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 periodswe 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

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

Gothic St. Patricks, NYC Romanesque St. Vitale,

Revenna, Italy
St. Patrick's Cathedral Tour
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
 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 manuscript

2- Making manuscripts
 Ninth Century
Ireland's Book of Kells,
the most beautiful
illuminated manuscript
that survives from the
early M iddle 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 12th-century
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.1284-1344
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/2013/06/0
4/art-history-for-kids-byzantine-art/