezirk. It is a health resort. History It was inhabited since ancient times by Celts and Romans, who were attracted by the presence of hot springs. Burtscheid ...

Kornelimünster Kornelimünster () is a town in the rural ''Münsterländchen'' area of Kornelimünster/Walheim, a stadtbezirk, district of Aachen, Germany. History The Kornelimünster Abbey was founded in 814 on the Inde River by Benedict of Aniane (750–8 ...

Stavelot Stavelot (; ; ) is a town and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Francorchamps and Stavelot. It is best known as the home of Spa-Francorchamps Circuit a ...

Nivelles Nivelles (; ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the former municipalities of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monstreux. The Nivelles arrondissement ...

Aulne The Aulne (; ) is a long river of Brittany in north-western France, flowing down the hills and emptying into the roadstead of Brest, one of the many fjord-like bays just south of Brest. The river is part of the Canal de Nantes à Brest, the na ...

Floreffe Floreffe (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. On 1 January 2012 the municipality had 7,883 inhabitants. The total area is 38.89 km2, giving a population density of 203 inhabitants per km2. The munic ...

Flône Amay (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 Amay had a total population of approximately 14,231. The total area is 27.61 km2 which gives a population density of approximately 476 i ...

, Celles,

Gembloux Gembloux (; ; ) is a municipality and city of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. On 1 January 2006, the municipality had 21,964 inhabitants. The total area is 95.86 km2, yielding a population density of 229 inhabitants per ...

and

Lobbes Lobbes (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 Lobbes had a total population of 5,499. The total area is 32.08 km2 which gives a population density of 171 inhabitants per km2. The m ...

. Mosan art at its peak had a strong influence on bordering regions, notably on

Rhineland The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...

art (

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

Highlights of Mosan art

Mosan Romanesque art has been described by art historians as the first golden age of Netherlandish art (before

early Netherlandish painting Early Netherlandish painting is the body of work by artists active in the Burgundian Netherlands, Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands during the 15th- and 16th-century Northern Renaissance period, once known as the Flemish Primitives. It flour ...

and

Dutch Golden Age painting Dutch Golden Age painting is the painting of the Dutch Golden Age, a period in Dutch history roughly spanning the 17th century, during and after the later part of the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) for Dutch independence. The new Dutch Republi ...

). Usually the term Mosan art does not include

Medieval literature Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages (that is, the one thousand years from the fall of the Western Roman Empire ca. AD 500 to the beginning of t ...

although

Heinrich von Veldeke Heinrich von Veldeke (aka: , Dutch Hendrik van Veldeke, born before or around 1150 – died after 1184) is the first writer in the Low Countries known by name who wrote in a European language other than Latin. He was born in Veldeke, which was a ...

may be considered the first poet writing in

Middle Dutch Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic dialects whose ancestor was Old Dutch. It was spoken and written between 1150 and 1500. Until the advent of Modern Dutch after 1500 or , there was no overarching sta ...

(as well as

Middle High German Middle High German (MHG; or ; , shortened as ''Mhdt.'' or ''Mhd.'') is the term for the form of High German, High German language, German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High ...

Architecture

Mosan architecture can be seen as a distinctive branch in

, a regional style that produced imposing churches in Aachen, Liège and Maastricht, as well as monasteries in rural areas. The fully developed Mosan style of the 12th century is a comprise between the older Meuse valley traditions and foreign influences, mainly coming from the

and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. An outstanding factor in Mosan architecture is the closed west front (

westwerk A westwork (), forepart, avant-corps or avancorpo is the monumental, west-facing entrance section ("west front") of a Carolingian, Ottonian, or Romanesque church. The exterior consists of multiple stories between two towers. The interior includ ...

). Unfortunately, some of the largest churches, notably

Liège cathedral Liège Cathedral, otherwise St. Paul's Cathedral (), is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic cathedral in Liège, Belgium. Founded in the 10th century, it was rebuilt from the 13th to the 15th century and restored in the mid-19th century. It became ...

, and the Stavelot and Sint-Truiden abbeys, were destroyed. * Former collegiate church St Bartholomew,

* Former collegiate church of St. Denis (Liège) * Former collegiate church St John, Liège * Former collegiate church of Our Lady,

* Former collegiate church Saint George and Saint Ode,

Amay Amay (; ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On 1 January 2006 Amay had a total population of approximately 14,231. The total area is 27.61 km2 which gives a population density of approximately 476 i ...

* Former collegiate church Saint Étienne,

Waha Waha (; ) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Marche-en-Famenne, located in the province of Luxembourg, Belgium. The village of Marloie is a part of the district. Etymology The name "Waha" comes from the Germanic ...

* Former collegiate church of

Fosses-la-Ville Fosses-la-Ville (; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. On January 1, 2018, Fosses-la-Ville had a total population of 10,449. The total area is 63.24 km2 which gives a population density of 16 ...

