Transcript Document
Gardner’s Art Through the Ages,
12e
Chapter 16
Europe After the Fall of Rome:
Early Medieval Art in the West
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Early Medieval Sites in Europe
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Goals
• Understand the distinctive artistic traditions of the
European peoples beyond the Roman Empire.
• Know the different types of art, media, and their
respective cultures.
• Trace influences of medieval art styles.
• Examine the secular and religious architectural forms in
the early middle ages.
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Topics: Chapter 16
Start with chronology: ca 500-1000
An era of fusion of Roman and “barbarian” cultures.
• Art of the Warrior Lords: fibula/purse/Oseberg ship/
stave church. Intertwined animal figures.
• Hiberno-Saxon: illuminated manuscripts/ Celtic
crosses.
• Mozarabic Art: manuscripts
• Carolingian Art: Charlemagne/manuscripts/
architecture
• Ottonian Art: architecture/manuscripts
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Art of the Warrior Lords
• What has survived are small status symbols, such as the
Merovignian looped fibula from Jouy-Le-Comte mid
6th cen. – a decorative pin that goes back to the Romans
& Etruscans. Used
to fasten the
outer garment.
• Patterns adjusted
to shape of the
fibula – zoomorphic
elements are
interwoven.
• Beowolf:
“They bequeathed
the gleaming gold,
of men,
to the earth.”
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Art of the Warrior Lords
Sutton Hoo Cloisonné purse clasp
– ca. 625.
• Cloisonné is French for partitions
-- compartments filled with
various elements, then fired to
melt & blend.
• Between mosaics and stained
glass.
• Figures on purse clasp
are of a man standing
between two beasts.
• Central “interlace”
turn into writhing
animals.
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Art of the Warrior Lords
A Viking ship: The Oseberg ship – ca 825.
• The Vikings terrorized Northern Europe—not just raiders,
but colonized. In 11th cen all on England was part of
Denmark!
• Note the ferocious animal head, itself consisting of
writhing animal forms.
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Art of the Warrior Lords
The stave church [wedge shaped
timbers stacked vertically.]
• Urnes, ca. 1050-1070: example
of Viking designs in a Christian
church.
• Elongated animal forms and
flexible plant stalks.
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Hiberno-Saxon Art: Books
• In 432 St Patrick established a church in Ireland.
– From there the Irish monks developed their own
traditions, spreading them into England and
Scotland.
• The most important artistic activity was in
illuminated manuscripts, including:
– “Bibles” [Old & New Testaments],
“Pentateuchs” [1st 5 books], “Lectionaries”
[readings from the gospels arranged in the order read
during the church year.]
• “Insular” style: centers were at Lindisfarne &
Iona during this period.
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Insular Style
• Book of Durrow, ca 660680, possibly Iona.
• Carpet pages inserted – no
precedent in classical style
for this.
• Also included
large
illuminated
initials
• A marriage
between
Christian and
the animalinterlace style.
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Lindisfarne Gospels
ca. 698-721
.
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Lindisfarne Gospels ca. 698-721
• How are these different from the carpet pages?
– Mediterranean influence: indoors, hint of perspective –
name is in mixture of Greek & Latin.
• Iconography?
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The Book of Kells
“Chi-Ro-Iota” page
th
ca.
. Iona, late 8 or
early 9th cen.
Illuminating the word
• Opening of account of the
nativity in the gospel of
Matthew.
• Chi-Ro-Iota: XPI – initial
letters of “Christ: in Greek.
• “autem” generatio” –
“Now this is how the birth
of Jesus Christ came about”
• Includes animals an male
head as well angels &
abstract patterns.
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The Book of Kells
Above: portrait of John
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Ireland’s High Crosses
High cross of Muirdach,
Ireland -- 923.
• Circle intersecting the
cross identifies it as
“Celtic”
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Kildalton Cross, Islay,
Scotland
• The Kildalton Cross is a
monolithic Celtic cross in the
churchyard of the former
parish church of Kildalton
(Scottish Gaelic: 'Church of the
Foster Son' [ie. St John the
Evangelist]) on the island of
Islay in the Inner Hebrides,
Scotland.
• It was carved probably in the
second half of the 8th century
AD, and is closely related to
crosses of similar date on
Iona.
• It is often considered the finest
surviving 'Celtic' cross in
Scotland.
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Kildalton Cross, Islay, Scotland
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Kildalton Cross,
Islay, Scotland
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Mozarabic Art
Example from Tabara, Spain
– 970
• Picture of a medieval
scriptorium
• Mozarabic – refers to
Christians living in Arab
territories.
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Carolingian Art: Rome rises again
On Christmas Day 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charles the
Great as Emperor of Rome. [King of Franks from 768.]
** First Holy [Christian] Emperor
** Model for equestrian statue was
Marcus Aurelius
** Emperor larger
scale than the horse
** Quiet dignity
replaces earlier
torsion.
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Charlemagne’s Books
• He was admirer of learning, the arts & classical culture.
• Portrait of St Matthew: Charlemagne’s Gospel vs.
Lindisfarne
• A different style: Ebbo Gospel
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Charlemagne’s Books
• Ebbo Gospel
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Psalters & Jewels
• Utrecht Psalter 820-835
• Lindau Gospels, St Gall ca.
870
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Architecture: Palatine Chapel in Aachen
• Charlemagne returned to Roman
building techniques
• Palatine Chapel resembles St. Vitale
in Ravenna – precursor of
Romanesque style.
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Architecture: Palatine Chapel in Aachen
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Gatewaythto Lorsch
– 9 cen.
• Torhalle – throwback to
Roman arches & city gates.
– Composite capitals, imitates
Roman facing techniques –
2nd level is not Roman.
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The Ideal
Monastery:
St Gall, Switzerland
ca. 819
• Benedictine monasteries
important during this
period.
• Focus on rules and
regulations to counter
corruption in the church –
thus the rise of highly
regulated communities, or
abbeys.
• Included all that was
needed for daily & religious
life.
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“Westworks” Towers at the end of churches
• Towers incorporated in
western façade of church.
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Ottonian Art
• Divisions followed the death of
Charlemagne & invasions followed,
breaking up the kingdom.
• The eastern part consolidated
under King Otto in 936.
• The basilica was transformed:
Saint Cyriakus, Gernode, Germany.
• An apse replaced the “westwork”,
but the towers remained.
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Hildesheim
1001-1030
The basilica takes
further form
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Hildesheim 1001-1030
• Alternate support system:
heavy square piers alternate
with columns – creating
vertical units that softened
the horizontal, tunnel feel
of earlier churches.
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Bronze Doors at Hildeheim
• 16 ft high – each panel cast in “lost wax” process.
– Left door:
Book of
Genesis
– Right door:
Life of
Christ
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Bronze Doors at Hildesheim -- 1015
• 16 ft high – each panel cast in “lost wax” process.
– Left door: Book of Genesis
– Right door:
Life of
Christ
– Bishop
Bernward
comissioned
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Bronze Doors at
Hildesheim -1015
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Crucifix – Cologne Cathedral – ca. 870
– Interest in monumental sculpture.
– Close to suffering Jesus of Byzantine era.
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Uta Codex: ca. 1025 [lectionary]
–.
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Reichnau: Bamberger Apocalypse
• From same scriptorium as the Lectionary of Henry II,
pictured in Gardner.
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Compare
Rossano
Lindisfarne
Bamberger
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Discussion Questions
Why is the art of the peoples outside the Roman
Empire significantly different from classical
Roman art and architecture?
Compare the three major manuscript styles that
developed in the middle ages.
What previous styles of art influenced medieval
art?
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