Medieval
5th – 15th Century AD
1
Chronology
Byzantine and Early Medieval
A.D. 330
Constantinople becomes capital of the Eastern Empire
6th Century
Secrets of the process of silk production smuggled back to Byzantium from China
527-564
Reign of Justinian
Early 7th century
The founding of Islam by Mohammed
800
Charlemagne, son of Pepin, crowned Emperor of the Romans by the pope
1066
William the Conqueror, a Norman, invades England and becomes King
1095
Pope Urban declares the First Crusade
mid-11th to mid-12th centuries
Romanesque architecture styles predominate in Europe
after 1150
Gothic styles develop in architecture
1271-72
The Ninth and last crusade
1273
First Hapsburg emperor of German states
1453
Constantinople conquered by Ottoman Turks
BYZANTINE EMPIRE C.330-1453
Historical Background
• Between 400-900, styles of the Byzantine Empire influenced all of Europe
• Byzantium was the cultural center of the period
• The remainder of Europe was illiterate, literacy was barely kept alive in the
monasteries
• After 10th century, Europe began an economic recovery and influences became
less important
• Constantinople was originally a Greek city selected by Constantine to be the
ester capitol of the Roman Empire
• Located at the entrance to the Black Sea it was ideal for trade and
protected by the Balkan Mountains
•It was the cultural crossroads of the East and West
• Throughout history Byzantium as constantly at war (Persian, Arabs, Bulgers,
Turks…)
• Eventually it was sacked and destroyed by the Turks in 1453
•Fortunately many artifacts were stolen and brought to foreign lands. Much
of the evidence we have of this culture comes from these artifacts.
Government
• Head of Byzantine state was the Emperor
• He could make any law he wished, and ruled the Eastern church
• The Emperor ruled with the Empress
• Landed nobility made up an important element of economic life and government
• Aristocracy was one of WEALTH not BLOODLINE. Hard work could pay off!
Ideals:
• Education was considered very important
• Place of women in society was rather advanced
• Empresses could rule alone or together with the Emperor
• Slaves were both foreign and captive
• Writings and works of art were consciously preserved
• Christ - the State – Afterlife
• Dramatic Action is a tableau and the Proscenium is formed
Fabric Production:
• 4th to 6th century wool and linen were the predominant fabrics
• 6th century silk production began
• Byzantines produced silk for all of the Western world
• Complex woven patterns were achieved
EARLY MIDDLE AGES (Early Gothic)
10th-13th Centuries
Historical Background
Between 400-900, styles of the Byzantine Empire influenced all of Europe
GOVERNMENT
• Feudal system developed out of the need for protection as the empire collapsed
under the attacks of the Vikings, Magyars, and Saracens
• Central government vanished, law and order disappeared
• Chiefs of tribes assembled their warriors in war bands….these warriors
became the armored knights on horseback
• It took years of training and special equipment to become a skilled knight, thus
they became and elite “professional” fighters
• Knights lived on the lords land and served as protector
• Serfs worked the land of the lord
• Serfs lost their freedom when given in exchange for protection from the lord
• Law and order existed on a “local” level
• Feudal lords and knights built castles on their lands to serve as places of
protection.
• Castles also served as homes
• They were cold, damp, dark and very windy
• The German Dynasties, Anglo-Saxons, Norman Britain and France all have their
own unique rulers and lineage
The Crusades:
• Pope Urban II, launched the first of seven Crusades against the Moslems
• Intended to free the holy place of Christendom from the Moslems
• Motivations for crusades varied from religious fervor to outright mercenary
designs to acquire wealth and power
• By the end of the crusades many new products and processes had been
imported to Europe
• Printing patterns on textiles
• Foods, spices, drugs
• Works of art
• Fabrics (muslin, silk damask and cotton)
Medieval Castles and Court
• Feudal lord and family had private quarters
• Large fireplace provided heat
• Furnishing simple and not comfortable
• Luxury items were carpets, wall hangings and cushions (from the far East)
• Wealthy merchants and trades people reside in towns
Fabric Production
• Women did spinning and fiber preparation, men did weaving
• Dyeing was a specialized craft
• Production moved to towns from rural areas
• Horizontal loom was invented
Chronology
Late Medieval
1300’s
Introduction of gunpowder and cannon to warfare
1337-1453
Hundred Year War between France and England
1348
First appearance of the plague in Europe
(1/3 of population killed)
1386-1400
The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
c.1416
Portugal initiates exploration of the west coat of Africa
1453
Ottoman Turks conquer Constantinople
1454
First record of printing with moveable type in Europe
1492
Columbus reaches American
Late Middle Ages (Late Gothic)
1300-1500
• Medieval monarch centralize government, and power of nobles and knights
decline
• Feudalism begins to wane
– Kings found new sources of revenue by taxing cities and towns
– New income allowed them to hire knights and peasants
•
•
•
Towns lost independence, but central government gains power
Kings had to protect cities because they were the source of their income
Cities become more capitalistic
– New trades are established (bankers, investing, mining…)
– Increase in the production of consumer goods, and the European economy
adopted the use of money over barter.
