Gardner’s Art Through the Ages,
12e
Chapter 16
Europe After the Fall of Rome:
Early Medieval Art in the West
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Early Medieval Sites in Europe
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Goals
• Understand the distinctive artistic traditions of the
European peoples beyond the Roman Empire.
• Know the different types of art, media, and their
respective cultures.
• Trace influences of medieval art styles.
• Examine the secular and religious architectural forms in
the early middle ages.
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Topics: Chapter 16
Start with chronology: ca 500-1000
An era of fusion of Roman and “barbarian” cultures.
• Art of the Warrior Lords: fibula/purse/Oseberg ship/
stave church. Intertwined animal figures.
• Hiberno-Saxon: illuminated manuscripts/ Celtic
crosses.
• Mozarabic Art: manuscripts
• Carolingian Art: Charlemagne/manuscripts/
architecture
• Ottonian Art: architecture/manuscripts
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Art of the Warrior Lords
• What has survived are small status symbols, such as the
Merovignian looped fibula from Jouy-Le-Comte mid
6th cen. – a decorative pin that goes back to the Romans
& Etruscans. Used
to fasten the
outer garment.
• Patterns adjusted
to shape of the
fibula – zoomorphic
elements are
interwoven.
• Beowolf:
“They bequeathed
the gleaming gold,
of men,
to the earth.”
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Art of the Warrior Lords
Sutton Hoo Cloisonné purse clasp
– ca. 625.
• Cloisonné is French for partitions
-- compartments filled with
various elements, then fired to
melt & blend.
• Between mosaics and stained
glass.
• Figures on purse clasp
are of a man standing
between two beasts.
• Central “interlace”
turn into writhing
animals.
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Art of the Warrior Lords
A Viking ship: The Oseberg ship – ca 825.
• The Vikings terrorized Northern Europe—not just raiders,
but colonized. In 11th cen all on England was part of
Denmark!
• Note the ferocious animal head, itself consisting of
writhing animal forms.
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Art of the Warrior Lords
The stave church [wedge shaped
timbers stacked vertically.]
• Urnes, ca. 1050-1070: example
of Viking designs in a Christian
church.
• Elongated animal forms and
flexible plant stalks.
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Hiberno-Saxon Art: Books
• In 432 St Patrick established a church in Ireland.
– From there the Irish monks developed their own
traditions, spreading them into England and
Scotland.
• The most important artistic activity was in
illuminated manuscripts, including:
– “Bibles” [Old & New Testaments],
“Pentateuchs” [1st 5 books], “Lectionaries”
[readings from the gospels arranged in the order read
during the church year.]
• “Insular” style: centers were at Lindisfarne &
Iona during this period.
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Insular Style
• Book of Durrow, ca 660680, possibly Iona.
• Carpet pages inserted – no
precedent in classical style
for this.
• Also included
large
illuminated
initials
• A marriage
between
Christian and
the animalinterlace style.
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Lindisfarne Gospels
ca. 698-721
.
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Lindisfarne Gospels ca. 698-721
• How are these different from the carpet pages?
– Mediterranean influence: indoors, hint of perspective –
name is in mixture of Greek & Latin.
• Iconography?
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The Book of Kells
“Chi-Ro-Iota” page
th
ca.
. Iona, late 8 or
early 9th cen.
Illuminating the word
• Opening of account of the
nativity in the gospel of
Matthew.
• Chi-Ro-Iota: XPI – initial
letters of “Christ: in Greek.
• “autem” generatio” –
“Now this is how the birth
of Jesus Christ came about”
• Includes animals an male
head as well angels &
abstract patterns.
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The Book of Kells
Above: portrait of John
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Ireland’s High Crosses
High cross of Muirdach,
Ireland -- 923.
• Circle intersecting the
cross identifies it as
“Celtic”
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Kildalton Cross, Islay,
Scotland
• The Kildalton Cross is a
monolithic Celtic cross in the
churchyard of the former
parish church of Kildalton
(Scottish Gaelic: 'Church of the
Foster Son' [ie. St John the
Evangelist]) on the island of
Islay in the Inner Hebrides,
Scotland.
• It was carved probably in the
second half of the 8th century
AD, and is closely related to
crosses of similar date on
Iona.
• It is often considered the finest
surviving 'Celtic' cross in
Scotland.
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Kildalton Cross, Islay, Scotland
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Kildalton Cross,
Islay, Scotland
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Mozarabic Art
Example from Tabara, Spain
– 970
• Picture of a medieval
scriptorium
• Mozarabic – refers to
Christians living in Arab
territories.
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Carolingian Art: Rome rises again
On Christmas Day 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charles the
Great as Emperor of Rome. [King of Franks from 768.]
** First Holy [Christian] Emperor
** Model for equestrian statue was
Marcus Aurelius
** Emperor larger
scale than the horse
** Quiet dignity
replaces earlier
torsion.
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Charlemagne’s Books
• He was admirer of learning, the arts & classical culture.
• Portrait of St Matthew: Charlemagne’s Gospel vs.
Lindisfarne
• A different style: Ebbo Gospel
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Charlemagne’s Books
• Ebbo Gospel
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Psalters & Jewels
• Utrecht Psalter 820-835
• Lindau Gospels, St Gall ca.
870
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Architecture: Palatine Chapel in Aachen
• Charlemagne returned to Roman
building techniques
• Palatine Chapel resembles St. Vitale
in Ravenna – precursor of
Romanesque style.
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Architecture: Palatine Chapel in Aachen
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Gatewaythto Lorsch
– 9 cen.
• Torhalle – throwback to
Roman arches & city gates.
– Composite capitals, imitates
Roman facing techniques –
2nd level is not Roman.
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The Ideal
Monastery:
St Gall, Switzerland
ca. 819
• Benedictine monasteries
important during this
period.
• Focus on rules and
regulations to counter
corruption in the church –
thus the rise of highly
regulated communities, or
abbeys.
• Included all that was
needed for daily & religious
life.
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“Westworks” Towers at the end of churches
• Towers incorporated in
western façade of church.
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Ottonian Art
• Divisions followed the death of
Charlemagne & invasions followed,
breaking up the kingdom.
• The eastern part consolidated
under King Otto in 936.
• The basilica was transformed:
Saint Cyriakus, Gernode, Germany.
• An apse replaced the “westwork”,
but the towers remained.
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Hildesheim
1001-1030
The basilica takes
further form
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Hildesheim 1001-1030
• Alternate support system:
heavy square piers alternate
with columns – creating
vertical units that softened
the horizontal, tunnel feel
of earlier churches.
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Bronze Doors at Hildeheim
• 16 ft high – each panel cast in “lost wax” process.
– Left door:
Book of
Genesis
– Right door:
Life of
Christ
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Bronze Doors at Hildesheim -- 1015
• 16 ft high – each panel cast in “lost wax” process.
– Left door: Book of Genesis
– Right door:
Life of
Christ
– Bishop
Bernward
comissioned
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Bronze Doors at
Hildesheim -1015
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Crucifix – Cologne Cathedral – ca. 870
– Interest in monumental sculpture.
– Close to suffering Jesus of Byzantine era.
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Uta Codex: ca. 1025 [lectionary]
–.
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Reichnau: Bamberger Apocalypse
• From same scriptorium as the Lectionary of Henry II,
pictured in Gardner.
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Compare
Rossano
Lindisfarne
Bamberger
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Discussion Questions
 Why is the art of the peoples outside the Roman
Empire significantly different from classical
Roman art and architecture?
 Compare the three major manuscript styles that
developed in the middle ages.
 What previous styles of art influenced medieval
art?
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