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Medieval (500-1500 A.D.) andRomanesque Art (1000-1200 A.D.)
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire,Europe entered into a period known as the DarkDarkAgesAges. Much of the advancements fostered byRoman ingenuity disappeared.
The disintegration of the Roman Empire alsobrought about the loss of thousands of booksgathered from the great ancient civilizations likethat of Greece. Libraries that contained thewisdom of the ages were abandoned, destroyed orsimply left to ruin.
Many of the works that filled these librariesdisappeared for always, and only few books werepreserved by being laboriously hand copied byeducated monks & priests. If not for thesemedieval scribes, the light of ancient knowledgewould have been extinguished forever.
This was known as the ILLUMINATEDMANUSCRIPT and became a major art form of theearly medieval era.
The Dark AgesAlthough this was a dark 0me, many important features of themodern world were born:
• Parliamentary government
• Common Law
• Present-‐day languages
• Modern na0on-‐states
This era was also known as the Age of Faith because people were fixatedon one important goal: prepara0on for eternal life and death.
The church was the most powerful influence since the collapse of theRoman Empire. Almost everyone was born into faith and all wereexpected to place loyalty to the Church above everything else.
The Periods of the Middle AgesThe Middle Ages can be broken down into the followingeras
• Early Medieval (500-‐1500 A.D.)
• Romanesque (1000-‐1200 A.D.)
• Gothic (1150-‐1500 A.D.)
The Role of CharlemagneCharles the Great or Charlemagne wascrowned emperor by the pope on ChristmasDay in the year 800 A.D. Under his reign anefficient government and remarkable levelof law and order was witnessed.
Beyond this he was known for encouraginglearning and the arts. He is also responsiblefor the preserva0on of ancient manuscripts.It is because of him that we have access toold texts.
This strong government however endedshortly aYer his death in 814 AD, returningwestern Europe to the shambles it wasbefore.
Equestrian Statuette of Charlemagne.Circa 800 A.D., bronze.
Sculpture, 9.5 x 6.75 x 3.75”Louvre, Paris, France
Palace-Chapel ofCharlemagne792-805 A.D.Aachen, GermanyFasioned after St. Vitale,Ravenna, Italy
The Rise of FeudalismFEUDALISM was a system in which weaknoblemen gave up their lands and much of theirfreedom to more powerful lords in return forprotec0on. The former owner could remain onthe land as his administrator or vessel (servant).
Those who did not have land to give were knownas SERFS, poor peasants who worked the landand were handed over with it.Not only was he a great emperor but heencouraged learning and the arts more thananyone before him. His most importantachievement however was the preserva0onof ancient manuscripts.
Unfortunately aYer his death, his stronggovernment system collapsed. Leading to aneed for protec0on and the forma0on ofthe governmental system known asFEUDALISM.
Equestrian Statuette of Charlemagne. Circa800 A.D., bronze.Sculpture, 9.5 x 6.75 x 3.75”Louvre, Paris, France
Church DesignSimilar to the designs we saw throughout theearly Chris0an & Byzan0ne style, Medievalchurches were built using Roman models. Herewe see a con0nua0on of the civic Basilica as themost popular type of structure for religiouspurposes.
The Basilica featured a rectangular plan whichwas divided on the inside to form a nave (longcentral hallway), and two or more side aisles.Windows located high on the walls of the navelit the interior of the building.
On one end of the nave was the entrance, at theopposite end was a semicircular area known asthe apse where the alter was placed.
Medieval Basilica Plan
Changes in Church DesignDuring Charlemagne’s reign, somechurches were built with a TRANSEPT(another aisle that cut directly across thenave and the side aisles). This was placedin front of the apse. From a bird’s eyeview, this addi0on gave the church theshape of the cross.
The transept increased space and gavethe church a symbolic appearance.
We also saw the addi0on of tower whichinfluences church construc0on inWestern Europe for centuries. Mostchurches however, during this 0me weremade from 0mber most of which weredestroyed by accidental fires.