•
Peasants now rent land in place of trading services
– Peasants included: day laborers, millers, bakers, cattle dealers, domestic
servants
•
Increase in city population
– Poor harvest and cold weather lead to famine
– Population weakened by famine was susceptible to disease (The Black Death)
•
Society was made up of Nobility, bourgeoisie and peasant
Medieval
Architecture
Byzantine and Romanesque
10
Basilica of Maxentius (Reconstruction):
the typical Roman configuration for the
basilica was the rectangle.
The plan shows a central axis.
Nave: Center Aisle
Christian Basilica: one entered through a forecourt or atrium. The ceilings in these
early churches were of open timberwork construction with recessed coffers. Usually
oriented East.
Narthex: porch
Transept: Crossed the end of the nave (Latin cross)
Parting of Lot and
Abraham
Note: Perspective in
reverse…Classicism
(reinterpreted) into
an abstract style
suited to the spiritual
goals of the church.
Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (432): confirmed the practicality and adaptability
of the basilica plan with arched clerestory windows above.
The mosaic technique uses hundreds of small glass and marble tiles, or tesserae,
set close together in mortar.
Christian burial sites gradually moved to an
underground vault, or crypt, below the
floor of the basilica.
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (425-426): design of early churches exhibited a
rough simplicity of the exposed stone of the exterior. Interiors, by contrast, were
richly decorated and sheathed in brilliant mosaics.
Blind Arcading: ornamental arches with no supporting function
Central Plan Church: based on a circle inscribed
in a square, or, like in the Galla Placidia, a
cruciform (cross-shaped) plan, with each of the
four arms of equal length.
Pendentive Dome: supported on curved sections
in between the four arches of the cross.
The Hagia Sofia (Church of the Holy Wisdom)
in Constantinople (532-537)
The Byzantine Empire: as the Roman Empire declined…artistic and intellectual
activity flourished in the east.
The minarets were added later. The oldest (red brick) was added during the reign of Mehmed II (14511481) shortly after becoming a mosque. The slender stone minaret on the north was added during the
reign of Selim I (1512-1520) by the prolific Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, who also strengthened the
mosque's walls with exterior buttresses. The two remaining minarets – which match each other, but
neither of the two existing ones – were added during the reign of Murad III (1574-1595).
The Hagia Sofia (Church of the Holy Wisdom)
in Constantinople (532-537)
Nave = Naos (central space). Note the design and emphasis of Christian ritual to
direct the focus of the congregation upward toward Heaven… not eastward toward
the altar in the apse.
Note the windows as the base on the dome (highly unconventional). Indeed the first
dome did collapse in 558, but was rebuilt to a higher pitch (survives today)
Church of S. Vitale, Ravenna, Italy (526-547)
Octagon Central Plan
Ambulatory: an exterior passageway
Emperor Justinian I and his
Empress, Theodora
(ruled 526-565)
Also: Mosaic stories about the life of
Christ are grouped in cycles, such
as the "Incarnation" Cycle, and the
"Passion" Cycle.
Long Tunics and cloaks
The Church was the repository of
learning; the dissemination of
knowledge was under its control.
…
Feudalism Structure
…
Charles the Great (Charlemagne):
Granted the title of Emperor by the
Church of Rome in 800.
…
The Book of Kells - Illuminated
Manuscript (presented with
Scandinavian animal interlace style)
Expansion of Christian Monasteries
The floorplan shows a central portal
opening into the west end of the nave. The
transept is as wide as the nave, forming a
square at the crossing. The area of the
nave east of the crossing, consisting of the
choir (choir stalls) and the apse (altar) is
referred to now as the sanctuary.
