Medieval Europe Art

Byzantine monumental Church mosaics are one of the great achievements of medieval art. These are from in from the late 12th century.The medieval art of the covers a vast scope of time and place, over 1000 years of art in, and at times the Middle East and North Africa.

You searched for: europe art medieval! Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and one-of-a-kind products and gifts related to your search. No matter what you’re looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Let’s get started! The Middle Ages were a period of European history between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance. Learn more about the art, culture and history of the Middle Ages.

It includes major art movements and periods, national and regional art, genres, revivals, the artists' crafts, and the artists themselves.Art historians attempt to classify medieval art into major periods and styles, often with some difficulty. A generally accepted scheme includes the later phases of, and, as well as many other periods within these central styles.

In addition each region, mostly during the period in the process of becoming or cultures, had its own distinct artistic style, such as or.Medieval art was produced in many media, and works survive in large numbers in, and, all of which have had a higher survival rate than other media such as wall-paintings, work in precious metals or, including. Especially in the early part of the period, works in the so-called 'minor arts' or, such as metalwork, ivory carving, and using precious metals, were probably more highly valued than paintings or.Medieval art in Europe grew out of the artistic heritage of the and the of the. These sources were mixed with the vigorous 'barbarian' artistic culture of Northern Europe to produce a remarkable artistic legacy. Indeed, the history of medieval art can be seen as the history of the interplay between the elements of, early Christian and 'barbarian' art. Apart from the formal aspects of classicism, there was a continuous tradition of realistic depiction of objects that survived in Byzantine art throughout the period, while in the West it appears intermittently, combining and sometimes competing with new expressionist possibilities developed in Western Europe and the Northern legacy of energetic decorative elements.

The period ended with the self-perceived recovery of the skills and values of classical art, and the artistic legacy of the was then for some centuries. Since a revival of interest and understanding in the 19th century it has been seen as a period of enormous achievement that underlies the development of later Western art. Detail of The Effects of Good Government, a in the by, 1338.The in Europe saw a decrease in prosperity, stability, and population in the first centuries of the period—to about 800 AD, and then a fairly steady and general increase until the massive setback of the around 1350, which is estimated to have killed at least a third of the overall population in Europe, with generally higher rates in the south and lower in the north.

Many regions did not regain their former population levels until the 17th century. The is estimated to have reached a low point of about 18 million in 650, to have doubled around the year 1000, and to have reached over 70 million by 1340, just before the Black Death.

In 1450 it was still only 50 million. To these figures, Northern Europe, especially Britain, contributed a lower proportion than today, and Southern Europe, including France, a higher one. The increase in prosperity, for those who survived, was much less affected by the Black Death. Until about the 11th century most of Europe was short of agricultural labour, with large amounts of unused land, and the benefited agriculture until about 1315. Scenes of on a lady's mirror-case. Paris, 1300–1330.The medieval period eventually saw the falling away of the invasions and incursions from outside the area that characterized the first millennium.

The of the 6th and 7th century suddenly and permanently removed all of North Africa from the Western world, and over the rest of the period Islamic peoples gradually took over the, until the end of the Middle Ages when Catholic Europe, having regained the Iberian peninsula in the southwest, was once again under Muslim threat from the southeast.At the start of the medieval period most significant works of art were very rare and costly objects associated with secular elites, monasteries or major churches and, if religious, largely produced by monks. By the end of the Middle Ages works of considerable artistic interest could be found in small villages and significant numbers of homes in towns, and their production was in many places an important local industry, with artists from the now the exception. However the permitted the sale of works of art by monasteries, and it is clear that throughout the period monks might produce art, including secular works, commercially for a lay market, and monasteries would equally hire lay specialists where necessary.The impression may be left by the surviving works that almost all medieval art was religious. This is far from the case; though the church became very wealthy over the Middle Ages and was prepared at times to spend lavishly on art, there was also much secular art of equivalent quality which has suffered from a far higher rate of wear and tear, loss and destruction. The Middle Ages generally lacked the concept of preserving older works for their artistic merit, as opposed to their association with a saint or founder figure, and the following periods of the Renaissance and tended to disparage medieval art. Most luxury illuminated manuscripts of the Early Middle Ages had lavish book-covers in precious metal, ivory and jewels; the re-bound pages and ivory for the covers have survived in far greater numbers than complete covers, which have mostly been stripped off for their valuable materials at some point.

