Early Medieval Art in the West

This area of study is at the time between the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire and the
Renaissance. More specifically, the years we are studying are between 500 and 1000, a time where magnificent works of
art were produced. Although the Romans had once considered anyone who lived outside their frontier as barbarians,
these people of the north had in fact risen to very prominent positions during the later stages of the Roman Empire.
During the Late Antiquity when the Roman Empire had started to become weak and fall, was a time when many other
northern groups started to move in and take control of the area. Such groups like the Huns, Vandals, Merovingians,
Franks, Goths, and many others. Once one had settled in and started to carry out their wishes and promises, another
group would push them out and take over. Because of this constant status change, art historians do not fully know what
art and architecture was produced. Items that have been found are usually smaller pieces that represent status,
weaponry, and lavish items of personal adornment (bracelets, pendants, and belt buckles) all of which would have been
buried with the wealthier deceased.
The epic saga Beowulf recounts several important facts that help art historians determine the importance of some items
found. For example, the fact that such lavish items were buried with their important and wealthy dead comes from the
part of the book where they buried rings and brooches in the barrow, all those adornments that brave men had
brought out from the hoard after Beowulf died. They bequeathed the gleaming gold, treasure of men, to the earth.
Also, the story comes to play again where they discuss the funeral of the warrior lord Scyld who was laid to rest in a ship
and then set off to sea overflowing with arms and armor and costly adornments. The fact that the people of Sutton Hoo
did these types of practices helps historians and archeologist understand the culture and all of their findings.
Purse cover from the Sutton Hoo ship burial (Suffolk, England), ca. 625. Gold, glass, and enamel cloisonn
with garnets and emeralds
A very extravagant piece found from Sutton Hoo is a purse cover with gold, glass, and precious stones. Looking at it, one
will notice the four symmetrically placed arranged groups of figures. The ends of the group is a man surrounded by two
beasts, this is very symbolic of the time and like in Beowulf, describes men who would battle great beasts. The two
center pieces are of eagles attacking ducks in which the artist fits them together so tightly that they appear as one image
at first glance. Above the group of figures are three geometric designs. The ends are purely linear and the middle is an
interlaced pattern that evolves into an animal figures. The elaborate intertwining linear patterns resembles that of the
Islamic world, however, when the animals are present, that is very much containing to the realm of the medieval time.
One will also notice the fact that the areas separated by pieces of gold. This type of technique is called cloisonn and is a
favorite of medieval treasure givers and is noted at least as early as the New Kingdom in Egypt. In order to achieve this
technique, strands of gold were soldered against a metal background and filled with colored glass, jewels, or glass paste
that was fired to look like sparkling jewels. This technique is a cross between mosaic and stained glass and was only used
by medieval artist is small scales.
Animal head post, from the Oseberg ship burial (Norway), ca. 825
This animal head belonged to a burial ship that carried the remains of two women. The lavish ornamentation was not
found and is a result of robbers discovering the ship. The animal head post is characteristic of the masterfully carved
wood ornamentation. The wooden head combines the image of a roaring beast with protruding eyes and flaring nostrils
with the elaborately carved pattern of tightly interwoven animals that writhe, gripping and snapping like a serpent. This
head is a combined union of two fundamental motifs: the animal form and the interlace pattern.


Wood carved portal of the stave church at Urnes, Norway, c. 1050-1070
*The term Hiberno Saxon will be used quite a bit when discussing certain peoples of an area. The term comes from the
Roman name for Ireland = Hibernia. These are people who have characteristics of both the English and the Irish.
(Staves are wedged shaped timbers placed vertically). Here, again we see the animal forms intertwined with flexible
plant stalks and tendrils in spiraling rhythm. The design, at first glance, almost appears to be of natural growth, but
when taking a closer look, one will start to see the life forms. Even though this was in an area that had become
prominently Christian, the Viking artistic traditions continued in this delicate highly refined abstract design.
Cross and carpet page from the Lindisfarne Gospels (Northumbria, England), ca. 698-721. Tempera on
vellum
Here is when Christian imagery gets combined with the native animal interlace style from the Vikings. The Lindisfarne
Gospels (Good News) contains several ornamental pages and exemplifies Hiberno-Saxon art at its best. On this
ornamental page, one will see the elaborate and flexible shapes with expanding and contracting forms that together
produce an effect of movement and change. Although this is a very intricate design of interlacing and overlapping
imagery, the artist held it in check with the larger design for the viewers, the cross. The cross, the ultimate symbol of the
religion, seems to stabilize the rhythm of the serpentines and contrasts with its heavy immobility; emphasized by its
deep lines.
