Roman Empire (decline of power)

- left a legacy of classical art - A pagan civilization - adopted christianity as it's official religion in 4th century A.D.

Significant historical events to the fall of the Roman Empire

- emperor Constantine's edict of toleration in 313 A.D. that led to the declaration of - Emperor Theodosius I to make christianity the official religion of the Empire in 365 A.D. - constantine transferred the seat of the Empire from Rome to Byzantium, which he later named constantinople.

Medieval Period (introduction)

- the medieval period is best explained by the overwhelming power of the church, with the church and catholicism influencing every major aspect of art and its creation. - various oriental elements enriched classical art; however overpowering intolerance of the church and other ideologies, including Islam, which controlled artistic output, gave Medieval Art it's didactic quality. - marauding tribes - new age of artistic expression - Christians hid in catacombs for their worship. - Christians took over after constantine's edict. - Barbarian invasions during the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. infused a new blood in the tired cultures of the west. These barbarians include: * Gauis (Celts) * Saxons * Lombards stayed in italy * Goths settled in spain, italy, byzantium (istanbul,turkey) - byzantium mosaics and stained glass windows have strong oriental influences taken from the greeks and the syrians. - when Rome disappeared, the Church took over Roman authority.

" - 1400

) The Medieval Period

- with the decline in the power of the Roman Empire, Rome's territories fell to marauding tribes. - The Roman defeat ushered a new age of artistic expressions. - Cultural activities during these times paled in comparison to the dynamic Graeco-Roman Age (middle ages) because it was wedged between two relatively progressive ages: * Age of Classicism *Renaissance many refer to this age as the Dark Ages .

Four Artistic Periods

1. Early Christian Art
- these are art works and architecture produced for the christian church between the 3rd and 7th centuries. Most of the early representatives in painting and sculpture were derived from Roman art, appropriately stylized to suit the spirituality of the religion.
Painting: - since early christians were persecuted, they worshipped in secret hiding places in underground catacombs and they decorate the catacomb walls with frescoes and mosaics with subjects of the life of Christ and that portrayed persecution of their like and kin. This art showed no aversion from imagery, but it was opposed to the representation of God. Tha earliest paintings favored the symbolic and allegorical. The most common themes were the famous symbols of christian worship: cross, fish, lamb, doves, grapes, alpha, omega. Examples: - Hercules killing the serpent

Sculpture :
the sculptures of the period copied from their pagan counterparts. - Free-standing sculpture was rare. - The catacombs were decorated chiefly with paintings and stucco
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reliefs. Examples: marble sarcophagus of Junius Bassus in Rome Helena and Constantia

Architecture :
early christian architecture developed only at the end of the era of christian persecution. Buildings were of two types, the longitudinal hall or basilica and the centralized building frequently a baptistery or mausoleum. Examples: Church of Sant' Apollinare in Ravenna Church of Sabina in Rome Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy

 2. Byzantine Art
constantine had contributed to a great territorial division by founding a new capital on 313 A.D. at Byzantium (now Istanbul), renamed Constantinople. Christian art in 726 went through a redoubtable crisis at Byzantium in connection with the ascetic heresy of the image-breakers, called the Iconoloclasts. Many Byzantine artists fled to the West, taking with them the Byzantine style.
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Architecture :
the distinctive feature of Byzantine architecture is the dome built on a square ground plan. The greatest of the Byzantine churches is the Hagia Sophia (the church of wisodm) between 532 and 562 A.D. in constantinople which later became a mosque. This has been a Turkish mosque since 1453.

Painting and Mosaic :

mosaics were the favored medium for the interior adornment of Byzantine churches. the small cubes, or tesserae, that composed mosaics were made of colored glass or enamels or were overlaid with gold leaf. Painting of religious images was acceptable only through abstraction. Examples: The procession of the Martyrd Saints The separation of the Goats from the Sheep
Empress Theodora

the year 476 A.D. symbolically marks the fall of the Roman Empire when the barbarian tribes from the north surged into the empire. The period of strife and political instability following the collapse of the Roman Empire is known as The Dark Ages. Later there was a gradual fusion of people once dominated by Rome with the barbarian invaders. When the process of fusion was completed Romanesque Art blossomed.

