Art & Architecture of the Carolingian Era
Yalda Safai , Anahita Moghtaderdizaj , Lindsay Drace, & Ron Atkins
Historical Context
by Lindsay Drace
The most numerous surviving works of the Carolingian renaissance are illuminated
manuscripts. Under Charlemagne's direction, new Gospels and literal works were
prepared, as were teaching materials such as historical, literary and scientific works from
ancient authors. Carolingian art had different monastic centers throughout the
Carolingian Empire, known as ateliers, and each atelier had its own unique style that
developed based on the artists and influences of that particular location and time. The
earliest was the Court School of Charlemagne; then a Rheimsian style, which became the
most influential of the Carolingian period.
Saint Mark from the Ebbo Gospels
The Court School of Charlemagne, known as the Ada school, produced the earliest
manuscripts, including the Godescalc Evangelistary (781–783), the Lorsch Gospels (778–
820), the Soissons Gospels, and the Coronation Gospels. The Court School manuscripts
were ornate, courtly ostentatious, and reminiscent of 6th century ivories and mosaics
from Ravenna, Italy. They were the earliest Carolingian manuscripts and initiated the
rebirth of Roman classicism, yet it still maintained Migration Period art, which their
traditions were linear presentations with no concern for spatial relationships or volume.
In the early 9th century Ebo of Rheims, at Hautvillers assembled artists and transformed
Carolingian art to something entirely new. The Gospel book of Ebbo (816–835) was
painted with swift and vibrant brush strokes. Other books associated with the Rheims
school include the Utrecht Psalter, which was perhaps the most important of all
Carolingian manuscripts from the 9th C. Naturalistic and energetic figurine line drawings
were entirely new, and became the most influential innovation of Carolinian art in later
periods.
Cultural Influences
by Yalda Safai
Throughout the Carolingian empire, Carolingian art had many different monastic
centers known as “ateliers“, and each ateliers had its own style that was made and
developed based on each of the artists and the influences of that location and period of
time that they were made in. For example one of the most famous of all the Carolingian
manuscripts is the “Ada School” which was influenced by the Scribe Godescalc who had
created a Gospel book around 783 for Charlemagne. The Ada School had mostly Greek
and middle East features instead of Northern European features.
During the late 8th to late 15th century most kings of the Carolingian period were
religious figures. From the start their role produced a potent mix of religion, politics and
culture. Through out the years the Carolingian kings actively studied and supported the
study of religion and religious texts which prepared the “soldiers of Christ” to lead their
people to salvation. At that time it was abbeys and monasteries that had the leading
cultural role through out the Carolingian empire and is also reflected in their manuscripts.
It was then in their scriptoria that manuscripts were produced and studied. Most of the
Carolingian manuscripts were influences by religious backgrounds and the different
beliefs about religion which each culture had. These religious influences are seen
clearly in some manuscripts since the covers of a few of them, for example; the
Crucifixion
front cover of the Lindau gospels
Subject and Style________________________
by Ron Atkins
Even though the major emphasizes was on illumination of books there were also changes
made in churches and architecture during the Carolingian era. This new architecture was
inspired by the forms of the Greeks and Romans abandoned the small boxlike shapes and
used spacious basilicas often intersected by transepts. What changed here was a new
emphasis on the western end of the church. The façade of the western end became the
focal point of the church. They were sometimes 2 or 3 stories and had spiral staircases
serving a chapel often reserved for high dignitaries.
One example of this structure of the Carolingian period, which survives today, is
the palatine chapel at Aachen, dedicated by Pope Leo III in 805. It is a centralized plan
and has an octagonal dome. The design was at least in part based on the 6th-century
Church of San Vitale in Ravenna.
Palatine chapel at Aachen
Materials and Processes
by Ron Atkins
We could characterize the Carolingian art period as combining the portability of
medieval art with a heavy dose of classical from Rome and Greece. Charlemagne was
crowned the Holy Roman Emperor in the year 800 by Pope Leo III in St. Peter’s basilica
in Rome. This visit to Rome had a dramatic effect on him. He loved Rome and the
classical sculpture, art and architecture of antiquity. He spent the rest of his life trying to
bring this style to his empire. He decided that one of the things he needed to do was to
make sure any art or sculpture was designed and built with the finest quality materials.
Charlemagne was very interested in education for his people and tried to set an example
by being in the classroom himself. He invited to his court at Aachen the best minds and
artisans of western Europe and the Byzantine East. He could speak Latin and Frank but
never did learn how to write properly. Charlemagne was the first leader to provide a
universal education to all youngsters whether they well off or poor. As a result of this
books became of utmost importance in the Carolingian period. Their greatest artwork
was thus applied to books that Charlemagne valued so highly. A great deal of time and
effort went into making Books as beautiful as possible including an extraordinary effort
into the covers of the books.