Early Romanesque church ofSan ClementeTabull, SpainShowing detached bell tower
Monasteries
Prac0cing art during this 0me became a strong focus for manypeople, mostly monks. MONASTICISM refers to the way of life inwhich individuals gather together to spend their days in prayer andself-‐denial.
Monks built their monasteries in remote loca0ons, oYen in deepforests or in the mountains. The MONASTERY OF SAN JUAN DE LAPENA is one of few of these remaining and is located in the foothillsof Pyrenees, Spain. These are now ruins that are over 1000 yearsold.
Monastery of San Juan de la Penacirca 922
MonasteriesARCHITECTURE
The exterior of the monastery has thelook of a fortress with thick stonewalls and small windows. Theinterior of the building is dark anddamp, walls marked with smokestains from torches that were usedfor light.
The interior housed a CLOISTER (anopen court or garden and the coveredwalkway surrounding it). Mostprayer and contempla0on prac0ceswere done in this area of the building.
Example of a monastery plan
Illuminated ManuscriptThe Illuminated Manuscript is ahandwriden book with pictures anddecora0on painted or drawn in goldgold &silversilver leaf & bright colorsbright colors. This illuminated,or lit up, the page (hence its name).
Except for wall frescos illumina0ons werethe only other form of pain0ng in medieval0mes (up to 13th century).
As paper was not invented un0l the 12thcentury, vellumvellum (parchment made fromthinly scraped calf, goat or sheep skin) wasused for the pages or leaves ofmanuscripts.
Illuminated pageBOOK OF KELLSRepresenting the fourEvangelists/gospelwriters:
St. Matthew = Angel
St. Mark = Lion
St. Luke = Ox
St. John = Eagle
A calligrapher or scribewould copy the text on theparchment with a reed orquill pen. As most of theEuropean popula0on wasilliterate, it fell to thereligious orders to preservewriden knowledge.
Illuminated ManuscriptManuscripts con0nued to be illustrated withpain0ngs and drawings in the Middle Ages, butillumina0onillumina0on was further extended to theornamenta0on of the text through the use ofini0al ledersini0al leders that were oversized and lavishlydecorated, and through the framing of text andwith elaborate decora0ve borders.
The produc0on of medieval manuscripts becamea func0on of the Chris0an church by the 7thcentury and was carried out for the most part inmonasteries un0l the 13th century, when it wastaken over by secular (non-‐religious) scribes andar0sts working for book dealers or individualpatrons like the nobility & wealthy merchants.
Illuminated ManuscriptST. MATTHEW, FROM THE GOSPEL BOOK OFARCHBISHOP EBBO OF REIMSCIRCA 830APPROX. 10 X 8”EPERNAY, FRANCE
This work focuses on depic0ng movement.The drapery swirls around the figure, whilesketchy lines behind seem to push upward.This mo0on underscores Madhew’sexcitement as he works furiously at themoment of inspira0on to record the sacredmessage.
His wide-‐open eyes, furrowed brow andrumpled hair indicate his intenseconcentra0on. His huge, clumsy hand guidesthe pen rapidly across the pages.
It is Madhew’s responsibility to pass thesewords on to the world. His expression andac0ons show that he is painfully aware of thisresponsibility.
Relief CarvingsADAM AND EVE EATING THE FORBIDDEN FRUITRELIEF CARVING ON A CAPTIAL FROM THE CLOISTERSANTES CREUS MONASTERY12TH CENTURYTARRAGONA, SPAIN
Here we see a depic0on from the story of Adam and Eve. An angel is seendriving them away from the garden of paradise.
IN CONCLUSIONThe Church was the center for art and learning as well as religion during theMedieval Times. It favored art that could teach and inspire the people of theirfaith. The wriden por0ons of manuscripts were meant for the few people whocould read, whereas the illustra0ons were intended for those who could not.The messages presented in the illustra0ons had to be simple and familiar soeveryone could understand them.
The pictures oYen told the same Scripture stories that the people heard everySunday in church sermons. These stories were also expressed in carvings andrelief sculptures.