Medieval simplicity and luxury of the interior: Romanesque style. Medieval-style kitchen design: luxury and pathos Medieval furniture

The Romanesque style of the medieval era is characterized by: patterning, paganism, animal world and combination bright colors. The architecture of that time was not distinguished by elegance, but rather carried defensive functions. Castles, fortresses, churches and monasteries became heavy with massive and static forms. Only the imperial and royal palaces stood out with the luxury of the interior and magnificent paintings in the decoration of rooms and furniture.

As such, the concept of "furniture" did not exist in principle. Roughly hewn tree trunks, standing on the branches, served as a bench, which, obviously, subsequently served as a prototype of a three-legged chair. Romanesque furniture was created mainly for churches: cabinets, chests, benches, music stands and other items. Both household items and palace furniture of the early Middle Ages were simple and fit their purpose. The chest was used not only as a cabinet for storing things, dishes and household utensils, but also as a bed, and as a place to sit, and as a suitcase for long trips. All Romanesque furniture stood close to the wall, and only later the products began to be arranged somewhat more freely.

Finishing furniture, metal and painting are widely used, painting products bright colors. Architectural motifs with floral ornaments enrich the Romanesque furniture. In the creation of ornaments, proportions were not respected, but in the depiction of people, animals and mystical monsters, the vividness of the artists' imagination is felt. Romanesque furniture did not meet the goals of comfort and coziness, it was simple, massive and functional in accordance with the culture and historical situation of the Middle Ages.

Romanesque furniture borrowed a lot from Byzantine culture, although all the best that was created in this era was a timid attempt to recreate the spirit of antiquity.

Gothic appeared during the development of Western European feudalism (XI-XIII centuries AD), when the growth and development of large feudal cities became a powerful political and social force, changing the face of the entire medieval Europe.

Gothic style furniture is characterized by church motifs as decorative finishes- pointed domes, images of church utensils. By the end of the Middle Ages, the furniture industry was almost completely formed and almost all modern analogues of furniture are present in it.

It was then that it became possible to design furniture not from solid pieces of wood, which turned out to be very massive and heavy, but from light and thin boards. For decoration, plastic panels are mainly used in the form of openwork or leafy ornaments, ribbon weaving, in addition, the frame of Gothic furniture is decorated with various architectural motifs - turrets, arrows, sometimes whole castles, which somewhat facilitates appearance products.

Gothic furniture is becoming more diverse in purpose, which testified to the great attention paid to the development of everyday life, but so far the chest, which was also used as seating furniture, remains the invariable attribute of any home, both ordinary commoners and the nobility, now it begins to get rid of using various frames and panels. New types of furniture were invented, such as the cupboard, sideboard, credenza, or dressoir.

Medieval interior design reflects the period European history, which lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. It began with the decline of the Western Roman Empire, and continued into the Renaissance and the so-called Age of Discovery.

Medieval style creates a bright, dramatic image of an apartment or house that brings back the memory of luxurious castles and spacious dining rooms decorated with wood from that era.

Medieval style in the interior of the room - bright, luxurious, exclusive

Characteristics of the medieval interior style

In order to give the room a touch of refined, pompous, magnificent Middle Ages, follow these recommendations from designers:

Walls and their decoration

Actively used natural stone: limestone or granite.

If possible, one or all walls are finished with their help, in extreme cases, individual elements in the room. If not, you can turn to the technique of painting on the walls, decorative plaster or use artificial substitutes natural stones. Today's technologies allow you to do this discreetly and without loss in the quality of materials.

Wall decoration in a medieval interior does not have to be perfect.

How to independently decorate the walls for a medieval interior with a decorative lime coating, the following video will tell you:

Paneling in oak or other dark woods gives the room an authentic medieval feel. Wooden ceiling beams, durable, dark, oak - also fit perfectly into the medieval theme.

Color

Choose from rich, deep, saturated colors:

• maroon;
• dark green;
• golden.

The color scheme in medieval interiors is rich, rich, deep

For interior details that are planned to be made lighter, choose:

• cream;
• dull pink, blue, green;
• red or rust color.

This medieval-style dining room has a well-chosen color scheme.

picking up paper wallpaper in Medieval style, choose something in this color scheme, it is possible with heraldic drawings; floral or other floral prints; imitation of a tapestry or other images "in the subject."