The Lindisfarne cross page displays the artists preference for small and complex designs. This will be seen quite
frequently with upcoming works of the area. It is not about the natural world, but more about the abstract designs. Of
course, as always, the exceptions do exist, as seen in the Saint Matthew section of the Gospels.
Saint Matthew, folio 25 verso of the Lindisfarne Gospels, from Northumbria, England, ca. 698-721. Tempera
on vellum.
The source for this manuscript must have been a illustrated Gospel book that a Christian missionary brought to England
from Italy. Author portraits were something that was popular in books written in Greek and Latin. Here we see Matthew
sitting and composing his accounts of the life of Christ. Some points of interest that emphasize that this piece was in fact
inspired by other cultural areas are the fact that there is a curtain, which places the scene indoors which is seen time
and time again in Ancient Greece works. Also, if you notice that the seat he is sitting on is placed at an angle, which
shows perspective, something that is seen in classical art. The letters on the page are a combination of Greek and Latin,
which perhaps shows that the two languages will be used in further readings. Although the model is that of the Greco-
Roman style, the painting is certainly not. The painter clearly did not share the same interest with that of the drawer
because it is the exact opposite of Greco-Roman style. Instead of focusing on volume and shade, the painter rendered
Matthew on account of flatness, lines, and color. Also, one will notice the use of line in certain parts of the figures
present, a common practice of the Northumbrian artists.
Matthew is not alone in the setting, and the people who share it with him are quite interesting as well as complex.
Above Matthew is his symbol, a winged man with his label above him (imago hominis image of the man). As you have
read, the Four Evangelists all have symbols to represent them: Mark the lion, Luke ox, John eagle, and Matthew
winged man or angel. Also seen peeking behind the curtain is the representation of a man seen are only his head and
part of his shoulder. Who this man is, is uncertain, but some think it could be: Christ, Saint Cuthbert, or Moses. Whoever
it is, what he is holding sparks just as much interest as who his identity is. Some think that he holds the Old Testament
because it is a closed book and he looks in on Matthew who is writing the New Testament.


Chi-rho-iota page from the Book of Kells (Iona, Scotland), late eighth or early ninth century
This is the greatest achievement of the Hiberno-Saxons. This was so because of everything that this book contained: a
number of full page illuminations, which included carpet pages, evangelist symbols, portrayals of the Virgin Mary and
Christ, New Testament narrative scenes, canon tables, and several instances of monumentalized and embellished words
from the Bible.
The recreated page seen here opens the account of the nativity of Jesus in the Gospel of Saint Matthew. The Greek
letters XPI or chi-rho-iota occupies the majority of the page. In the bottom corner, there are the words autem which is
just abbreviated by the letter h and generatio. When they are read together, it says: Now this is how the birth of
Christ came about and this is the story that would be read on Christmas Day. The letters created by the artist are
done in such an exceptional way that one might not notice all of the intricate designs. For example, the letter P or rho
ends with a human head and animals are present to the left of the h generatio.
High Cross of Muiredach (Monasterboice, County Louth, Ireland), 923
One of the largest and finest Medieval crosses in existence and is called the High Cross of Muiredach because of the
inscription on the west side asking for prayer for a man of the same name. These crosses preside over burial grounds
adjoining monasteries. The arms of the cross which end at squares are connected with four arcs that make a circle. This
characteristic circle, essentially behind the cross, identifies it as Celtic. On the crosss west frontal side is an inscription of
the crucified Christ and on the east side is the image of the risen Christ symbolizing the hope of the dead. Below the
image of the risen Christ are the souls of the dead being weighed on scales a theme that the sculptors of the 12
th

century church portals pursued with extraordinary intensity.
CAROLINGIAN ART: Christmas Day in the year 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charles the Great (Charlemagne) as
the new emperor of Rome. Became known as the first Holy Roman Emperor (this title hadnt been adopted
until the 12
th
century) and had is coronation at St. Peters Basilica. His goal was to revive the glory of the
ancient Roman Empire (the arts and overall a period of learning) and gave his name to the entire era, the
Carolingian period (Carolus Magnus in Latin).
Saint Matthew from the Coronation Gospel Book of Charlemagne (Aachen, Germany), ca. 800-810. Ink and
tempera on vellum
As said earlier, Charlemagne valued learning and was responsible for recreating a lot of manuscripts from before; over
time these manuscripts that had been reproduced over the years started to become corrupt with the errors in copying.