We have several examples of this- the Coronation Gospels, the Lindisfarne
Gospels, and the Utrecht Psalter (book of Psalms). Many of the book covers were made
of gold and jewels, and sometimes ivory and pearls. One of the most luxurious book
covers was added to the Lindau Gospels. The gold cover was made in one of he
workshops of Charles the Bald’s court. It is made of Gold, precious stones and pearls.
Carolingian miniatures show that they are descendents of antiquity and sometimes
were influenced by Byzantine art. Metalwork objects are very rare from this period but
literary evidence shows that goldsmiths and enamel workers made contributions.
It is interesting that the Equestrian portrait of Charlemagne or Charles the Bald,
from Metz, France, ninth century Bronze, is only 9 ½” inches high. I guess this means it
was portable.
Selected Work of Art
Lindsay Drace
Both paintings that are shown are a
depiction of Saint Matthew and each has a
very different unique style. The image on
the right is from the Coronation Gospels
while the image on the left is from the
Ebbo Gospels.
Both compositions look incredibly similar to
each other, but the style of each is what
makes it possible to distinguish them.
The Saint Matthew on the left has a cool
palette of colors being used and the
application of paint is much thicker where
you can see the paint almost pop out of
you. It almost has a Van Gogh1 style to it.
However Saint Matthew on the right
is more formal looking with a warm
palette of colors used. The artist
also used more primary colors.
Besides the technique the one
difference in the picture is what each
Saint Matthew is sitting on. On the
left he appears to be sitting on a
stack of books with a pillow on top
while on right he appears to be
sitting on a more comfortable chair.
1. Van Gogh: Vincent Van Gogh was a late 19th c. Dutch Painter who has been referred to as the “Father of
Modern Expressionism”. His paint application is very thick, almost creating a relief sculptural effect.
Lindau Gospel Book Cover
by Anahita Moghtaderdizaj
The Lindau Gospel Book Cover is a
signatory representative of the early and
mid 9th century due to its quality to
compel and garner admiration from the
common masses. The cover exemplifies
the attributes of many other works from
its period. It is a safe assumption that
the majority of the citizens that lived
during the time these works were
created couldn’t read, and that works of
art such as the book cover could
function as a metaphor for the story
contained within. Stories like the
Passion could be depicted on a slab of
stone or pressed into a sheet of gold to
show levels of importance on particular
moments.
One example of a multi-level drawing is
that of the Utrecht Psalter. The Psalter,
created around 820 in Reims, is a
preliminary source for the style of
metaphor overlaid in visual
Front Cover of Lindau Gospels
representation. The Psalter provided an
interpretation to all of the Biblical allusions, sometimes very cleverly. Though the type of
visual representation found in the Psalter are thought to be modeled after earlier forms
there is a certain simplicity in style that seems to compel not the courtesans, but the
common citizen . The images are highly stylized, a far cry from the art of the aristocracy;
even more telling, it was rendered in the very local artistic style of the workshops of
Reims. The drawings are impressionistic and worked as a puzzle for the viewer. There
was a definite link reaching out from the work to the viewer, the Psalter served as a
prototypical way of engaging the audience in a visual tale while communicating the
literal story behind it. The viewer was able to take a mental picture of a liturgical event.
This style progressed and found its way to other visual forms. The ivory book covers
illustrating Psalms 50 and 51 had drawn influence and may have been in fact directly
modeled after the Utrecht Psalter. The ivories depict the same scenes from the Psalms
drawn into the Utrecht Psalter, however, the ivory panels are more of an abridged
version. The progression from drawing to book covers represents a certain leap in
audience and visual structure even if just momentarily or inadvertently, since ivory was a
luxury few could afford, and the meticulous undercutting even fewer. The scenes did
however grow in leaps and bounds in the method of figural representation, realistic
drapery, and depth that is monumentally achieved in such a minimal space.
At this point there is a start of a certain pattern; the visual interpretations of liturgical
documents expanded into larger and more luxurious mediums. One could argue that this
would achieve the precise opposite of one of the intended or inadvertent purposes of the
Utrecht Psalter; in essence neglecting those that made the style popular, the common
masses. However, this could not be the case when the Lindau Gospel book cover is taken
into account. The covers to the Codex Aureus were created in around 870 in Reims. One
strikingly similar attribute to the Lindau cover is the style in which the figures are
rendered likening it very closely to the impressionistic forms of the earlier Utrecht
Psalter. There is an attempt by the artists to further distance themselves from the
aristocratic realism that was found in the ivory book covers in favor of symbolic imagery.
The Lindau cover depicts Christ, seemingly floating in an ethereal sea of unparalleled
wealth, seemingly dismissing any cover rendered before it. What further separates this
piece as one of being one of unequalled importance is the fact that it did not belong to a
wealthy aristocrat or courtesan, it was created for the procession, for the church going
masses to look at with awe. This work was meant to sit at the altar, with its precious
stones, pearls, and gold, one could see how it served as a metaphor for the text within.
