DARK AGES
1. What are the important dates and happenings of this era?
2. How did the two Roman empires influence art, culture, and religion?
3. What innovation could possibly come from “dark ages” art?
4. What art forms were important in this era?
5. What does Early Christian church architecture look like?
6. What does Byzantine architecture look like?
7. What is Islamic style?
8. Where does church music come from?
9. What are the major ideas to influence this period?
10. Where do we see these ideas today?
1. What are the important dates/ happenings of this period
0
(around) birth of Jesus
30
(around) death of Jesus
65
(around) the first gospel is written (Mark)
100
(around) Paul’s letters
200 - 313
on and off Christian persecution
use of catacombs for worship and burial
313
Edict of Milan gives Roman citizens religious freedom
allows for official building projects
324
Constantinople founded
325
Nicean Council solidifies Christian “rules”
395
women’s role in church defined
400
(around) “Pope”
Capitol moves to Ravenna
410 – 476
Fall of Rome/ descent into Dark Ages
600
Pope Gregory’s musical collection
610
Birth of Islam
800
Coronation of Charlemagne
begins ascent into medieval period
2. How did the 2 Roman Empires influence art, culture, and religion?
• The break of the two empires signals the start of new traditions and emphases
• Former Western Empire (France, Switzerland, Germany, Yugoslavia, Britain,
Northern Italy, etc) we call ___________________________
• Former Eastern Empire (Turkey, Southern Italy, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, etc)
we call _________________________________
• Both use Roman styles and adopt local and regional styles
• Western Empire becomes Roman Catholic
• Eastern Empire becomes Eastern Orthodox
3. What innovation could possibly come from “Dark Ages” art?
Problem: How do you show abstractions -- Eucharist, soul, trinity, holy spirit, etc -to a non-literate populace?
Solution:
a. good shepherd/ sheep
b. dove
c. peacock
d. chrismon/ chi rho
e. vine
f. alpha/ omega
g. mandorla
h. cross
i. stories/ “protagonists” through symbols
4.
What art forms are important to the era?
a. Sculpture -- moves to low status
b. Sarcophagi
c. Mosaics
tesserae
d. Objects of Worship
Bible covers
Reliquaries
Chalice
Paten
e. Illuminated Manuscripts
Book of Kells, best example
Chi Rho page
f. Cathedra
Archbishop’s throne
Archbishop’s church
Ex cathedra
See
See
5.
What does Early Christian architecture look like?
Development of the church comes from the Roman basilica
Men and women on separate sides of church
St. Apollinaire Nuovo
Note: Wooden roofs
St. Peter’s in Rome
Built over Peter’s tomb
Largest early Christian church
Latin Cross shape
6. What does Byzantine architecture look like?
The central type church
Dome
Prothesis
bread and wine
Diakonikon objects
Pendentive
Squinch
groin vault, dome topped
flat roof, 8 lintels
Matroneum
Baptistries
balcony for women
modeled after Roman bath, octagonal, small
A terrific example -- Hagia Sophia – 532
7. What is Islamic style?
610 – Mohammed’s vision
Spread of Islam is very speedy
Major Conquests of North Africa (600) and Spain (750)
Islamic style is born of the Byzantine
Characteristics:
large domes
minarets
use of geometric/ repetitive art (Arabesque)
decorative Arabic calligraphy
symmetry
bright color
focus on interior
Earliest example --
the Dome of the Rock, 691
Moorish Islamic --
the Great Mosque of Cordova
Alhambra
Mughal Islamic -
Taj Mahal
Mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal
Perfect symmetry, four identical facades, except for Shah Jahan’s
tomb
Symbolic of femininity
8. Where does church music come from?
• liturgical music = music of the liturgy
• first great collection of liturgical music by Pope Gregory
• Gregory the Great, 590-604
• Benedictine monks collected chants from 54 to 600
• Greek, Hebrew, Latin, arranged systematically
• Monks then took them on missionary trips
• How to denote music?
• Monophony, unison
• Cadenza -- one syllable over many notes
• Plainsong, plainchant, Gregorian chant
• Antiphonal psalm -- two choruses alternate for a verse, join for alleluia
• Responsorial psalm – 1 cantor, chorus in response
• Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy)
• O Felix Anima (O happy spirit)
9. What are the major ideas governing this period?
A. Authoritarianism -- unquestioning obedience to authority
Church authority
God’s hierarchy = Life’s hierarchy
Architectural ideas
Artistic ideas
B. Mysticism -- a belief in the existence of realities beyond what we can
perceive or understand.
10. Where do we see these ideas today?