Medieval Art 5c-15c

The Middle Ages followed the fall of the

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

WATCH ME!

Lets get it straight, shall

we?
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.

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

Students should be able to identify the two styles below.

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.

Difference between Romanesque and Gothic Artchitecture Video

Byzantin
e
Hagia Sofia,
(eye-ya SOfia)Turkey &
St. Catherines
Monestary,
Egypt

Gothic

St. Patricks,

NYC
St. Patrick's Cathedral Tour

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 Ages

5th 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

Art of the Early

Middle Ages

Justinian as world conqueror

(Barberini Ivory)
mid-6th century
ivory
1 ft. 1 1/2 in. x 10 1/2 in.

Christ enthroned with Saints

(Harbaville Triptych)
ca. 950 , ivory, 9 1/2 in. x 5 1/2 in. high

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

San Vitale
Ravenna, Italy
526-547

San Vitale
Ravenna, Italy
526-547

Theodora and attendants , south wall apse

mosaic, San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy
ca. 547, mosaic

The Art of Illumination

Illuminated letter PPT by Amy Bruce
Importance of Illuminated Manuscripts
1 - Structure of a Medieval manus
cript
2Making manuscripts

Ninth Century
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.

High Middle Ages

10th -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

Gerona Bible Master, Bologna, Italy, 1285

Historiated initial R from the

frontispiece of a 12thcentury manuscript of St.
Gregory's Moralia in Job,
Dijon, Bible

Late Middle Ages

14-15c (c. 13011500).
Great Famine of 13151317 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 idealsturning 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 century
tempera, linen and silver on wood
3 ft. 1/4 in. x 2 ft. 2 1/2 in.

Madonna from the

Annunciation, 1340-1344
Simone Martini, c.12841344
Tempera on panel

Late 1400s mural - dawning on realistic representations

and attempt at perspective

Byzantine Empire
aka 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 Ottomanand 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
empire
How
the Religious
Icons were made in 2
MINUTES!

Hagia
Sophia

***Known as one of the

grandest examples of
Byzantine Architecture.

Rick Steven's Hagia Sophia

A view of the DOME

Hagia Sophia
Constantinpole, (Istanbul), Turkey
532-537

Monastery of St. Catherine

Mount Sinai, Egypt, 6c.

Getty Images of St. Catherines start at 2min

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

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.

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 mid10th11th century
Byzantine; Probably made in
Constantinople
Ivory; 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 14401450s. 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

References

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