Medieval Art 5c-15cThe Middle Ages followed the fall of the

Roman Empire in the 5th century and merged into the Renaissance.

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The Middle Ages refers to the time period between the 5th and 15th centuries

Medieval is an adjective that is used to refer to the people, places, things, and events of that same period.

Let’s get it straight, shall we?

It is correct to say medieval furniture, medieval art, medieval philosophy, medieval history, or medieval scholar

It is not correct to say Middle Ages furniture, Middle Ages art, Middle Ages philosophy, Middle Ages history, or Middle Ages scholar.

The Middle Ages can be broken up into several time periods…we will be looking at the Medieval Art and Architecture of…

•Early, high and Late Middle Ages in Europe• Religious Icons• Romanesque Art/Architecture• Gothic Architecture

•Byzantine Empire • Religious Icons• Byzantine Architecture

@ Beginning of Middle Ages

Medieval Churches & Monestaries

Difference between Romanesque and Gothic Artchitecture Video

Romanesque structures featured round arches and heavy thick walls, small windows like the Roman style

(necessary so the windows do not weaken the structure). A lot of sculptural decorations.

Gothic structures featured pointed arches and have slender feel as if they soar upward (to Heaven), large stained

glass windows filtered in light and color.

Byzantine structures featured large Domes that cover soaring spaces, arches and lavish decoration.

Students should be able to identify the two styles below.

St. Patrick's Cathedral Tour

Byzantine

Hagia Sofia, (eye-ya SO-fia)Turkey &St. Catherines Monestary, Egypt

Gothic – St. Patricks, NYC

Romanesque –St. Vitale, Revenna, Italy

Characteristics of Medieval Art

• Rich colors• Heavily outlined• Flat and stiff figures showing no depth• Religious Icons • Architecture is influenced by Greek and

Roman – Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic styles emerged from this period.

• Mosaics replaced carved decoration• Large Domes central to the church

Early Middle Ages5th century– 10c

• Also called the “Dark Ages”– Characterized by decline in population, culture,

trade, architectural and technological advances. – Christianization “age of Faith” influenced art and

architecture– Monestaries and churches grew in number, size

and political importance– Focus on Europe - Romanesque Architecture – 6c -10c

Justinian as world conqueror (Barberini Ivory)

mid-6th centuryivory1 ft. 1 1/2 in. x 10 1/2 in.

Art of the Early Middle Ages

Christ enthroned with Saints(Harbaville Triptych)

ca. 950 , ivory, 9 1/2 in. x 5 1/2 in. high

San Vitale

Ravenna, Italy

526-547

Romanesque Architecture-Thick walls-Semi circular Arches -Heavy in visual weight

San Vitale

Ravenna, Italy

526-547

Theodora and attendants , south wall apse mosaic, San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy

ca. 547, mosaic

The Art of Illumination

1 - Structure of a Medieval manuscript 2- Making manuscripts

Importance of Illuminated Manuscripts

Illuminated letter PPT by Amy Bruce

Ireland's Book of Kells, the most

beautiful illuminated manuscript that

survives from the early Middle Ages. It consists of four Gospels

written in Latin. Only two of its 680 pages are

without color.

Ninth Century

High Middle Ages10th -13th century (c.1001-1300)

• Rapidly increasing population = boost in economy and political organization

• The Rise of Knighthood, Templar Knights …

• The Crusades –control of the Holy Land• Produced many forms of artistic works

– Most notable - Gothic Architecture

Glass Window from Troyes Cathedral, Troyes, France - 1200

Historiated initial R from the frontispiece of a 12th-century manuscript of St. Gregory's Moralia in Job, Dijon, Bible

Gerona Bible Master, Bologna, Italy, 1285

Late Middle Ages14-15c (c. 1301–1500).

• Great Famine of 1315–1317 and the Black Death, reduced population by half!

• Social unrest, peasant uprisings, Hundred Years War

• Conflict within Catholic Church• Despite conflict and unrest it was a time of

great progress! A resurgence of interest in Greek/Roman ideals…turning into the “Age of Discovery” and then Renaissance

One of the finest examples of gothic architecture and most well known churches in the world – Notre Dame de Paris

• First to use Flying Buttresses (Arched exterior support system to accommodate higher and thinner walls)

• Famous for the use of water spouts, or gargoyles

• Completed in 1345• The “rose window” contains symbolism

– center is blessed virgin mary and child who are surrounded by prophets and saints.

Christ as Savior of Souls,

early 14th centurytempera, linen and silver on wood3 ft. 1/4 in. x 2 ft. 2 1/2 in.

Madonna from the Annunciation, 1340-1344 Simone Martini, c.1284-1344 Tempera on panel

Late 1400’s mural - dawning on realistic representations and attempt at perspective

Byzantine Empireaka Early Christian Art

3c - 1453• Byzantine Empire – capital city of Constantinople (modern day Turkey)• Series of Monasteries were built on various sites sacred to religious events• Most prosperous and powerful empire in the world during the empire (which fell

to the Ottoman…and the Byz art and culture disappeared)• Architecture has some Near Eastern influence

Byzantine Art• Mostly Religious Icons• Used Ivory and Gold to

show the strength and power of the empireHow the Religious Icons were made in 2

MINUTES!

Hagia Sophia

***Known as one of the grandest examples of Byzantine Architecture.

A view of the DOME

Hagia Sophia

Constantinpole, (Istanbul), Turkey

532-537

Rick Steven's Hagia Sophia

Monastery of St. Catherine Mount Sinai, Egypt, 6c.

Getty Images of St. Catherines start at 2min

• Oldest known monastery• Mt. Sinai in the Sinai peninsula, the peak where Moses received the Ten

Commandments• Due to Isolation, the Monks devoted much time to develop art which they

believed showed their devotion to God.• The monastery has one of the largest collections of ancient illuminated

manuscripts in the world, as well as one of the most important collections of Religious icons, or paintings of important religious events.

Transfiguration of Jesusapse mosaic, Church of the Virgin, Monastery of Saint Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt, ca. 565, mosaic

6th or 7th century Icon of Jesus and an abbot shares in the anti-realist style of Byzantine iconic art, Monastery of Saint Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt

The Enthroned Virgin and Child with Saints and Angels, 6th century,

perhaps the earliest iconic image of the subject to survive at Monastery of Saint Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt

Christ the Savior (Pantokrator), a 6th-century encaustic icon

Other Byzantine Art

Icon with the Virgin and Child, carved mid–10th–11th centuryByzantine; Probably made in ConstantinopleIvory; 9 3/16 x 2 3/4 x 1/2 in

St. Catherine Wall Painting, Chapel of St. Nicholas, Pendali, Greece, 12c

This ICON is believed to have originated in Tuscany c. 1300, and influenced a wide number of paintings from the following century as well as Florentine sculptures from the 1440–1450s. This version was in turn widely copied across Italy and northern Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries – THIS WORK SERVED

AS A BRIDGE FROM BYZANTINE TO EARLY RENAISSANCE

Review Characteristics of Medieval and Byzantine

Art • Rich colors• Heavily outlined• Flat and stiff figures showing no depth• Religious Icons • Architecture is influenced by Greek and Roman

- Romanesque and Gothic • Mosaics replaced carved decoration• Large Domes central to the church

http://victoriarestrepo.com/2013/06/04/art-history-for-kids-byzantine-art/

References