The of the, c. 870, a Carolingian.Most churches have been rebuilt, often several times, but medieval palaces and large houses have been lost at a far greater rate, which is also true of their fittings and decoration. In England, churches survive largely intact from every century since the 7th, and in considerable numbers for the later ones—the city of alone has 40 medieval churches—but of the dozens of royal palaces none survive from earlier than the 11th century, and only a handful of remnants from the rest of the period. The situation is similar in most of Europe, though the 14th century in survives largely intact. Many of the longest running scholarly disputes over the date and origin of individual works relate to secular pieces, because they are so much rarer - the Anglo-Saxon was refused by the as an implausible fake, and small free-standing secular bronze sculptures are so rare that the date, origin and even authenticity of both of the two best examples has been argued over for decades.The use of valuable materials is a constant in medieval art; until the end of the period, far more was typically spent on buying them than on paying the artists, even if these were not monks performing their duties.

Was used for objects for churches and palaces, personal jewellery and the fittings of clothes, and—fixed to the back of glass —as a solid background for, or applied as to miniatures in manuscripts and panel paintings. Many objects using precious metals were made in the knowledge that their bullion value might be realized at a future point—only near the end of the period could money be invested other than in, except at great risk or by committing. The small private for, c. 1400, with stamped gold backgrounds and much.The even more expensive, made from ground obtainable only from, was used lavishly in the Gothic period, more often for the traditional blue outer mantle of the than for skies., often painted, was an important material until the very end of the period, well illustrating the shift in luxury art to secular works; at the beginning of the period most uses were shifting from to religious objects such as book-covers, and, but in the Gothic period secular mirror-cases, caskets and decorated combs become common among the well-off. Rome, completed 315: The lower long, with squat figures of size varying with status, is of that date, while the are taken from a monument of nearly 200 years earlier, which maintains a classical style.Early Christian art, more generally described as art, covers the period from about 200 (before which no distinct Christian art survives), until the onset of a fully in about 500.

There continue to be different views as to when the medieval period begins during this time, both in terms of general history and specifically art history, but it is most often placed late in the period. In the course of the 4th century Christianity went from being a persecuted popular sect to the official religion of the Empire, adapting existing Roman styles and often, from both popular and Imperial art. From the start of the period the main survivals of Christian art are the tomb-paintings in popular styles of the, but by the end there were a number of lavish mosaics in churches built under Imperial patronage.Over this period imperial Late went through a strikingly 'baroque' phase, and then largely abandoned classical style and Greek realism in favour of a more mystical and hieratic style—a process that was well underway before Christianity became a major influence on imperial art. Influences from Eastern parts of the Empire—, and beyond, and also a robust 'Italic' vernacular tradition, contributed to this process.Figures are mostly seen frontally staring out at the viewer, where classical art tended to show a profile view - the change was eventually seen even on coins. The individuality of portraits, a great strength of Roman art, declines sharply, and the anatomy and drapery of figures is shown with much less realism. The models from which medieval Northern Europe in particular formed its idea of 'Roman' style were nearly all portable Late Antique works, and the Late Antique carved found all over the former Roman Empire; the determination to find earlier 'purer' classical models, was a key element in the art all'antica of the Renaissance.Ivory reliefs.

Plays the in the 10th century, a classicising work of the Macedonian period.Byzantine art is the art of the Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire formed after the division of the Roman Empire between Eastern and Western halves, and sometimes of parts of Italy under Byzantine rule. It emerges from Late Antiquity in about 500 CE and soon formed a tradition distinct from that of Catholic Europe but with great influence over it. In the early medieval period the best Byzantine art, often from the large Imperial workshops, represented an ideal of sophistication and technique which European patrons tried to emulate. During the period of in 730-843 the vast majority of (sacred images usually painted on wood) were destroyed; so little remains that today any discovery sheds new understanding, and most remaining works are in Italy (Rome and etc.), or Egypt at.Byzantine art was extremely conservative, for religious and cultural reasons, but retained a continuous tradition of Greek realism, which contended with a strong anti-realist and hieratic impulse. After the resumption of icon production in 843 until 1453 the Byzantine art tradition continued with relatively few changes, despite, or because of, the slow decline of the Empire.