Church of Sainte-Foy, France
German and French Influence
10th - 12th Centuries
“Romanesque” was coined in the
19th century to mean "in the
Roman manner".
• Stone Masonry (not concrete)
• Rounded Arches
• Barrel Vaults
Tympanum [tim-puh-nuhm] - the
semicircular panel above the door
lintel.
Christ is always shown larger than
his disciples and the lay people.
Church of Saint-Pierre, Moissac,
Toulouse (1115-1130)
<
Basket
Capital
Pisa Cathedral (1063)
Campanile [kam-puh-nee-lee] (1174): Baptistery not
attached to Cathedral
Interior has all the features of the early Christian basilicas,
with its arcade of Corinthian columns and coffered ceiling.
Byzantine Empire
Clothing
c. 300 to 1453
Wool and linen predominated until the 6th century.
Silk was being produced by the Byzantines as early as the 6th century, and they
continued to supply the Western world until the 9th century.
Byzantine Tunic: a narrow,
long-sleeved garment that
was worn to the ankle
Pallium [pal-ee-uhm] or
lorum (lo΄rum): a long, narrow,
heavily jeweled scarf or tabard.
Medieval
Architecture
Early Gothic
26
The term "Gothic" was coined by the Italian artist and historian
Giorgio Vasari in the 16th century. He attributed the style to the
"Goths", Germanic northerners who, in his view, had destroyed
the ancient classical civilizations that he and his
contemporaries so admired.
The Romanesque style has been
characterized as primarily masculine in
its imagery. It is a static style, full of
rough grandeur.
The Gothic style is sometimes
characterized as being more feminine in
its airy lightness.
The figure of Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) dominated this
period in France. At different times queen of both England and
France, she was a powerful political force, and a devoted
patron of the arts. From her court in Poitiers, she presided over
an aristocratic life-style that was idealized in the literature of
"Courtly Love".
> Abbey of St.
Denis, France
(1135-40)
Caen Cathedral,
Saint-Etienne, Normandy
(11-13th Century)
Twin Bell Towers…
accentuate the vertical.
Chartres Church,
France (1134-1220)…
Referred to as the
perfect embodiment of
the Gothic spirit in
glass and stone.
• the pointed arch
• ribbed groin vaulting
• the flying buttress, a gracefully
arched exterior support
• the triforium, a mid-level
passageway above the aisles that
overlooks the nave through an
arcade of columns.
Early Middle Ages
Clothing
c. 300 to 1300
Linen and wool continued to be the primary textiles in use, although cotton was
introduced as a luxury fabric from the Middle East during the invasions of the
Moors into Spain in the 8th century.
A preference for fur appeared, used in vests and cloak linings.
Braies: Loose-fitting, diaper-like underwear - girdled at the waist
Chainse [shens]: a type of gown that was made of washable material, probably
cotton or linen
Loose fitting, long tunics and
palla-like mantles were
consistently worn for several
centuries after the fall of the
Roman Empire.
Women's costume shared many
characteristics with men's dress
from the 4th through the 10th
centuries; Chemises, cotes and
surcotes were unfitted and long.
Mantle: loosly fitting outer garment. Worn over a tunic.
Journade: boxy garment, pleats on arms
During the 12th century, a radical change is
seen in the cut and fit of men's and
women's costume amongst the members of
the court.
The body was gradually revealed through
the shaping and fitting of the tunic, and the
garment resumed its full length. The tighter
fit meant that the garment could not be
slipped over the head, but required
openings down the side seams that were
laced shut.
Medieval
Architecture
High and Late Gothic
35
Amiens Cathedral, France
(1220-80)…
High Gothic's supreme statement of
elegance and verticality
Quatrefoil: 4 intersecting circles
Trefoil: a three-lobed design
Lancet: pointed-arch clerestory
windows
Cathedral of Nôtre-Dame
(East Façade:1163, West facade: 1215)
The apse made use of the first true flying buttresses,
although the present day supports were altered in the
19th century.
Sainte-Chapelle, Paris, France (1243-48)
Church of Saint-Maclou, Rouen,
France (1436-1521) is an example of
so-called Flamboyant style.
"Façade" architecture : restlessness
of form and excessive use of
decoration
Late Gothic
Late Gothic
< Exeter Cathedral (1328-48) is an
example of the English Decorated Style or
Perpendicular.