The jewels on the cover are held in by intricate bezels, harnessing the stone in ornate and
dramatic patterns of gold metalwork. The repoussé technique is used to render the image
of Christ, the angels in mourning hovering in the heavens, and the figures of Mary and
John mourning below. The iconography is hard to ignore; the figure of Christ is rendered
in gold, the book itself is
rendered in jewels and
ivory, how could this not
be seen as idolatry? This is
where the interpretation of
metaphor comes into play:
the book itself was not
meant to be worshipped,
but respected as words of
unparalleled importance.
Like the Utrecht Psalter,
the image of Christ told a
compact liturgical tale in
visual form. It showed a
triumphant Christ, his
musculature intact, a
determined spirit in his
face; he isn’t dead, he is
ascending the realm of
reality and entering that of
the spiritual. This is once
again a reach forward to the
impressionistic metaphor,
reflecting the content in the
form.
The Lindau Gospel book
covers were in some ways a
Back Book Cover of Lindau Gospels
pinnacle of achievement with regard to the simplistic styles hearkening the admiration the
common citizen found in the Utrecht Psalter; it was a liturgical chapter, rendered visually
in a stunning medium. The story was easily captured in a way that words could not have
implied; the idea of the triumphant Christ is an interpretation decided upon by the artist
and so visually ingrained in those who patronized the church that the Lindau Gospel
books were a part of. Was this a way of influencing how those churchgoers understood
the events depicted in the Gospels ? One can certainly imagine the effect something of
this magnitude would have on those who couldn’t read or understand Latin. It is a strong
possibility that the covers themselves carried the faith of many who saw it and found that
anything of such beauty and wealth could simply not be wrong.
Utrecht Psalter
Lorsch Gospels finest example of ivory book
Torhalle (gatehouse)
by Ron Atkins
Carolingian architecture
The rhalle (gatehouse, Lorsch,
Germany) was built in the ninth
century. Built as a free structure in
the atrium of the monastic church, the
Lorsch Torhalle is a relative of the
Arch of Constantine built in Rome ,
Italy in 312. Same 3 arches, but no
historic reliefs as we find in the Arch
of Constantine. One can find close
copies of composite capitals and the
framing of the arched passageways by
engaged columns. The decorative
treatment of the wall surfaces with
multicolored inlays of cream and pink
stone imitates Roman opus reticulation, a method of facing concrete walls with lozengeshaped bricks or stones to achieve a netlike ornamental surface pattern. Note that the
roofline is not a copy of anything Roman but the steep roof is submission to the colder
weather endured during German winters. Heavy snow will not accumulate on the angled
roof.
We don’t really have a lot of Carolingian architecture, as most buildings that had
survived a 1000 years of normal wear and tare were no match for the bombs of World
War II. The Torhalle gatehouse is one of the few survivors.
The Equestrian Portrait of Charlemagne
by Yalda Safai
The portrait of Charlemagne is a small plaster equestrian statue made out of
black and gold bronze from the early medieval period ( the 9th century).The
statue is about 9 and a half inches high ( .27 m) and is currently located in the
Louvre museum in Paris, although it should be said that the statue is originally
from Metz, France. The statue is of King Charlemagne or as he is more
commonly known the Emperor of the West. Charlemagne was the first Christian
king of his time and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas eve in 800
A.D, after being the King of Franks since 768. In the statue, the king is wearing a
crown with lilies, a cloak, a sword, straps covering his limbs and also decorative
shoes. In this particular statue Charlemagne also has a long drooping moustache
and short cropped hair. In Charlemagne's left hand he is holding a globe which
was to them a symbol of world dominion.
What is unusual about this statue is that the figure is larger in proportion to
the horse meaning Charlemagne appears larger than the horse he is riding on.
Although it has been said that Charlemagne was a rather large person in his
time (approximately 6 foot 3 inches),but the fact that Charlemagne looks larger is
because of the fact that the statue wanted to express that Charlemagne himself
is the center of attention not the horse he is riding on.
This statue was inspired, actually copied, from the statue of the emperor
Marcus Aurelius in Rome, Italy, done in 175CE. It expresses the Roman
emperor's majestic authority.
Charlemagne
Printed sources and internet links for further information
www.infoplease.com
www.chronique.com/library/MedHistory/charlemagne.htm
Pictures from Google images.com
Gardner’s Art though the Ages (The western perspective) 12 edition publ. Thomson,
Wadsworth
http://www2.lucidcafe.com/lucidcafe/library/96apr/charlemagne.html
© 1995-2006 Lucid Interactive
"Charlemagne." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 1 May 2006, 18:07 UTC. 2 May
2006, 02:29
<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charlemagne&oldid=51075942>.
http://www.smokykin.com/ged/f001/f98/a0019837.htm
© Copyright 1995, 1996 David L. Beckwith
Cole, Bruce. ART OF THE WESTERN WORLD: FROM ANCIENT GREECE
TO POST MODERNISM. Toughstone ,1991.
Jeep, John M. Medieval Germany: An Encyclopedia (Routledge
Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages).Garland Publishing, 2001.