There was a notable in works of 10th century court art like the, and throughout the period manuscript illumination shows parallel styles, often used by the same artist, for iconic figures in framed miniatures and more informal small scenes or figures added unframed in the margins of the text in a much more realist style.with figures remained a taboo in Byzantine art; hardly any exceptions are known. But small ivory reliefs, almost all in the iconic mode (the is of similar date to the Paris Psalter, but very different in style), were a speciality, as was relief decoration on bowls and other metal objects.The Byzantine Empire produced much of the finest art of the Middle Ages in terms of quality of material and workmanship, with court production centred on, although some art historians have questioned the assumption, still commonly made, that all work of the best quality with no indication as to origin was produced in the capital. Byzantine art's crowning achievement were the monumental and inside domed churches, most of which have not survived due to natural disasters and the appropriation of churches to. 6th or 7th century shares in more homely form the anti-realist style of Byzantine iconic art.Byzantine art exercised a continuous trickle of influence on Western European art, and the splendours of the Byzantine court and monasteries, even at the end of the Empire, provided a model for Western rulers and secular and clerical patrons. For example, textiles, often woven or embroidered with designs of both animal and human figures, the former often reflecting traditions originating much further east, were unexcelled in the Christian world until almost the end of the Empire. These were produced, but probably not entirely so, in Imperial workshops in Constantinople, about whose operations we know next to nothing—similar workshops are often conjectured for other arts, with even less evidence.

Some other decorative arts were less developed; Byzantine rarely rise above the level of attractive, despite the and the impressive future in the period of and other types of pottery.The of Egypt took a different path; after the separated in the mid-5th century it was never again supported by the state, and native Egyptian influences dominated to produce a completely non-realist and somewhat naive style of large-eyed figures floating in blank space. This was capable of great expressiveness, and took the 'Eastern' component of Byzantine art to its logical conclusions. Coptic decoration used intricate geometric designs, often anticipating Islamic art.

Because of the exceptionally good preservation of Egyptian burials, we know more about the textiles used by the less well-off in Egypt than anywhere else. These were often elaborately decorated with figurative and patterned designs. Other local traditions in, and elsewhere showed generally less sophistication, but often more vigour than the art of, and sometimes, especially in, seem to have had influence even in Western Europe. For example, figurative monumental sculpture on the outside of churches appears here some centuries before it is seen in the West.

Migration Period through Christianization. Shoulder-clasp from, Anglo-Saxon, c. Interlaced biting snakes and confronted (end sections) are depicted entirely schematically.Migration Period art describes the art of the ' Germanic and Eastern-European peoples who were on the move, and then settling within the former Roman Empire, during the from about 300-700; the blanket term covers a wide range of ethnic or regional styles including early, and, all of which made use of the as well as geometric motifs derived from classical art. By this period the animal style had reached a much more abstracted form than in earlier.

Most artworks were small and portable and those surviving are mostly jewellery and metalwork, with the art expressed in geometric or schematic designs, often beautifully conceived and made, with few human figures and no attempt at realism. The early Anglo-Saxon from are among the best examples.As the 'barbarian' peoples were, these influences interacted with the post-classical Mediterranean Christian artistic tradition, and new forms like the, and indeed, which attempted to emulate and types. Early coinage like the shows designers completely unused to depicting a head in profile grappling with the problem in a variety of different ways.As for larger works, there are references to Anglo-Saxon wooden pagan statues, all now lost, and in Norse art the tradition of carved was maintained after their conversion to Christianity. The Celtic of Scotland also before and after conversion, and the distinctive Anglo-Saxon and Irish tradition of may reflect earlier pagan works. From later centuries in and parts of the British Isles includes work from both pagan and Christian backgrounds, and was one of the last flowerings of this broad group of styles. Ancestors legacy gamefaqs. 715; decoration invades the text of the beginning of:'Liber generationis Jesu Christi filii David, filii Abraham'.Insular art refers to the distinct style found in Ireland and Britain from about the 7th century, to about the 10th century, lasting later in Ireland, and parts of Scotland.