Fan Vaulting
Crenellated - or notched
> Magdalen College at Oxford
(1475-1500) is a good example of this
rectilinear style
Florence Cathedral, Italy (started 1296 but not completed until 1378)
Late Gothic
Nave was as tall, but 3 times as wide as Amiens.
Form and proportion were more important than the infiltration of light into space.
Late Middle Ages
Clothing
c. 1300 to 1500
Costume of the period emphasizes both vertical lines and the arabesque,
serpentine curve found in the motifs of Gothic architecture.
By this time the art of tailoring had advanced with the introduction of more
complex patterning and curved seams of fitted garments.
Tabard: male tunic was shortened to the
crotch, putting emphasis on the torso and
genital area, and reinforcing the message of
sexual availability in a time when the plague was
decimating the populations of Europe.
Women's costume remained long, but revealed
the body lines through an ever-increasing tight
fit.
A taste for luxury and personal individualization
in dress fostered the development of fashion.
Houppelande [hoop΄land]: large flamboyant robe with huge sleeves; belted at
waist or rib cage. The sleeve edge was sometimes cut out in square or rounded
scallops, a "dagged" edge.
Chaperon with a roundlet hat (doughnut shape).
Cote/cote-hardie [koat΄har΄de]: is thought to have
been a variant of the surcote or
outer tunic. Low, round
neckline and sleeves ending at
the elbow.
Jerkin: an outer garment.
(It gets shorter and shorter
until it is called a doublet)
Elaborate court dress
Couple courting
Doublet: originally a padded tunic worn under armor,
emerged as a long-sleeved jacket cut to fit the torso
closely, and laced closed down the front.
Pourpointe [pour-pawnt΄]: another name for a
doublet. Closed down the front with laces, also had
four strings sewn to the underside for hose to attach
Mantel: large capes
Surcote: outer layer (outer tunic).
Could be worn with or without sleeves.
Cote: Innter layer (tunic)
Kirtle: short, mid-thigh length undergown with round neck, tight fitting
sleeves, floor or longer in lengths
Fitted through the waist and wider
through the skirt
(high officials or elders wore longer)
Sideless Gown
(over Kirtle)
Parti-colored Hose
bliaut [blee΄o]: an elaborate closely fitted
garment made of silk, satin, or velvet.
Decorated with gold thread and precious
stones
Skirt and bodice sewn together (cut on the
bias)
Wimple: a fine white linen or silk scarf that
covered the neck, the center placed under
the chin and each end pulled up and
fastened above the ear or at the temple
(generally worn in combination with a veil)
Poulaine: Pointed shoes
Double Henin
(Butterfly Hat)
Chaperone with Liripipe [lir-eepahyp]: hat with a long point
Henin (Single Cone) and Sugar Loaf Hat
Heart-Shaped Hat
Fitchet: (modern pockets) to be worn with outdoor garments so wearer could put
hands in for warmth or reach a purse hanging from a belt.
Furniture
53
Byzantine Furniture and Decoration
General Characteristics:
• use of anti-naturalistic forms in favor of a
new hieratic or "priestly" style.
• decoration based on organic forms,
characterized by flowing lines and swirling
shapes, known as arabesque line.
• stylized animal motifs - griffins, lions,
serpents, and vegetal motifs
•an anti-classical approach that was
decorative
•a love of ostentatious and rich ornament
covering every surface.
Throne of Maximian: Ivory and Wood (c. 550)
< Virgin and Child from Constantinople
High Back Thrones
Architectural Shell Motif
Monster legs of Roman marble
table supports, attesting to the
classical influence that hung on
in Byzantine art.
Throne of Dagobert: Bronze
Baldaquin [bal-duh-kin], or canopy, often draped with fabric in the antique style
Romanesque Furniture
and Decoration
Romanesque architecture
was rough, static and
grandiose, a synthesis of
Roman and Barbarian
influences.
Its furniture was a
synthesis of Celtic,
Scandinavian and German
influences.
Gothic Furniture and Decoration
Multilobular arch
Arabesque
Fleur-de-lis
Horseshoe arch
Discuss these 2 images in regard
to the ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
^ Pompeii: “Painting of the
Sacrifice of Iphigenia.”
The Tale of the Meliacin,
manuscript, French (c. 14th
Century)