During the early Middle Ages, when sculptural art in the Romanesque style was popular, medieval statues were uncommon. Free-standing statues are thought to have become more common in the later Middle Ages, when sculptural art in the Gothic style became more popular. Romanesque sculpture is thought to have been influenced the Byzantine and Roman Empires’ artistic conventions, which emphasized a formal, idealized artistic style in which figures were rarely depicted as showing emotion. Statues became more realistic, detailed, and three-dimensional as the Gothic style of art became more popular in medieval Europe. Although some medieval statues and sculptures are thought to have been influenced pre-Christian religious beliefs, the majority of medieval statues and sculptures depicted Christian religious figures and themes.
Experts agree that sculpture in the Middle Ages was primarily used to educate the public about religious matters, as many common people couldn’t read the Bible or even understand the Latin church service at the time. Many medieval statues can be found on the exterior or interior of churches and cathedrals. The majority of the paintings depict Christian religious figures such as Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, the apostles, saints, or angels and cherubs. Above the church’s front door, tympanum scenes usually featured a statue of a prominent religious figure surrounded a relief or frieze depicting a Biblical event. These scenes are thought to have served to remind churchgoers of the sacred nature of the structure they were about to enter.
Many medieval statues, in addition to strictly religious figures and scenes, were what art historians call “grotesques,” such as gargoyles or other unappealing-looking figures. Some speculate that these statues were meant to depict the nature of evil and sin, or the Catholic doctrine’s post-life punishment for sinners. Others argue that many Middle Ages sculptural scenes appear to have been solely influenced pre-Christian religious culture, and that grotesques could be among them.
Although many medieval statues are religious in nature, portraiture enjoyed a renaissance in the late Middle Ages. While these statues exhibited a level of realism not seen in earlier medieval works, sculptors of the time did not always prioritize capturing a person’s true physical appearance. Rather, other identifying features, such as the subject’s familial coat of arms, a personal motto, or a well-known distinguishing feature, were frequently incorporated into portrait statues.