The style saw a fusion between the traditions of, the Germanic of the and the Christian forms of the book, and liturgical metalwork.Extremely detailed geometric, and stylised animal decoration, with forms derived from secular metalwork like, spread boldly across manuscripts, usually like the, with whole devoted to such designs, and the development of the large decorated. There were very few human figures—most often these were —and these were crude, even when closely following Late Antique models.The insular manuscript style was transmitted to the continent by the, and its anti-classical energy was extremely important in the formation of later medieval styles. In most Late Antique manuscripts text and decoration were kept clearly apart, though some initials began to be enlarged and elaborated, but major insular manuscripts sometimes take a whole page for a single initial or the first few words (see illustration) at beginnings of gospels or other sections in a book. Allowing decoration a 'right to roam' was to be very influential on Romanesque and Gothic art in all media.The buildings of the monasteries for which the insular gospel books were made were then small and could fairly be called primitive, especially in Ireland. There increasingly were other decorations to churches, where possible in precious metals, and a handful of these survive, like the, together with a larger number of extremely ornate and finely made pieces of secular high-status jewellery, the probably worn mainly by men, of which the is the most spectacular.' Franco-Saxon' is a term for a school of late Carolingian illumination in north-eastern France that used insular-style decoration, including super-large initials, sometimes in combination with figurative images typical of contemporary French styles. The 'most tenacious of all the Carolingian styles', it continued until as late as the 11th century.Giant initials.

Main article:during the Middle Ages falls outside the scope of this article, but it was widely imported and admired by European elites, and its influence needs mention. Islamic art covers a wide variety of media including calligraphy, illustrated manuscripts, textiles, ceramics, metalwork and glass, and refers to the art of Muslim countries in the Near East, Islamic Spain, and Northern Africa, though by no means always Muslim artists or craftsmen., for example, remained a speciality throughout the period, and Christian art, as in continued, especially during the earlier centuries, keeping some contacts with Europe. There was an early formative stage from 600-900 and the development of regional styles from 900 onwards. Early Islamic art used mosaic artists and sculptors trained in the Byzantine and Coptic traditions. Instead of wall-paintings, Islamic art used painted, from as early as 862-3 (at the of in modern ), which also spread to Europe. According to, the in contains 'three elements in exactly equal proportions — the Roman, the Lombard, and Arab.

It is the central building of the world. The history of Gothic architecture is the history of the refinement and spiritualisation of Northern work under its influence'.Islamic rulers controlled at various points parts of Southern Italy and most of modern Spain and Portugal, as well as the, all of which retained large Christian populations. The Christian equally ruled Islamic populations. Is mainly a hybrid of Catholic and Byzantine styles, with little Islamic influence, but the of Christians in seems to show considerable influence from Islamic art, though the results are little like contemporary Islamic works. Detail of a from Spain, before 672. Part of the.Pre-Romanesque is a term for architecture and to some extent pictorial and portable art found initially in Southern Europe (Spain, Italy and Southern France) between the Late Antique period to the start of the Romanesque period in the 11th century.

Northern European art gradually forms part of the movement after as it assimilates post-classical styles. The of the, especially modern France and Germany, from roughly 780-900 takes its name from and is an art of the court circle and a few monastic centres under Imperial patronage, that consciously sought to revive 'Roman' styles and standards as befitted the new. Some centres of Carolingian production also pioneered expressive styles in works like the. Christian is recorded for the first time, and depiction of the human figure in narrative scenes became confident for the first time in Northern art.