So, he undertook a large task in recovering the true texts of the Bible.
He, his successors, and his scholars placed a high value on books, secular and sacred, importing, and producing. One of
these great books was the Coronation Gospels or the Gospel Book of Charlemagne which has the letters printed in gold
and contains each evangelist at work. Here, we see Matthew and we can see just how different this painter portrays him
in comparison to the Northumbrian painters version in the Lindisfarne Gospels. Here we see that the artist uses
shadows and light when his deft lines produce creases in the fabric, not lines as seen before. The chair, toga, and lectern
(desk with a slant) of Saint Matthew are familiar to that of the Roman accessories as well as the background. This has no
connections to that of the Hiberno-Saxons or Frankish Europe and if this had been done by a Frank rather than an
Italian, then the painter had fully absorbed that of the classical style. This would fully support Charlemagnes goal to
revive ancient Rome.


Saint Matthew from the Ebbo Gospels (Hautvillers, near Reims, France), ca. 816-835. Ink and tempera on
vellum
The theme of reviving the classical styles did not only appear with the Coronation Gospels. Here, in the Ebbo Gospels we
see Saint Matthew (notice the winged man in the upper right corner) working on his part of the New Testament. The
two versions of Saint Matthew are similar in that they account for the same person doing the same act, but in no way
are they alike stylistically. The calmness that appeared in the Coronation Gospels has been replaced by a theme of frenzy
and chaos. This is emphasized by the hair on Matthews head standing on in and the speed in which he writes his
accounts, also one can sense movement in his drapery as it appears to vibrate from hastiness or worry. The artist was
able to achieve such feelings by his line designs, which is characteristic of the north but the clothing and furniture are
that of the classical style, so the artist has fused these two together brilliantly.
Crucifixion, front cover of the Lindau Gospels, from Saint Gall, Switzerland, ca. 870. Gold, precious stone,
and pearls.
One of the most luxurious book covers under Charlemagne is that of the Lindau Gospels. It is elegant in not only the
material it was made of, but in size as well it measures 1 foot almost 2 inches by 11 inches. Here we see the image of
Christ nailed to the cross in the center and surrounding him are pearls and jewels. The idea of placing such precious and
costly items on a book of religious matter was to glorify the Word of God and to evoke the heavenly Jerusalem. One will
notice that the image of Christ is in repouss (like the Mycenaean funerary mask) which is hammered from the backside
to create an image.
Joining the open eyed Christ are the personifications of the sun and moon (above him) and the figures of the Virgin Mary
and Saint John. There are two other figures present, but their identification is uncertain.
Odo of Metz. Interior of the Palatine Chapel of Charlemagne (Aachen, Germany), 792-805
Since Charlemagne wanted to restore the Roman past, he also practiced the use of Roman building techniques. He
imported porphyry columns from Ravenna to adorn his Palatine Chapel. Historians believe that his chapel plans are an
inspiration of those from San Vitale, and a direct relationship is evident between the two. Charlemagnes chapel is the
first vaulted structure of the Middle Ages north of the Alps. The architect transformed the glittering interior of the San
Vitale to simple and massive geometric forms. Also, his chapel took from other Roman architecture in the fact that his
imperial gallery followed the model of the imperial gallery at Hagia Sophia.
Ottonian Art
Charlemagne was buried in the Palatine Chapel at Aachen in 814 and his son Louis the Pious took over for him
and died in 840. Louiss three sons divided up the empire amongst themselves. Intensified Viking incursions
helped bring about a collapse of the Carolingians. After their defeat, the remaining empire was placed in a
time of confusion. It wasnt until the mid 10
th
century that the eastern part of the former empire consolidated
under the new rule of a new Saxon line of German emperors called the Ottonians (so named after the three
most illustrious family members).
St. Michaels (Hildesheim, Germany), 1001-1031
Ottonian architects continued on with the vision of Charlemagne and thus started building basilican churches. However,
they also introduced a few new features that would have a long future in western European church architecture.
One of the greatest patrons of the Ottonian art was Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim, Germany. He was the tutor for Otto
III and the builder of Saint Michael at Hildesheim. Bernward was a lover of the arts and of learning. He traveled to Rome
in 1001 and while there studied the grand monuments and architecture that the Carolingians and Ottonians revered.
