Medieval Art
Early Medieval Art:
Carolingian Empire –
Charlemagne & relatives, “Carolingian renaissance”
Coronation of Charlemagne, 800 (Pope coronates Charlemagne as Roman Emperor)
Coronation Gospels
Libri Carolini, end of 8th century (pushes education, sciences, poetry, etc.)
St. Matthew the Evangelist, Coronation Gospels, Germany, early 9th century
More of a classical Roman feel – flowy drapery, depth to the face, almost like atmospheric
perspective, dimensionality, Imperial Purple
Jeweled Upper Cover of Lindau Gospels, Switzerland, Abbey of St. Gall, late 9th century,
ca. 880
Triumphant Christ – the figure of Christ looks alive rather than suffering
- Imagining him resurrected, his most human moment is already him being divine
Figure is surrounded by elevated space with arches around him, Roman architectural space
- Protection from smashing Christ against the table (practical)
- Visual framing
- (Conceptual) Book of Revelation & heavenly city
Relation to Anglo-Saxon art: still patterned, but not as geometric & linear
When were The Middle Ages? (Or the medieval period)
Between the Classical Era & The Renaissance
Medieval statue is a lot more rigid, flat, symmetrical, odd posing, etc.
Why do you think these differences exist?
Romanesque and Gothic (19th century terms):
Romanesque: 11th-12th centuries; continuation/revival of Roman forms
Gothic: 12th-15th century; radical break from Classical forms
Looking back at Roman art, but wanted to be separate to ensure Christianity was a major
theme in Romanesque work
Romanesque Architecture –
Cult of relics = cult of saints (becomes really important during this time)
Pilgrimage
Cross – shaped church that allows pilgrims to view the reliquaries without bothering the
members of the church
Conques, Church of St. Foy
- Young woman, arrested for being Christian, tortured to death around 300, only around
12 years old
Reliquary Statue of Sainte-Foy (Saint Faith), late 10th century to early 11th century, mixed
materials (gold, silver, jewels, wood)
- Different pieces were added as she visited people and asked for things to be included
- Decorating & Adorning was a holy process, relationship w the saint
- Looks like a princess/queen: Christian royal figure
Christ and Disciples on the Road to Emmaus, Cloister pier, Santo Domingo de Silos,
Spain, c. 1100
- Main pilgrimage route in Western Europe would go all the way through Spain and
France
- Halo has a cross in it, sign that it’s Jesus
- Supposed to look like Pilgrims, the exact people that would be journeying and seeing
this
- Taking an old story and making it seem like it is taking place in the “modern” world
- Figures are tiptoeing, Jesus is turning back around = returning to human world
(benevolence), Jesus is fully human & fully divine (can tiptoe between the different
realms)
JMW Turner, Romanesque Church, ca. 1800
Romantic = Fantasized, aesthetically pleasing, feel good
- Really like looking at things from the past = nostalgia
Calm, empty spaces with a divine light, mystical feeling, moody
Medieval churches were actually bright and colorful (unlike previous painting), vibrant
Throne of Wisdom (Sedes Sapientiae), ca. 1200, France
- Virgin Mary become the “Throne” for Jesus, dehumanizes her but also very important
o The vessel through which the divine becomes human
- Another Reliquary: head can be removed for relics to be placed inside
- Wood look of statue: thought to have chopped into a tree and be found already made,
immaculate conception
- They are very still, don’t look as a mother and child would in real life = connection to
the divine and separation from humans, knowledge and wisdom contained in
seriousness of expression
Romanesque Architectural Sculpture: Portals and Piers
Old Testament prophet, right side of the trumeau of the south portal of Sant-Pierre,
Moissac, c. 1115-30
- Liminal, between spaces, the human world & the church (Yakshi Bracket Figure)
Cloister of Abbey at Moissac, Abbot Durandus, Cluniac reformer of monastery at Moissac,
late 11th century
- No fun, stern, stiff posture, no life and energy, extra symmetrical & flat
o Man was an extra strict religious person
Hildegard of Bingen – Abbess, philosopher, natural scientist, composer, mystic (magical
person within the confines of the Christian faith)
- Germany, 12th century
Creation, Hildegard of Bingen, 12th century vs. Traditional view of Creation, 12th century
- Omits Eve from the story, feminist move to make sure Eve doesn’t take the blame,
Adam takes faultThe