Produced larger buildings than had been seen since Roman times, and the and other innovations.After the collapse of the dynasty there was a hiatus before a new dynasty brought a revival in Germany with, again centred on the court and monasteries, with art that moved towards great expressiveness through simple forms that achieve monumentality even in small works like and, above all those of the, such as the (1002–1012). Later in England, from about 900, was expressive in a very different way, with agitated figures and even drapery perhaps best shown in the many pen drawings in manuscripts. The of Christian Spain had strong Islamic influence, and a complete lack of interest in realism in its brilliantly coloured miniatures, where figures are presented as entirely flat patterns. Both of these were to influence the formation in France of the Romanesque style. At, mid-12th century. Above, the below.Romanesque art developed in the period between about 1000 to the rise of Gothic art in the 12th century, in conjunction with the rise of monasticism in Western Europe.

The style developed initially in France, but spread to Christian Spain, England, Flanders, Germany, Italy, and elsewhere to become the first medieval style found all over Europe, though with regional differences. The arrival of the style coincided with a great increase in church-building, and in the size of and larger churches; many of these were rebuilt in subsequent periods, but often reached roughly their present size in the Romanesque period.

Is dominated by thick walls, massive structures conceived as a single organic form, with roofs and round-headed windows and arches.Figurative sculpture, originally colourfully painted, plays an integral and important part in these buildings, in the of columns, as well as around impressive, usually centred on a above the main doors, as at. Reliefs are much more common than free-standing statues in stone, but Romanesque relief became much higher, with some elements fully detached from the wall behind. Large carvings also became important, especially painted wooden like the from the very start of the period, and figures of the like the. Royalty and the higher clergy began to commission life-size effigies for. Some churches had massive pairs of doors decorated with narrative relief panels, like the or those at, 'the first decorated bronze doors cast in one piece in the West since Roman times', and arguably the finest before the Renaissance.Most churches were extensively frescoed; a typical scheme had at the east (altar) end, a at the west end over the doors, and scenes from the facing matching scenes on the walls.

The 'greatest surviving monument of Romanesque wall painting', much reduced from what was originally there, is in the near, where the rounded of the, the, and other areas retain most of their paintings. An equivalent cycle in at in southern Italy by Italian painters trained by Greeks illustrates the continuing predominance of Byzantine style in much of Italy.

French with men slaying a monster, from a theological manuscript. 1110–1115Romanesque sculpture and painting is often extremely vigorous and expressive, and very inventive in terms of —the subjects chosen and their treatment. Though many features absorbed from classical art form part of the Romanesque style, Romanesque artists rarely intended to achieve any sort of classical effect, except perhaps in.

As art became seen by a wider section of the population, and because of challenges from new, art became more didactic, and the local church the '. At the same time grotesque beasts and monsters, and fights with or between them, were popular themes, to which religious meanings might be loosely attached, although this did not impress St, who famously denounced such distractions in monasteries:But in the cloister, in the sight of the reading monks, what is the point of such ridiculous monstrosity, the strange kind of shapely shapelessness? Why these unsightly monkeys, why these fierce lions, why the monstrous centaurs, why semi-humans, why spotted tigers, why fighting soldiers, why trumpeting huntsmen?.

In short there is such a variety and such a diversity of strange shapes everywhere that we may prefer to read the marbles rather than the books.He might well have known the miniature at left, which was produced at before the young Bernard was transferred from there in 1115.During the period became the dominant approach in theological literature and art to interpreting the bible, with incidents seen as pre-figurations of aspects of the life of Christ, and shown paired with their corresponding New Testament episode. Often the iconography of the New Testament scene was based on traditions and models originating in Late Antiquity, but the iconography of the Old Testament episode had to be invented in this period, for lack of precedents. New themes such as the were devised, and representations of became more acceptable.

The vast majority of surviving art is religious. Was an especially refined regional style, with much superb metalwork surviving, often combined with, and elements of classicism rare in Romanesque art, as in the, or the at, one of a number of surviving works by, whose services were sought across north-western Europe.became a significant art-form in the period, though little Romanesque glass survives. In illuminated manuscripts the bible became a new focus of intensive decoration, with the also remaining important. The strong emphasis on the suffering of Christ and other sacred figures entered Western art in this period, a feature that strongly distinguishes it from both Byzantine and classical art for the remainder of the Middle Ages and beyond. The Gero Cross of 965-970, at the cusp of Ottonian and Romanesque art, has been called the first work to exhibit this. The end of the Romanesque period saw the start of the greatly increased emphasis on the in theology, literature and so also art that was to reach its full extent in the Gothic period. 1220; the best High Gothic sculpture had largely rediscovered the art of naturalistic figure representation.Gothic art is a variable term depending on the craft, place and time.

