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Medieval Art
Medieval Art
P1 FINAL PRESENTATION
MEDIEVAL
ART
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Acknowledgement
Benefited from research in the old art, we can solve the mystic from the past
inside the picture and structure, also create or evolve the new type of art for the future and
raise the value of Medieval Art. From those things, we could break through the analysis and
the other side of these arts. Much of the art that was created in medieval times centered
around religion and was created for churches and Cathedrals throughout the period, so that
we could deeply understand the study on the history of our world
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Abstract
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Table of contents
I. Intro
1. Overview
II. Period of Medieval Art
1. Christian art
a. Overview
b. Early Christian Art
c. Byzantine Empire with Christian Art
2. Migration Period Art
a. Overview
b. Polychrome Style
c. Animal Style
d. Germanic and Christian Art Mix
3. Byzantine Art
a. Overview
b. Byzantine Art Definition
c. Byzantine Mosaics
d. Byzantine Religious Art
4. Insular art
a. Overview
b. Insular Art Illuminated Manuscripts
c. Insular Art Metalwork
d. Insular Art Sculpture
5. Romanesque art
a. Overview
b. Romanesque Art History
c. Romanesque Art Characteristics
d. Romanesque Artists
e. Romanesque Art Icons
6. Gothic art
a. Overview
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I. Introduction
Overview
The history of medieval art spans from around c. 476 with the fall of the Roman Empire up
to the beginning of the Renaissance period in the 15th century.
Art during this period evolved together with human experiences, especially on topics such
as traditional and new biblical concepts, Christian dogma, and mythology.
During this period, the church financed many projects, including the early Christian art
found in the Roman catacombs and burial crypts.
There are many types of medieval arts. In fact, medieval art has continually advanced
throughout medieval times. Some of these advances were brought about by the emergence
of the Pre-Renaissance period whose early subjects were restricted to religious artworks
called Pietistic paintings that also came in different forms such as illuminated manuscripts,
mosaics and fresco paintings and were to be found in churches.
These types of medieval arts included the Anglo-Saxon art and Norse art.
One of the most remarkable characteristics of medieval art was its vivid color. Most of
these artworks also did not make use of perspective and the figures, therefore, conveyed
clear emotions.
Most art historians also point out that in these medieval art pieces, the important figures
were shown and appeared to be larger than the other figures surrounding them.
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1. Christian art
a. Overview
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Early Christian art was directly affected by classical Roman and Greek art because
Christianity originated in the Roman Empire.
Murals and frescoes, which were first created in Christian believers' houses and later in
churches after Christianity was made legal in the early fourth century, were the earliest
examples of art with Christian themes.
Sculptural stone and ivory ornaments were also utilized in churches during this time to
represent biblical themes. Christian art also began to move away from Roman realism
around this time and more toward theological idealism.
The Byzantine Empire was the most potent political force in all of Europe after the fall of
the Roman Empire.
As Christianity was proclaimed the Empire's official religion, it became a center for the
faith.
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The Eastern Orthodox Church or the Emperor himself frequently supported Christian art in
the Byzantine Empire from the fifth century until its destruction in the fifteenth.
Constantinople, the capital of the Empire, featured some of the most iconic pieces of
Christian art of all times.
The most popular form of Christian art in the Empire was mosaics which were used to
adorn buildings, icons that were often used by believers in their homes, and murals.
Some of the most iconic murals depicting Christian themes were painted during the golden
period of the Empire, many of them surviving to this day in Ravenna and Constantinople.
Migration period art refers to the body of art produced by the migrating Germanic tribes
from the early 4th century to the 10th century. During this period, the Germanic tribes in
the north and east of Continental Europe spread out from their homelands to all of Europe.
Their migration activity precipitated the fall of the Roman Empire and reshaped the entire
continent into new political units. Germanic tribes originally adhered to pagan beliefs and
pagan elements are manifest in early migration period art.
Once these tribes gradually Christianized, their art also morphed by mixing together pagan
elements with new Christian themes.
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The fact of migration, the wars it led to and the settlement in new places, all contributed as
major themes in the migration period art.
b. Polychrome Style
During the early stages of migration,
some of the Germanic tribes that were
moving developed the polychrome style
of painting.
The Germanic tribes, who were
originating from Eastern Europe and had
been exposed to Asian art as well, are
thought to be the ancestors of this style.
The polychrome style, which involved
employing stone artifacts and lavishly
embellishing them with precious stones,
was most prominently used by Germanic
Goths.
