Early Medieval Art
in Europe
Chapter 14 – Stokstad
The Middle Ages/
The Medieval Period
• Designates Europe
• During 1,000 years between fall of
Western Roman Empire (5th century) and
the Renaissance (15th century)
• Divided into:
Early Medieval Period (Chapter 14)
Romanesque Period (Chapter 15)
Gothic Period (Chapter 16)
Early Medieval Period
• 5th century Rome is no longer Imperial
Capital (Constantine moved to Byzantium)
• Upon Constantine’s death empire divided
in two (between Constantine’s two sons)
1. Eastern Roman Empire =
Byzantine Empire (Chapter 7)
2. Western Roman Empire
• Emperor of the Western Roman becomes
weak
• Pope of Catholic Church takes some of
responsibilities (pope amounts to governor
of Rome)
• Nomadic peoples enter and jockey for
power in weakened Empire
• Nomadic groups are called “barbarians”
(meaning anyone outside the dominant
influence)
• Barbarians = Huns, Vandals, Visigoths,
Celts, Vikings and Anglo-Saxons
• Because nomadic: they create small,
portable art
The Vikings
You are responsible for reading
this section of the text on your
own. Figures 14-9 and 14-10
Anglo-Saxon Period
Sutton Hoo Burial Ship
Redwald
Byzantine Spoons
French Coins
Hinged Clasp
• From Sutton Hoo
burial ship
• Suffolk, England
• 7th century
• Cloisonne and
Millefiore
• Interlace and
Animal Interlace
• Figure 14-4
Gold Buckle
Medallion from Hanging Bowl
• St. Patrick converts Ireland (the Celts) to
Christianity in c. 400 CE
• Roman monks continue converting
“barbarians” to Christianity to the South
• Irish monks begin converting other
“barbarians” to Christianity to the North
(i.e. England and Scotland)
…their art becomes known as
Hiberno-Saxon
Hiberno-Saxon Period
Illuminated Manuscripts
“tools for conversion”
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•
•
•
•
Display Script Page
Initial Page
Carpet Page
Cross Carpet Page
Evangelist Symbol Page
Evangelist Symbols
•
•
•
•
Matthew = man (winged)
Mark = lion
Luke = ox
John = eagle
Gospel Book of Durrow
Page with Man
• Gospel of Matthew
from Gospel Book of
Durrow
• Iona, Scotland
• 7th century
• Ink and tempera paint
on parchment
• Figure 14-5
Carpet Page (Book of Durrow)
Sometimes more ornate - Cross
Carpet Page (as in Lindisfarne)
Display Script Page
(Book of Durrow)
Chi Rho Iota Display Script Page
• Gospel of Matthew
begins with
“Liber generationis”• The book of the
generations of Christ
(geneology) then it
switches to narrative
“Christi autem generatio”
and begins the story of
the birth of Christ
Book of Kells
Evangelist Symbols on Same Page
Evangelist Portrait Page
Display Script Page
Chi Rho Iota Page
(Initial Page)
• Book of Kells (Book of
Matthew)
• Iona, Scotland
• Late 8th or Early 9th
century
• Ink and pigment on
vellum
• Figure 14-1
• Much more elaborate…
instead of just Display Script Page to mark
the place in the Gospel of Matthew that
begins the life of Christ,
Book of Kells has 3 page spread…
1. Portrait of Christ
2. Cross Carpet Page
3. Chi Rho Iota Page (seen here)
Carolingian Period
c. 768 – 877 CE
Carolingian Period
• c. 800 CE the Vikings arrive in England
and Ireland
• Artistic production in the area plummets…
• However, France and Germany are
“holding their own”
• Period (and area) dominated by figure of
“Charlemagne the Great”
Charlemagne
-becomes King
-because he protects pope and
Christianity he is also crowned Emperor
-because crowned Emperor, artistically he
focuses on Imperial imagery (both Roman
Imperial and Byzantine Imperial)
Palace Chapel of Charlemagne
Figure 14-14
Palace Chapel of Charlemagne
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•
•
•
•
Interior view
Aachen, Germany
792-805
Figure 14-13
Modeled after San
Vitale (remember:
Byzantine Emperor
Justinian)
Monastery Building
Saint Gall Plan
Fig 14-16
• Carolingian Period marked by great production
in the arts, build up of monastic communities
• However, at the end of this period…the
Carolingians are attacked by several groups
(including the Vikings) and lose their power.
• The next group…The Ottonians…step into the
void…they rule what had been the eastern half
of the Carolingian Empire (present-day
Germany)
Ottonian Period
c. 919 – 1002 CE
Ottonian Period
• Ottonians see themselves as the successors to
the Carolingians (not as usurpers who take over
during weakness of Carolingians)
• They carry on tradition of Imperial association…
• They take it a step further… Otto II marries
Theophano, niece of the Byzantine Emperor (so,
attempting to ally with most powerful Christian
empire)
Doors of Bishop Bernward
• Abbey Church of
Saint Michael
• Hildesheim, Germany
• 1015
• Bronze
• Fig 14-24
Judgment
(Adam and Eve vs. Christ by Pilate)