The term originated with the which developed in France from about 1137 with the rebuilding of the. As with Romanesque architecture, this included as an integral part of the style, with even larger and other figures on the of churches the location of the most important sculpture, until the late period, when large carved and, usually in painted and gilded wood, became an important focus in many churches.

Did not appear until around 1200 (this date has many qualifications), when it diverged from Romanesque style. A originates in France around 1144 and spread throughout Europe, becoming by the 13th century the international style, replacing Romanesque, though in sculpture and painting the transition was not as sharp as in architecture.The majority of Romanesque cathedrals and large churches were replaced by Gothic buildings, at least in those places benefiting from the economic growth of the period—Romanesque architecture is now best seen in areas that were subsequently relatively depressed, like many southern regions of France and Italy, or northern Spain.

The new architecture allowed for much larger windows, and stained glass of a quality never excelled is perhaps the type of art most associated in the popular mind with the Gothic, although churches with nearly all their original glass, like the in Paris, are extremely rare anywhere, and unknown in Britain.Most Gothic wall-paintings have also disappeared; these remained very common, though in parish churches often rather crudely executed. Secular buildings also often had wall-paintings, although royalty preferred the much more expensive tapestries, which were carried along as they travelled between their many palaces and castles, or taken with them on military campaigns—the finest collection of late-medieval textile art comes from the Swiss booty at the, when they defeated and killed, and captured all his baggage train. The central panel of 's huge for.As mentioned in the previous section, the Gothic period coincided with a greatly increased emphasis on the Virgin Mary, and it was in this period that the became such a hallmark of Catholic art. Saints were also portrayed far more often, and many of the range of developed to identify them visually for a still largely illiterate public first appeared.During this period for altarpieces, often and smaller works became newly important.

Previously on panels had been much more common in Byzantine art than in the West, although many now lost panel paintings made in the West are documented from much earlier periods, and initially Western painters on panel were very largely under the sway of Byzantine models, especially in Italy, from where most early Western panel paintings come. The process of establishing a distinct Western style was begun by and, and completed by, who is traditionally regarded as the starting point for the development of Renaissance painting. Most panel painting remained more conservative than miniature painting however, partly because it was seen by a wide public. Reconstruction of the temple of Jerusalem, Burgundian miniature, c.

1460.describes courtly Gothic art from about 1360 to 1430, after which Gothic art begins to merge into the that had begun to form itself in Italy during the, with a return to classical principles of composition and realism, with the sculptor and the painter as especially formative figures. The is one of the best known works of International Gothic. The transition to the Renaissance occurred at different times in different places - is poised between the two, as is the Italian painter. Outside Italy Renaissance styles appeared in some works in courts and some wealthy cities while other works, and all work beyond these centres of innovation, continued late Gothic styles for a period of some decades. The often provided an end point for the Gothic tradition in areas that went Protestant, as it was associated with Catholicism.The invention of a comprehensive mathematically based system of is a defining achievement of the early-15th-century in, but Gothic painting had already made great progress in the naturalistic depiction of distance and volume, though it did not usually regard them as essential features of a work if other aims conflicted with them, and late Gothic sculpture was increasingly naturalistic. In the mid-15th century Burgundian miniature (right) the artist seems keen to show his skill at representing buildings and blocks of stone obliquely, and managing scenes at different distances. But his general attempt to reduce the size of more distant elements is unsystematic.