As the Goths invaded Spain and Italy in
Western Europe, they brought the art
form with them. During the fifth century,
most of Western Europe's Germanic
tribes were using the polychrome style.
IMG 5.
4. Sutton Hoo Helmet
IMG 6. Sutton Hoo Helmet
c. Animal Style
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directly influenced by the art forms of Eurasian steppes particularly used animal motifs
such as carvings of different animals and small metal sculptures depicting animals in
different poses.During the migration period, the Germanic tribes carried this art form to
Northern and Eastern Europe including England and Scandinavia.
3. Byzantine art
a. Overview
most profound Byzantine art characteristics was the translation of church theology into
artistic forms such as sculptures, mosaics, and paintings.
These art pieces were produced in such rigid tradition that resulted in a highly sophisticated
artistic style, which had remained unequaled in Western art.
However, Byzantine art was highly marked by the revivals of classical aesthetics. Art
historians believed that it was influenced by new modern aesthetics later on.
Other art historians also believed that this was a result of the empire's economic structure
where the wealth of the empire was concentrated only in the hands of the church and the
imperial government, which may be true at the time since the emperor of Byzantine acted
as the head of the church and the state.
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c. Byzantine Mosaics
A long-standing mosaic making
tradition was passed down to the
Byzantine empire. Early forms of this
type of art were highly successful in
Alexandria and Antioch before
spreading to the Mediterranean, Italy,
and Russia after Constantinople.
Style, culture, and, most significantly,
religion were all present in Byzantine
mosaics. These had a big impact on
Western art.
Despite the fact that mosaics had
usually appeared and expanded
throughout many historical eras, Byzantine mosaics rose to prominence as the primary
pictorial art form from the 4th through the 14th centuries.
Mosaic as an art was not totally an unknown medium before the Byzantine empire began.
In fact, it had been embraced by the Greeks and Romans as a means of decorating surfaces
that were unsuitable for painting.
Mosaic had become a structural part of the wall. Christian artists took this given
opportunity with utmost significance and took it as a perfect vehicle for visual symbolism.
Byzantine religious art and mosaic were exhibited throughout Europe. This has brought
about Byzantine iconography which referred to the distinct style in most Eastern Orthodox
religious images.
4. Insular art
a. Overview
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Insular art refers to the style of art which developed in the British Isles from the late 5th to
8th centuries. During this period, the art of the British Isles at large shared many common
stylistic features.
Insular art evolved directly from the fusion of Anglo-Saxon and Celtic styles of art. Anglo-
Saxons arrived at the British Isles in the 5th century while still being pagan Germanic
tribes.
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After a flurry of rapid activity and the production of many rich pieces of Insular art in the
8th century, the style declined with the beginning of Viking raids on the British Isles.
These manuscripts were typically produced by the monks at the Christian monasteries
situated all over the British Isles by the 7th century.
Some of the most notable examples of illuminated manuscripts in this style include the
Book of Kells, Lindisfarne Gospels, and the Book of Durrow.
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Many rare pieces of metalwork done in the Insular style survive to this day. Most notably,
these include the brooches dating from the 5th to 10th centuries. The brooches of the period
are marked for being exceptionally durable and very high quality.
Precious stones and embellishing elements such as colored glass were used to decorate
Insular metalwork. Surviving pieces of Insular metalwork include a large variety of
brooches, church relics such as chalices, and secular jewelry commissioned by wealthy
noblemen.
Another notable medium of the Insular style was religious sculpture. Sculpture became a
popular medium of Insular art only from the 7th century to the 10th century.
During this period, a huge number of highly intricate, elaborately carved, and sculpted
stone crosses were erected all over the British Isles.
Notable features of these crosses included geometrical decorations, the use of carved
foliage, sculpted figures and images related to Biblical themes, and typically, a scene of
crucifixion at the center of the cross.
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5. Romanesque art
a. Overview
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design in their Romanesque art. They used a variety of materials which included metal,
enamels, and ivories.
The period is important to the Romanesque period, basically because it is in this era
whereby the artist borrowed the concepts of representing the human figure in art form.
Ottonian periods date back to 932 during the reign of the first three Holy Roman Emperors
of the Ottonian Dynasty. The period is mainly associated with most of the illuminated
manuscripts that were very brightly colored.
Romanesque art dates back to approximately c. 1000 until the rise of the Gothic art style.
The art was widely used by Early Catholic Christians who saw the importance of depicting
the scenes of the bible and human figures in the form of statues.