Fireplace or stove

Arranging a fireplace or stove will create a focal point in a Medieval interior.

Real wood burning fireplace- an indispensable attribute for a living room in a medieval interior

rough masonry on the walls, ceiling beams, a fireplace give out a medieval style in this room

Flooring

For the floor, choose one of the following:

• wood;
• stone;
• tile;
• concrete pouring.

Uneven concrete pouring, on which a rich painted carpet is laid - what you need for a medieval interior

accessories

pay attention to wooden furniture from dark breeds: oak or other timber.

A suitable atmosphere will help to give fittings from:

• gland;
• oxidized copper;
• brass.

Candelabra and antique figurines will be a good acquisition in a medieval interior. The main requirement for furniture and accessories is its massiveness, reliability, stability.

Other details and decor in the Medieval interior

Usage stained glass in the interior borrowed directly from the outstanding cathedrals and churches in Europe. Lively and colorful stained-glass windows, made in bold, juicy colors, with interesting patterns - will good decision into a room with a medieval theme.

Traditionally stained glass decorated with images of family coats of arms or shields. Such symbols can be issued at home. Well, if they are repeated in different elements interior, for example, on textile decorations or wooden floor or wall panels.

Tables and textiles (tablecloths, bedspreads, etc.) in the Medieval style should be combined with wrought iron decorative elements and large candlesticks on powerful stands. Great addition they will be massive wall forged sconces or candelabra.

From materials for upholstery of furniture, drapery of windows, walls or tables, rich, luxurious fabrics are suitable:

• velveteen;
• chenille;
• damask cloth;
• brocade.

Medieval-style textile trim is rich, expensive fabrics

A variety of themed figurines and accessories can be purchased today in various online home decor stores. Suitable for example:

• figurines of knights, horses or dragons;
• details of knightly uniforms: armor, swords, helmets, etc.;
• goblets and bowls;
• caskets;
• paintings;
• original floor lamps and semi-antique lamps, etc.

picking up Decoration Materials and decor, stylish paraphernalia and accessories, you can create a unique Medieval style in the interior of your apartment or country house. Your personal design can be a bit more antique or gothic, overly glamorous or overly romantic, eclectic or minimalist. Modern Medieval style allows some variations depending on your tastes and preferences. In any case, with medieval interior You will be able to demonstrate your refined taste and eccentricity.

After the decline of ancient culture, art for a long time submits to religion. Byzantine architecture is associated with religious and temple construction. Temples were the main architectural structure, were built everywhere and different sizes, got off richly. Antique culture is gradually being forgotten, and stagnation has set in in the improvement of the productive forces. The old was destroyed, the new was not built, the architecture became primitive.

The fragmentation of the warring feudal principalities caused massive fortification. Castles-fortresses were surrounded by walls, city life froze, and the centers of culture moved to monasteries. The architecture of the fat is heavy and closed.

In interior design, the Byzantines continued the traditions of the Romans. The forms of furniture were simplified compared to Greek and Roman. The artistic effect was achieved by an abundance of precious metals.

First art system the Middle Ages, which covered most of Europe, was the Romanesque style. The most important element The architectural compositions of this style were massive walls, the heaviness of which was emphasized by narrow loophole windows.

During this period, the concept of "furniture" in the modern sense did not exist, since constant wars and robberies did not create conditions for home improvement. In the fortresses of the feudal lords, residential towers were equipped for housing - high semi-dark halls, fenced stone walls. A little later appeared wood paneling. The living quarters were narrow and gloomy, without luxurious decoration.

During the Middle Ages, furniture, like other items, was made roughly. The designs were primitive, the forms bulky and massive. For example, cabinets were made from raw thick boards without the use of knitting, they were held with the help of wrought iron linings. The main tools in the manufacture of furniture were an ax and a plow, and the performers were a carpenter and a blacksmith.

The most significant item was the chest, which was later replaced by a wardrobe. Known table with vertical planes as supports. For sitting, benches, tripod stools, wooden chairs with a high back were used.

Furniture was decorated with forged overlays and nails, as well as colored painted ornaments. Architectural motifs were used freely and randomly in furniture. Ornaments were applied haphazardly and often without respect for proportions and relationship with the product. The paints used, like the shapes of the furniture themselves, were simple and crude.