* Former abbey church of Saint Gertrude,

* Former abbey church of Saint Ursmer,

* Former abbey church of Celles *

Basilica of Saint Servatius The Basilica of Saint Servatius () is a Roman Catholic Church (building), church dedicated to Saint Servatius, in the center of Maastricht, Netherlands. The architecturally hybrid but mainly Romanesque architecture, Romanesque church is situated ...

* Basilica of Our Lady, Maastricht * Former abbey church, Aldeneik * Former abbey church, Rolduc * Former abbey church,

* Former abbey church,

Sint Odiliënberg Sint Odiliënberg () is a village in southeast Netherlands, It is located in Roerdalen, Limburg, in the Roer River valley. History Romans settled here very early. Around 700, missionary monks from Northumbria,Roermond Roermond (; or ) is a city, municipality, and diocese in the Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg province of the Netherlands. Roermond is a historically important town on the lower Roer on the east bank of the river Meuse. It received City rights i ...

Aachen Cathedral Aachen Cathedral () is a Catholic Church, Catholic church in Aachen, Germany and the cathedral of the Diocese of Aachen. One of the oldest cathedral buildings in Europe, it was constructed as the royal chapel of the Palace of Aachen of Holy Rom ...

(westwork) File:Eglise-liege-stbarthelemy-janvier2006.jpg,

, St Bartholomew's File:Saint Denis Liège.jpg, Liège, St Denis, westwork File:00 Celles Houyet.JPG, Celles, Saint Hadelin's File:Belgium, Nijvel, Main Church.JPG,

. Westwork

abbey church A church, church building, church house, or chapel is a building used for Christian worship services and Christian activities. The earliest identified Christian church is a house church founded between 233 AD and 256 AD. ''Church'' is also ...

File:Kerk aldeneik2.jpg, Aldeneik, Westwork File:Maastricht Sint-Servaasbasiliek BW 2017-08-19 15-56-11 s.jpg,

, St Servatius, westwork File:Apsis Onze Lieve Vrouwkerk Maastricht.jpg, Maastricht, Our Lady's, east front File:Susteren, Limburg, basiliek crop.JPG,

, Westwork File:Rolduc04.jpg, Rolduc, Interior

Stone carving

Mosan stone carving reached a peak in the 12th century in Maastricht, Liège and Nivelles. Maastricht 'metsen' (stone carvers) worked on

capitals Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

and

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

s as far afield as

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

and

Eisenach Eisenach () is a Town#Germany, town in Thuringia, Germany with 42,000 inhabitants, west of Erfurt, southeast of Kassel and northeast of Frankfurt. It is the main urban centre of western Thuringia, and bordering northeastern Hesse, Hessian re ...

. *Carved capitals in western galleries of

, Maastricht (12th century) *Carved capitals in East choir of Basilica of Our Lady, Maastricht (12th century) *Carved capitals in crypt of abbey church of Rolduc (12th century) *''Vierge de Dom Rupert'' (12th century), Curtius Museum, Liège *''Pierre Boudon'' relief (12th century), Curtius Museum, Liège *Samson Portal,

Collegiate Church of Saint Gertrude The Collegiate Church of St. Gertrude () is a Roman Catholic collegiate church in Nivelles, Walloon Brabant, Belgium, which was built in the 11th century. It is dedicated to Saint Gertude, the patron saint of cats. History This church was built ...

*Baptismal font, Furnaux (

) *''Oath on the Relics'' relief (12th century), Basilica of Our Lady, Maastricht *''Majestas Domini'' tympanum (12th century), Basilica of Saint Servatius, Maastricht *Double relief choir screen (12th century), Basilica of Saint Servatius, Maastricht *Four-part relief in Saint Peter's Church,

File:Interieur,_kapiteel_in_het_koor,_eerste_van_het_midden_-_Maastricht_-_20146493_-_RCE.jpg,

, Basilica of Our Lady. Carved 4-fold capital File:Maastricht StServatius Fight monkey dog.jpg, Maastricht, St Servatius. Carved capital in westwork File:Curtius Romanesque capital.jpg,

, Curtius Museum. Carved capital from St Lambert's Cathedral File:PICT1346-Wartburg-Kapitell-Dragons.JPG,

. Dragon capital in the

Wartburg The Wartburg () is a castle originally built in the Middle Ages. It is situated on a precipice of to the southwest of and overlooking the town of Eisenach, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It was the home of St. Elisabeth of Hungary, the ...

File:Vierge Dom Rupert.jpg, Liège, Curtius Museum. 'Vierge de Dom Rupert' File:Maastricht OLV Oath.jpg, Maastricht, Church of Our Lady. 'Oath on the Relics' File:Maastricht StServatius Sculpture1.jpg, Maastricht, St Servatius. 2-part relief File:Pieterskerk - reliëf.JPG,

, St Peter's. 4-part relief.