The art is said to have developed from the two periods, namely the Carolingian and
Ottonian periods. Many concepts used in this art were borrowed from the two predecessor
periods. This includes materials used, art carving mode, and even patronage.
Romanesque Art is characterized by its beautiful style in both painting and sculpture. It is
well represented in the iconic models such as Christ in majesty, scenes from the life of
Christ, and the Last Judgment.
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The colored décor was also in capital columns that were exciting and showed great prowess
and mastery of the design. The art was completed with scenes of several carved figures. At
the start of the period was the use of a large wooden crucifix which is a German innovation.
A good example of the use of this art is the statue of the enthroned Madonna which is one
of the best statues showing the sculptural mode of the period.
Compositions had a shallow depth and were flexible so that the historical initials could be
squeezed into shapes. The church tympanums and columns capital was created in this
manner.
d. Romanesque Artists
The artists of the period were greatly known and appreciated by society. The iconography
was arrived at after a thorough meeting by the leaders and the patrons of the time.
It took years of experience for the kings and leaders of the time to award an artist a contract
to depict a scene in the Romanesque style.
One of the most famous artists of the Romanesque period is Nicholas of Verdun (1130-
1205). He was a French artist who is famous for his expertise in goldsmiths and enamel
carving.
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Artists with great experience carried out mosaic-style art. He created figurines, shrines, and
candlesticks decorated with precious stones (Myers and cobblestone)
Master Hugo’s works span from 1136 to after 1148. He is famous for illuminating the Bury
Bible and making bronze doors.
It is believed that the bronze doors for the western entry of the Abbey church, the great bell,
and the carved crucifix with the figures of Mary and Saint John are part of his works.
Finally, he created the ivory of Cloisters cross which presently resides at Cloisters in New
York.
Another famous artist is Gislebertus who was active in the 12th century. He was a French
artist who had great expertise in sculpting. Some of his great works and decorations include
the Cathedral of Saint Lazare in Autun, France.
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Most Romanesque artworks by famous artists exist today and are scattered all over Europe
and the USA. The most valuable ones are kept in museums for safekeeping and to be
studied by historians.
The icons include the Carving from Maria Laach Abbey, in the Eifel, Rhineland, scenes
found on capitals depicting the creation and fall of man.
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The other episodes in the Old Testament such as Jonah and the whale, and Daniel in the
lion’s den are also part of this iconic art.
The theme of the three kings is well known in Romanesque art. The cloisters of the Santo
Domingo de Silos Abbey are found in Northern Spain.
The doors and walls of catholic churches also portray the icons as seen in the Angouleme
Cathedral in France and Catalonia and Lastly, the pictorial schemes in the door of the
church of Santa Maria at Ripoll.
6. Gothic Art
a. Overview
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Gothic art was a style of medieval art, it emerged in Northern France and it preceded
Romanesque art in the early 12th century. However, it later spread to other parts of Western
Europe rapidly.
The easily noticeable changes in architecture from Romanesque to Gothic, and vice-versa
are usually used to describe the periods in art in all media.
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During the early Gothic period, Christianity was on its evolving stage, art was therefore
created to explain and enhance religion. Due to the high levels of illiteracy, paintings and
sculptures were used as tools for teaching and promoting Christianity.
The changes in art were evident in most early Gothic Art through the outstanding Gothic
Cathedrals built all over Europe. 1140 became the outset of Early Gothic art on the walls of
the “Basilica of St. Denis,” Paris.
The most famous artistic cathedrals were located in Northern France in the cities of
“Amiens” and “Reims.” Early Gothic Architecture followed the style of tall and light
buildings, flying buttresses, pointed arches, and glazed windows.
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During the late 14th century, the blending of Italian and Northern European art led to the
strengthening of the International Gothic Style.
Throughout this period, most artists from France and Italy traveled across Europe
dispersing artistic ideas in Italy, France, Germany, England, Bohemia, and Austria.
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This style of art had a courtly, noble zest, filled with Flemish anxiety for naturalistic ideas.
Unlike the components that made up Early Gothic Art, this developed style had a
distinctive unified look.
The Medieval era of the late Middle Ages saw the development of Gothic Art and major
improvements in art skills during Medieval Times. During this era, most artists broke away
from the inspirations of Romanesque art and Byzantine Art styles.
By the 14th century, Gothic art had advanced towards a more natural and secular style
referred to as International Gothic.
Gothic artists were the founders of the movement that aimed toward greater realism which
ended in the Renaissance art style. Gothic art was mainly practiced in four primary types
which include:
● Stained glass
● Manuscript illumination
● Frescos
● Panel paintings
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