Despite the primitiveness, the features of the Romanesque style proved to be tenacious in folk furniture, which was freed from excess material, and its proportions were slightly lightened.

The intensive growth of cities, the development of crafts, trade, the formation of new social relations found their artistic expression in the heyday of the Gothic style (XII - XV centuries), whose birthplace is France. In Gothic, feudal-church influence was clearly manifested.

On the example of the forms of architecture and household items of the Gothic period, one can trace the unity of the style of the objective world. A costume, like architecture, has its own tectonics and constructive clarity. characteristic feature The silhouette of the Gothic costume is elongated proportions and vertical lines, corresponding to the skyward architecture. Clocks and furniture are also decorated in this style, which was due to the need to match their forms to the same Gothic interior.

In the early Gothic period, furnishings were still heavy and clumsy; box knitting remained at the heart of the furniture design. But in terms of the variety of objects, and in terms of the technique of execution, the early Gothic furniture is already more perfect than the furniture of the early Middle Ages. The invention at the beginning of the 14th century contributed to the further improvement of furniture, the creation of its new forms and types. two-handed saw, the use of spiked joints and frame-paneled knitting (known to the ancient Romans, but forgotten). Instead of a carpenter and a blacksmith, furniture began to be made by a carpenter, carver, painter, and gilder.

With the improvement of furniture production technology, products are given harmony and simplicity of form. During the period of Gothic prosperity, the houses of feudal lords and wealthy citizens were richly furnished. Traditional chests, various cabinets, supplies, armchairs, chairs, beds are made.

Gothic style had common features in various countries: accentuation of verticals, a certain geometric silhouette of an object, articulation of faces, rich carving, etc. The ornament was mainly of three types - openwork, leafy and ribbon weaving (the so-called linen folds, or napkins). The ornament was done little relief carving, which corresponded to the types of wood used (pine and oak). With the use of a board with a cut ornament, which was superimposed on another, background one, the ornament deepened and became more embossed. The frame was decorated with arrows, turrets, columns, etc. In addition to carving, painting was widely used to decorate products.

From the end of the 5th century A.D. e. after the fall ancient rome in Europe, the era of the Middle Ages begins, which radically changed the face of the subject environment. When in the 5th century Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in his essay "On heavenly hierarchy"formulated the system of the universe, which assumed the eternal order of spheres moving according to mathematically exact parameters, concentrating around the Earth, it was created, mentally set the cultural space in which the millennial kingdom of the Middle Ages was to exist. Christianity accepted the cosmogony of the Areopagite not because it found it suitable for itself, but because I both seemed to people for granted. Therefore, back in the 12th century, Abbot Suger divided the space of Saint-Denis in accordance with the picture of the world that the author of the essay "On the Heavenly Hierarchy" drew. And a century later, Daite unfolded it in his Divine Comedy.

It was a harsh, disturbing era, but also creative. The era of the highest development of feudalism, which means that it is no longer a search, but a finding of sustainable forms social organization, the era of new state formations, no longer artificial or accidental, but organically born with the awakening of national self-consciousness. This was the era when young Europe found a certain synthesis of borrowings and traditions that, without merging with each other, influenced the attitude of the early Middle Ages.

The streets of cramped medieval cities were built up with narrow tall houses, each of which was a closed space. Squeezed between neighboring buildings with small iron-bound doors and shuttered windows, the house included housing and utility rooms.

Household furniture. European Middle Ages.

The main room served as both a dining room and a kitchen. A copper cauldron hung over the hearth, a cupboard with dishes, a large rectangular table, chests with clothes and utensils stood at a distance.

The achievements of the handicraft art of antiquity were forgotten, all the furniture was made by carpenters who did not know the trick various compounds parts and cuts. The table at that time was wooden shield on the goats, benches and stools were of the simplest design with legs diverging downwards inserted directly into the seat.

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Furniture and interior equipment in the Middle Ages

AT historical science The Middle Ages are called the era of feudalism, which in Europe lasted several centuries from the end of the 5th century. until the XVII-XVIII centuries.

Byzantium is one of the most significant world civilizations, which left behind numerous architectural monuments, works of applied art, etc.

Compared to Greco-Roman furniture, Byzantine furniture is much simpler in form (Fig. 2.9). Stools, folding chairs, chests, beds are widely used. The artistic effect was achieved by abundant decoration of products with colored painting, ivory, smalt inlay, precious stones and metals.