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; ) was the Roman administration of Judaea (AD 6–135), fifth governor of the Judaea (Roman province), Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official wh ...

pointing at Christ

Metalwork

Metalwork Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals in order to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term, it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on e ...

has been considered the high art of the 12th and early 13th-century Meuse region, culminating in the work of

Nicholas of Verdun Nicholas of Verdun (c. 1130 – c. 1205) was a renowned metalworker, goldsmith and enamellist active around the years 1180–1205. He was born in the city of Verdun, Upper Lorraine. The region extending from the valley of the Rhine and Meuse ri ...

, which is of exceptionally high quality. The

Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral The Shrine of the Three KingsCiresi, Lisa Victoria (2003, English), ''A liturgical study of the Shrine of the three kings in Cologne''; Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University in association with Princeton University Press; ...

, the Anno Shrine in

Siegburg Siegburg (; i.e. ''fort on the Sieg (river), Sieg river''; Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: ''Sieburch'') is a city in the district of Rhein-Sieg-Kreis in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the banks of the rivers Sieg (river), Sieg ...

and the Shrine of Our Lady in

Tournai Tournai ( , ; ; ; , sometimes Anglicisation (linguistics), anglicised in older sources as "Tournay") is a city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, Province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies by ...

are among his best work. Other important metalworkers were Renier de Huy and

Hugo d'Oignies Hugo of Oignies (, before 1187 in Walcourt – c. 1240 in Oignies) was a lay brother of Oignies Abbey. He was a metalworker and painter and is the last of the great jewelers of Mosan art. He is a representative of the school of the Entre-Sambr ...

. *

Baptismal font at St Bartholomew's Church, Liège The baptismal font at St Bartholomew's Church, Liège is a Romanesque art, Romanesque brass or bronze baptismal font made between 1107 and 1118 now in the Collegiate Church of St. Bartholomew in Liège, Belgium. The font is a major masterpiece of ...

(early 12th century) by Renier de Huy *Shrine of Saint Servatius (±1165) in

*Shrine of Saint Hadelin (1170, partly 11th century) in

Visé Visé (; , ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia, located on the river Meuse in the province of Liège, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Argenteau, Cheratte, Lanaye, Lixhe, Richelle, and Visé. In the ...

*Shrine of

Saint Remacle Remaclus (Remaculus, Remacle, Rimagilus, also called Remaclus von Stablo; died 673) was a Benedictine missionary bishop who is venerated as a saint. For his life, see Vita Remacli Episcopi at Abbatis, in: Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores ...

*Shrines of Saint Domitian and Saint Mangold (by Godefroid de Huy, ±1172-1189) in

*Shrine of Our Lady (1205) at

Tournai Cathedral The Cathedral of Our Lady (; ), or Tournai Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral, see of the Diocese of Tournai in Tournai, Belgium. It has been classified both as a Wallonia major heritage site since 1936 and as a World Heritage Site since ...

(1180) by Nicholas of Verdun *

Shrine of Charlemagne The Karlsschrein () is located in Aachen Cathedral and contains the remains of Charlemagne. It was completed in 1215 in Aachen at the command of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. Charlemagne's remains had been in the Palatine Chapel of the c ...

(''Karlsschrein'', 1215) and Shrine of Mary (''Marienschrein'', 1238),

Barbarossa Barbarossa, a name meaning "red beard" in Italian, primarily refers to: * Frederick Barbarossa (1122–1190), Holy Roman Emperor * Hayreddin Barbarossa (c. 1478–1546), Ottoman admiral * Operation Barbarossa, the Axis invasion of the Soviet Uni ...

Chandelier (1170), Aachen Cathedral *Retable of the Pentecost (1160–1170, Cluny Museum,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

&ndash

*

Stavelot Triptych The Stavelot Triptych is a medieval reliquary and portable altar in gold and enamel intended to protect, honor and display pieces of the True Cross.

Morgan Library The Morgan Library & Museum (originally known as the Pierpont Morgan Library and colloquially known the Morgan) is a museum and research library in New York City, New York, U.S. Completed in 1906 as the private library of the banker J. P. Morg ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

* Reliquary of St. Maurus, now in

Bečov nad Teplou Bečov nad Teplou () is a town in Karlovy Vary District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as urban monument zone. Administrative div ...

*Stavelot altar base.

Royal Museums of Art and History The Royal Museums of Art and History (RMAH) (; ) are a group of museums in Brussels, Belgium. They are part of the institutions of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) and consist of five museums: the Art & History Museum, the ...

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

*Reliquary with head of

Pope Alexander I Pope Alexander I (, died 115) was the bishop of Rome from about 108/109 to 116/119 (according to the 2012 ''Annuario Pontificio''). Some believe he suffered martyrdom under the Roman emperor Trajan or Hadrian. Life and legend According to the ...

