Medieval Art
Transition from Greek, to Roman, to
Middle Ages
Greek
Idealism
Roman
Realism
Middle Ages
Religious
General Notes on Medieval Art
 From the 13th Century to the 15th Century almost
all art was paid for by the Church.
 Generalizations:
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Lacks depth or perspective
Figures are stiff and elongated
Facial expressions lack emotion
Background frequently a solid color
Madonna Enthroned
Giovanni Cimabue 1280-90
Madonna Enthroned
Duccio
c. 1285
Giotto
 Student of Cimabue
 Breaks with medieval style
 New volume and vitality
for figures
 Drapery falls naturally
 Throne more believable
space
 Some medieval
characteristics
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Gold haloes
Inconsistent scale
Madonna Enthroned
Duccio Annunciation of the Death of the Virgin, Maestra Altar 1308-11
Giotto di Bondone
 Giotto was the most important Italian painter
of the 14th century
 Father of European painting
 First of the great Italian masters from
Florence
Giotto
 Arena Chapel in Padua
 Frescoes
 Life of the Virgin, Life of
Christ, Passion of Christ
Giotto
Giotto
 Eyes rest on
action, they do not
move around
 3-dimensional
reality
 Figures, rather than
architecture, create
the space
Giotto, Lamentation 1305-06
Giotto vs. Duccio
Duccio Christ Entering Jerusalem
Giotto Christ Entering Jerusalem
Annunciation
Simon Martini, 1333
Les Tres Riches Heures
 Limbourg Brothers (Paul, Hermann & Jean)
 Painted 1413 – 1416
 Example of a Medieval Book of Hours
 Shows differences between peasants and
aristocracy
February
 Winter in a peasant
village. The inhabitants
of a farm are shown
warming themselves by
the fire, while in the
background daily life cutting wood, taking
cattle to the market goes on as normal.
 Earliest snow scene in
the history of western
art
August
 The month of hawking;
the nobles, carrying
falcons, are going
hunting while in the
background peasants
are harvesting and
swimming in the river.
 Behind them is the
Chateau d'Etampes.
September
 Probably the most
famous of the calendar
images.
 The grapes are being
harvested by the
peasants and carried
into the beautifully
detailed Chateau de
Saumur.
October
 Tilling and sowing are
being carried out by the
peasants, in the
shadow of the Louvre Charles V's royal palace
in Paris.
 The first cast shadows
since ancient Greek art
November
 This is the only
calendar image
executed by Colombe
(an apprentice)
 The picture shows the
autumn acorn harvest,
with a peasant throwing
sticks to knock down
the acorns on which his
pigs are feeding.
Jesus Morph