In designing the interior and furnishing of palaces and dwellings, the Byzantines continued the Roman traditions, but the influence of oriental luxury increased. Silk fabrics with a rich pattern, low and soft ottomans and sofas were used.

Rice. 2.9. Byzantine chair, 6th century n. e.

The Romanesque style dominated the art of medieval Europe from the 10th to the 11th centuries. The way of life of the early Middle Ages in Europe did not create conditions for the emergence of a comfortable dwelling, and the very concept of "furniture" did not yet exist. At the hearths they sat on benches, roughly hewn chumps.

During this period, furniture was created mainly for churches: pews, music stands, cabinets, chests, etc.

The chest was a universal household furniture item (Fig. 2.10, a). It simultaneously served as a bed, seating furniture, travel suitcase. The first chests were hollowed out from tree trunks, and later they were made from unworked thick boards, often decorated with carvings from wedge-shaped notches. Later, the chests began to be bound with metal, put on wheels or on rather high legs.

Seating furniture was made from a set of turned rods or boards. In addition to chairs and armchairs (Fig. 2.10.6), a chiseled three-legged stool was widely used on four legs. Footstools were often made for chairs.

The forged chest turned on its side was the prototype of the cabinet (Fig. 2.10, c). Its frontal completion resembles the side facade of an ancient Roman sarcophagus.

The beds were created in the Byzantine type. Later, under the influence of the oriental tent construction, a canopy appeared above the bed, which created the illusion of safety.

Tables are simple, plank construction. Rectangular tables do not have legs and rest on two plank sidewalls, connected for strength by massive bars. More complex in design are round and octagonal tables on one pedestal with a mass of carpentry consoles.

Forms of Romanesque furniture are simple, concise and primitive. The motifs of the ornament are borrowed from architecture (Fig. 2.11). The furniture was painted in bright colors.

The luxury of interior decoration was achieved with expensive tablecloths, bedspreads, household utensils made of. precious materials.

The Gothic style took shape as the monasteries and their wealth grew as a result of pilgrimage and the Crusades.

In the Gothic interior of city houses big role played massive wooden oak-beamed ceilings with purlins and beams. The compositional center of the interiors was a fireplace.

Rice. 2.10. Romanesque furniture: a - chest; b - chair; into the cupboard

Important role dishes (jugs, trays, mugs, dishes) were assigned, which, like other items, were placed on the shelves. the main role in the interior equipment continued to belong to the chests, which were placed along the walls.

In interior decoration great importance had fabrics that covered the walls. From the middle of the XIV century. began to produce woven carpets (trellises) with thematic compositions and ornamental motifs. Widely used fabrics for tablecloths, bedspreads, chests and seats.

Rice. 2.11. Examples of ornamentation of Romanesque furniture: a - chest; b-chair

The development of furniture in urban dwellings was facilitated by the revival of frame-paneled knitting. Now furniture was constructed not from thick bars, which made it heavy, but from thin sawn boards (Figure 2.12). Architectural and naturalistic floral ornaments were used in furniture decoration.

The main type of furniture both in the houses of the nobility and ordinary townspeople remains the chest, often with frames and panels, which are decorated with lancet vaults, have a “plinth” and approach the shape of a cabinet.

New types of furniture also appear, for example, various cupboards for dishes: a sideboard, a cabinet-supplier, a dresser (type of supplier). In the XV century. big ones appear closed cabinets with two or four doors.

In the design of Gothic tables, the number of varieties increased. Flat carvings appeared on the side shields of the tables, and their middle part began to be facilitated by an opening in the form of a double or single Gothic window with a lattice cover. An early form appears desk with a lifting lid, under which there were compartments and small drawers. There were also tables on four inclined legs connected at the bottom with a proleg.

Rice. 2.12. Gothic style in the subject-spatial environment:
a - a fragment of the interior of the temple in Amiens; b- bed; b - gothic chair

Seating furniture gradually became more diverse, but long time benches and chests attached to the walls remained the most common furniture for sitting and lying. The main form of the Gothic chair came from the shape of a chest with a high blank back and armrests. Lifting seat (Fig. 2.13, a). The top of the back ends with a horizontal cornice with a carved ridge above it. Separate parts of the chair are decorated with abundant relief carvings. The smooth plank seat was hard, the bottom drawer got in the way of the legs, and the carved sheer back was not comfortable.