Painting and Mosaic:

examples of romanesque paintings include the decoration of architectural members, such as columns, with abstract patterns, and the decoration of walls with representations of hanging fabrics. Pictorial compositions, particularly narrative scenes illustrating the Bible and the lives of the saints. Mosaic, even more than painting was predominantly a Byzantine medium and was used extensively in architectural decoration in the Italian Romanesque churches.

Examples: Temptation of Adam (fresco) The Mouth of Hell (mosaic) The Bayeaux Tapestry Architecture:

Romanesque art is often associated with the architectural style of the period. Strong castle fortresses were built by the Lords for defense against attacks of roving marauders. Castles were both dwelling places and fortifications. They were the homes of the knights, whose job was to defend the territory where their lords lived. Churches were typically basilican with semicircular arches, massive walls pierced by small windows, dark interiors, and flat, simple, masculine-looking facade. Examples: The Dover Castle by William the Conqueror Sant' Ambrozio in Milan

Gothic Art
-it was the beginning of a split between the Church and the Holy Roman Empire due to the quarrels between the popes and the Holy Roman Emperors. Revival of exchange and trade replaced the stagnant state of both the economy and society typical of the feudal world. A new social class, the bourgeoisie came to power, rapidly growing in wealth as a result of the growing economic prosperity in towns and cities. Painting: - beginning in Paris in the 1370s and continuing until about 1400 at the court of France, Duc de Berry, the manuscript illuminators of the International Gothic style. - Even though the International style is sometimes decscribed as Gothic, it nevertheless lies beyond the boundaries of the Gothic period itself, which by defintion is also medieval. Examples: Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry Sculpture and Architecture: sculpture and architecture were in close alliance. The interiors of cathedrals were decorated with sculpted rows of holy figures and facades featured of the Saints an other biblical personages. Examples: The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Rheims Gothic Architecture is characterized by a pointed arch, flying buttresses, disappearance of walls,and extensive use of glass. Examples: The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Amiens and Paris Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.

Renaissance
Renaissance, which literally means rebirth, refers to the renewed interest in learning that began in Italy in the 14th century. During this period, there was an avid interest in study of classical antiquity, an interst that contrasted with the attitudes during the previous medieval period. This age opened new perspectives in the empirical observation of the world. This empricism ushered in a secular view of reality and posted Man as the central figure in Life and in Art.

In Renaissance, the artist needed to be recognized. During Renaissance, Patronage of the arts dictated a condition where paintings became portable, or atleast less bulky than the grand religious frescoes. Painting: became the most popular art form. Linear and Aerial perspective were used to create space. Examples: Flight into Egypt by Giotto Madonna and Child by Fra Filippo Lippi Expulsion from Paradise by Massacio Birth of Venus by Sandro Boticelli The last Supper by Lenardo da Vinci Sistine Ceiling by Michelangelo Sculpture: relief and free-standing were forms of sculpture during this period. Examples: Bronze Doors of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti

Bronze Doors of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti David by Donatello Pieta and David by Michelangelo

Architecture: in Renaissance architecture the cathedral, or temple, is no longer the typical building; secular architecture comes to the fore, as in Roman times. Renaissance buildings adapted Roman elements like columns and pilasters, arches, vaults, and domes. The renaissance structures followed closely tha principles of symmetry and proportion capturing the ideas of harmony that classical designs espoused. Examples: Palace of the Senate at Rome St. Peter's Basilica by Michelangelo Medici-Riccardi by Michelozzo Literature and Music: renaissance music produced songs and madrigals. Vocal music was more important than istrumental music. Polphony (using music that imitated voice) became popular during the Renaissance. Light music such as those for dances were presented in a hormophonic texture. The renaissance produced choral music that did not need instrumental accompaniment, and this age was known as the Golden Age of acapella.

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