Early

Medieval
Summary
After Christianity had been established as
the official state religion in Rome, it soon
spread throughout the empire, passing
through Germania, Iberia, and into
Britain, where even after the Fall of the
Roman empire, Christianity had prevailed
in these regions. Throughout the period of
the Early Medieval, with Empires rising
and falling, religious proselytization
efforts sweeping through Europe, and the
constant struggle of survival fueled
artistic creation.

Virgin and Child with Saints and Angels

Madonna and Child

EARLY
MEDIEVA
L ART

This work is a Byzantine depiction of the

Madonna with child enthroned, surrounded
by the Saints Theodore and George C. 6th
Century
This work shows influence from Roman
painting, with the modeling of the figures
stances and face, with Byzantium styling
with the flat space with minor shadowing
and the use of the color and space to move
the eyes upward toward the hand of God.
This piece represents early Byzantine
Christianity for its displays the style for later
Madonna enthroned, with the use of the
Nimbus, Color, Placement and Space.

EARLY MEDIEVAL
ART
Jackson B. Bloom
P: A3
5/1/2015

Art throughout the age of

Early Christianity through
the conquest of the
Vikings, and the birth of
an Empire

The Medieval Art

The styles of Medieval art, branch heavily
upon the influence left behind them, with
mixtures of Roman modeling, Native
culture, and that of Religious and Historical
context
Bayeux Tapestry

The voice of the

people is the voice of
God. William of
Malmesbury

Excerpt from the Book of Kells

Book of Kells
This is an Insular Work of the illuminated
title of the Book of Kells, a Latin gospel
book written in Ireland C. 9th Century
This work is an example an Illuminated
manuscript, using vibrant color, design, and
interlace to display the gospel book
This piece represents the stylistic design of
the Illuminated Manuscript, for it uses
vibrant color and design to invoke a formal
majesty in the art and the subject matter

Styles
The styles of the 1000 year Early Medieval
era are best sorted into the time and place, as
the many works produced throughout
Europe incorporated a large amount of their
own culture into the art, and that culture
tends to evolve throughout its lifetime
-

Early Christian & Late Antique:

Italian Peninsula C. 3rd to 6th
century, Earliest example of
surviving Christian art, with
Mystical and Hieratic design
Byzantine: Greek
Peninsula/Northern Arabia C. 5th to
8th century, Conservative religious
art with influence from Greek
tradition
Insular: Ireland & Britain C. 7th to
11th century, Christian art mixing

Bayeux Tapestry
This Work is a woven tapestry representing
the conquest of Duke William the Conqueror
of Normandy, as he invades neighboring
England, depicting that of preparation, to the
invasion, to the battle of Hastings that landed
William on the throne as the pronounced
King of England
This work is an example of Medieval art that
depicts a historical event instead of a
religious one, and following a traditional
style to introduce narrative
This piece represents many of the styles for
Medieval narrative, using a flat design to
move forward chronologically, with
instances of hierarchy of scale to glorify the
subject and the patron