The furniture frame was decorated with architectural articulations: transverse ribbed elements, arrows, turrets, columns, which gave the product lightness. To decorate furniture, they also used the shape of lancet arches, niches, then images of figures began to appear.

Rice. 2.13. French Gothic furniture:
a - wardrobe; b - armchair; in - chest

The most elegant in proportions, selection of jewelry and proportionality separate parts French Gothic furniture (Figures 2.13 and 2.14). It is distinguished by the elegance of forms and refinement of details.

India. An idea of ​​the character of an Indian urban residential building and its interior is given by images on reliefs and stone sculpture. City houses are multi-storey, with balconies, open galleries, decorated with rich ornaments.

Varnishing, inlay of ebony, mother-of-pearl, ivory, ivory carving, and later openwork carving were used to decorate furniture.

Furniture for seating on crossed legs. Pillows were often used. From the 4th century BC e. under the influence of Greek art, a low bed with a wicker bed, a stool with turned and varnished legs and a wicker seat are widely used (Fig. 2.15).

Rice. 2.14. Gothic Tudor furniture:
a - chair; b- motifs of Gothic ornament; in ~ - closet; g - triangular chair; d - oak wood chest

China. The art of furniture in China has its roots in ancient times. It is closely connected with the development of architecture and the interior of the dwelling.

Furniture (Fig. 2.16) is represented by a variety of sunbeds and beds with wicker or flat wooden beds. The bed is often equipped with a railing - slatted or woven. Chairs and armchairs were originally low and then acquired traditional form. The panel structure cabinet was rectangular shape, and then came curvilinear outlines and frame construction.

Rice. 2.15. Indian furniture: a - ceremonial chair; b- bed; c - stool

Furniture made from variety of materials: wood, various fibers ( wicker furniture), porcelain and stone. The fittings were made of an alloy of copper and nickel with the addition of zinc. Chinese lacquer furniture was especially famous.

Furniture was also trimmed with inlaid colored wood, bone, horn, mother-of-pearl, shells, semi-precious stones and metal.

Japan. A Japanese house is a house-room (Fig. 2.17), that is, each building has only one room inside. For division inner space use movable walls and screens, which allows you to quickly transform this space and makes it possible to use the same room in a variety of ways, depending on the time of day and needs.

Rice. 2.16. Chinese furniture:
a - a set of stools (low tables) of seven items, black lacquer with gilding; b - front bed; c - bamboo chair

Another feature that has had a great impact on the design and aesthetic properties of the house and garden is the custom of sitting on the floor covered with mats. The calculation for the figure of a person sitting on the floor determined the proportional solution of the interior, the height of the premises, the scale of things. The custom of sitting on the floor did not require special furniture - chairs, armchairs, sofas and a permanent table for a meal.

Rice. 2.17. Interior Japanese house

The main materials in a Japanese home are polished unpainted wood and paper. The floor is completely covered with tatami - thick mats of rice straw. Under the tatami is wooden lattice. Tatami has a strictly defined size (205×199 cm) and serves as a module for the entire dwelling, being the basis of the Japanese architecture standardization system.

In the interior of a Japanese house, low paper lanterns. For a meal, lacquer serving tables are used, to which they sit directly on mats or on flat pillows made of wadded or woven from straw or grass (zabu-ton). Sleeping mattresses are covered with wadded almost square blankets (futon). In ancient times, a wooden lacquered stand with a soft rotating roller served as a pillow. Bedding is removed for the day in wall niches. For work, special tables with a height of 20-40 cm of an elongated shape are used. drawers(Fig. 2.18).

A characteristic and central detail of the interior is a niche (tokono-ma), where modest, but fine jewelry- a scroll of painting, a vase of flowers. Nearby there may be another niche with Z-shaped shelves (tigandana).

Rice. 2.18. Furniture and equipment of a Japanese residential building:
a - paper lamp; b- serving table; in - stand for the head; g - desktop with drawers; e- built-in equipment (tokono-ma); e - lacquered wardrobe

Japanese furniture is characterized by irregular, asymmetrical combinations of elements and their rhythmic construction, graceful ornamentation based on natural forms, high artistic taste, thoughtfulness and completeness of all details, unity of form, material and finish.