Saint Michaels is a masterpiece of Ottonian basilica designs. It contains two apses, two transepts, and multiple towers
which give it a distinctive profile. The one that remains today is a reconstructed version of the original due to it being
bombed in World War II. The Roman basilica, Basilica Ulpia in Trajans forum also had two apses and entrances on the
side, which Bernward was probably familiar with. Alternating piers and columns divide the space in the nave into vertical
units. These features transformed the tunnel like horizontality of Early Christian basilicas.
Doors with relief panels from Saint Michaels at Hildesheim, 1015, bronze
Going back to Bernward and his visit to Rome to see Otto III, he stayed in a palace where Santa Sabina was located. This
church was known for its carved wooden doors that were decorated with episodes of both the Old and New Testament.
These doors were more than likely the inspiration for the bishops new church Saint Michaels) in Germany.
These bronzed doors are colossal in size, more than 16 feet tall, and date back to 1015. The panels were each cast by
themselves and then added to the large door, something very characteristic of the Carolingian style (creating small
things). These doors were not on display to the public, and instead placed coming from the cloister, so the monks could
see them before they entered the church. The panels on the left door start with the book of Genesis and recount the
lives of Adam and Eve, starting with their creating and ending with the murder of their son Cain by his brother Abel. The
right side of the door accounts the life of Christ, starting with the Annunciation and ending with appearance of Mary
Magdalene of Christ after the Resurrection. Together the doors tell the story of the Original Sin and redemption. The
doors together are juxtaposed (placed side by side) with the image of Eve nursing Cain and Mary with the young Christ
on her lap/the Fall of Adam and Eve with the crucified Christ.
Crucifix commissioned by Archbishop Gero for Cologne Cathedral, Germany, ca. 970. Painted wood, height
of figure 6'2
Stands at 6 feet tall and is another example of working on a large scale. This image is both statue and reliquary (a shrine
for sacred relics). This is a dramatically different image of Christ than seen on the Lindau Gospels. There we see a
triumphal image of Christ who has defeated death; here we see an image that is more of the Byzantine style which
shows his suffering. The Ottonian work is far greater still due to the artist representation of pain and depicting Jesus as
an all-too-human martyr. One can see the blood streaking down his head from the missing crown of thorns, his eyes are
closed and his face is contorted in pain, His body sags under its own weight and his muscles are being stretched to their
limit (his right shoulder and chest muscles seem to have been ripped apart). The only foreshadowing of the Ressurection
is the halo behind his head, but viewers can only sense the amount of pain and suffering being projected. Geros crucifix
is the most powerful characterization of intense agony of the early Middle Ages.
The letters INRI are initials for the Latin title that Pontius Pilate had written over the head of Jesus Christ on the cross
(John 19:19). Latin was the official language of the Roman Empire. The words were "Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm."
Latin uses I instead of the English J, and V instead of U (i.e., Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum). The English
translation is "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." The Early Church adopted the first letters of each word of this
inscription INRI as a symbol. Throughout the centuries INRI has appeared in many paintings of the crucifixion.
Annunciation to the Shepherds, from the Lectionary of Henry II (Reichenau, Germany), 1002-1014
Here we see a full page illumination of the Annunciation of Christs birth to the shepherds. We see the angel, who
appears to be mid flight with his wings still flapping, telling the shepherds of the good news. The powerful flap of the
wings causes his cloak to fly amongst him; this idea is much similar to that of the Hellenistic tradition, although it is no
Nike of Samothrace. Also, there are hints of Byzantine styles with the gold background and could be the influence of
Otto IIs wife who was a Byzantine princess. The angel places his hand out to suggest power and authority, much like the
image of God on the bronze doors where he cast out Adam and Eve.

Otto III enthroned, from the Gospel Book of Otto III, (Trier, Germany), 997-1000
Otto III was the most of the Ottos who dreamt of reviving the Christian Roman Empire. He was very aware of his
descendants and was most proud of his Constantinopolitan roots than his German. His dreams were never a reality
because he died prematurely at the age of 21 and was buried next to Charlemagne at Aachen.
Otto III is seen in a Gospel book that takes the same name. Here he is seen enthroned holding a scepter and a cross-
inscribed orb that represent his universal authority, conforming to a Christian imperial iconographic tradition that went
back to Constantine. The Christian Church and State are seen beside him (the clergy and the barons). On the opposite
page (not seen or pictured in your book) is the female personification of the provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Although
it is not of the Byzantine style, the picture has clear political reference to the Justinian mosaic in San Vitale.