*The foot of the so-called Cross of Saint Bertin. Museum of

Saint-Omer Saint-Omer (; ; Picard: ''Saint-Onmé'') is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France. It is west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais, and is located in the Artois province. The town is named after Sa ...

Renier de Huy JPG0.jpg,

Baptismal font A baptismal font is an Church architecture, ecclesiastical architectural element, which serves as a receptacle for baptismal water used for baptism, as a part of Christian initiation for both rites of Infant baptism, infant and Believer's bapti ...

. St Bartholomew's,

Stavelot.Triptych.jpg,

Stavelot Triptych The Stavelot Triptych is a medieval reliquary and portable altar in gold and enamel intended to protect, honor and display pieces of the True Cross.

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Louvre MosanReliquary.jpg, Mosan reliquary in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

Hugo d'Oignies Evangeliary.jpg, Book-cover by

Barbarossaleuchter.jpg, Barbarossa Chandelier, Aachen Cathedral Schrijn remaclus.jpg, Shrine of

Visé - Église Saint-Martin - Châsse de Saint-Hadelin 02.JPG, Shrine of Saint Hadelin,

MaastrichtNoodkist05.jpg, Maastricht. Shrine of Saint Servatius Karlsschrein front side left.jpg,

, Aachen Cathedral Cologne Cathedral Shrine of Magi.jpg,

Shrine of the Three Kings The Shrine of the Three KingsCiresi, Lisa Victoria (2003, English), ''A liturgical study of the Shrine of the three kings in Cologne''; Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University in association with Princeton University Press; ...

Cologne Cathedral Cologne Cathedral (, , officially , English: Cathedral Church of Saint Peter) is a cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia belonging to the Catholic Church. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archd ...

Painting, illumination and other works of art

Very little has come to us from what must have been an impressive body of Mosan

mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...

Wolfram von Eschenbach Wolfram von Eschenbach (; – ) was a German knight, poet and composer, regarded as one of the greatest epic poets of medieval German literature. As a Minnesinger, he also wrote lyric poetry. Life Little is known of Wolfram's life. Ther ...

, in his

Parzival ''Parzival'' () is a medieval chivalric romance by the poet and knight Wolfram von Eschenbach in Middle High German. The poem, commonly dated to the first quarter of the 13th century, centers on the Arthurian hero Parzival (Percival in English) ...

expressed his high regard for Maastricht (and Cologne) painters
Parzival, 158, 13-16
. Book illumination, like the rest of the arts, was at its zenith in the second half of the 12th century. The principal centres were the abbey of Saint Laurent in Liège and the abbeys of Stavelot and Lobbes. Another highly developed art was

vitreous enamel Vitreous enamel, also called porcelain enamel, is a material made by melting, fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between . The powder melts, flows, and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitrification, vitreous coating. The wo ...

ing. *Mural of the choir vault (heavily restored). Basilica of Saint Servatius, Maastricht *

Stavelot Bible The Stavelot Bible is a Romanesque illuminated manuscript Bible in two volumes datable to 1093–1097. It was produced for, but not necessarily in, the Benedictine monastery of Stavelot, in the Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy of modern Belg ...

(11th century). British Library * (12th century).

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

* Evangeliary of Averbode (12th century). University Library, Liège *Manuscripts from the abbey of

Evangeliary The Evangeliary or Book of the Gospels is a liturgical book containing only those portions of the four gospels which are read during Mass or in other public offices of the Church. The corresponding terms in Latin are and . The Evangeliary develo ...

of Notger (10th-12th century) File:StServaasOostkoor1.jpg, Ceiling painting

File:Christ in Majesty - Stavelot Bible.png, Page from

, British Library File:Floreffe Bible 01.jpg, Page from

Bible, British Library File:Ivoire de Notger.jpg, Evangeliary of Notger. Ivory and enamel File:Évangéliaire d'Averbode, f17.JPG, Evangeliary of Averbode, Liège University Library

Notes

References

*Chapman, Gretel (1987). "Mosan art". ''

Dictionary of the Middle Ages The ''Dictionary of the Middle Ages'' is a 13-volume encyclopedia of the Middle Ages published by the American Council of Learned Societies between 1982 and 1989. It was first conceived and started in 1975 with American medieval historian Jos ...

''. Volume 8. pp. 495–6 *Hartog, Elizabeth den (2002). "Romanesque Sculpture in Maastricht" *Timmers, J.J.M. (1971). "De Kunst van het Maasland"
"Mosan school"
– ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

'' Online

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mosan Art Romanesque art Romanesque architecture Vitreous enamel Culture of Wallonia Culture of Limburg Buildings and structures in Liège Province History of Liège Province History of Belgian Limburg Culture of Limburg (Netherlands) History of Limburg (Netherlands) Netherlandish Medieval art