Sections of the composition are at a similar scale, with relative distance shown by overlapping, and further objects being higher than nearer ones, though the workmen at left do show finer adjustment of size. But this is abandoned on the right where the most important figure is much larger than the mason. Death comes for the Cardinal, from a printed with hand colour, c. 1455–58, an early example of the.The end of the period includes new media such as; along with small panel paintings these were frequently used for the emotive ('devotional images') influenced by new religious trends of the period. These were images of moments detached from the narrative of the designed for meditation on his sufferings, or those of the Virgin: the,.

The trauma of the in the mid-14th century was at least partly responsible for the popularity of themes such as the. Opening from the, c. 1440, with Catherine kneeling before the Virgin and Child, surrounded by her family heraldry. Opposite is the start of in the, illustrated by the Annunciation to.

The typical exuberantly decorated margins descend from, and are unlike anything in the Byzantine tradition.The, a type of manuscript normally owned by laymen, or even more often, laywomen, became the type of manuscript most often heavily illustrated from the 14th century onwards, and also by this period, the lead in producing miniatures had passed to lay artists, also very often women. In the most important centres of illumination, Paris and in the 15th century the cities of, there were large workshops, exporting to other parts of Europe. Other forms of art, such as small ivory reliefs, stained glass, tapestries and (cheap carved panels for altarpieces) were produced in similar conditions, and artists and craftsmen in cities were usually covered by the system—the 's guild was typically among the richest in a city, and painters were members of a special in many places.Secular works, often using subjects concerned with or, were produced as illuminated manuscripts, carved ivory mirror-cases, tapestries and elaborate gold table centrepieces like. It begins to be possible to distinguish much greater numbers of individual artists, some of whom had international reputations. Art collectors begin to appear, of manuscripts among the great nobles, like (1340–1416) and of prints and other works among those with moderate wealth. In the wealthier areas tiny cheap religious brought art in an approximation of the latest style even into the homes of peasants by the late 15th century.Virgin Mary. The Assault on the Castle of Love, attacked by and defended by ladies, was a popular subject for Gothic ivory mirror-cases.

Paris, 14th century.Medieval art had little sense of its own art history, and this disinterest was continued in later periods. The Renaissance generally dismissed it as a 'barbarous' product of the ', and the was invented as a deliberately pejorative one, first used by the painter in a letter of 1519 to characterise all that had come between the demise of Classical art and its supposed 'rebirth' in the. The term was subsequently adopted and popularised in the mid 16th century by the Florentine artist and historian, who used it to denigrate northern European architecture generally. Illuminated manuscripts continued to be collected by, or sit unregarded in monastic or royal libraries, but paintings were mostly of interest if they had historical associations with royalty or others.

The long period of mistreatment of the by is an example; until the 19th century it was only regarded as a useful piece of timber. But their large portrait of was well looked after, like another portrait of Richard, the (illustrated above). As in the Middle Ages themselves, other objects have often survived mainly because they were considered to be.There was no equivalent for pictorial art of the ' found in architecture, once the style had finally died off in Germany, England and, and the long focused on rather than art.

The understanding of the succession of styles was still very weak, as suggested by the title of 's pioneering book on English architecture: An Attempt to discriminate the Styles of English Architecture from the Conquest to the Reformation (1817). This began to change with a vengeance by the mid-19th century, as appreciation of medieval sculpture and its painting, known as Italian or Flemish 'Primitives', became fashionable under the influence of writers including, and, as well as the romantic of literary works like Sir 's (1819) and 's (1831). Early collectors of the 'Primitives', then still relatively cheap, included. Joseph's Dream from the Byzantinesque at, the subject of much controversy since their discovery in 1944, and now generally dated to the 10th century.By the later 19th century many book-illustrators and producers of decorative art of various kinds had learned to use medieval styles successfully from the new museums like the set up for this purpose. At the same time the new academic field of, dominated by Germany and France, concentrated heavily on medieval art and was soon very productive in cataloguing and dating the surviving works, and analysing the development of medieval styles and iconography; though the Late Antique and pre-Carolingian period remained a less explored 'no-man's land' until the 20th century.was the first to name and describe Carolingian art in 1837; like many art historians of the period he sought to find and promote the national spirit of his own nation in art history, a search begun by in the 18th century. Kugler's pupil, the great Swiss art historian, though he could not be called a specialist in medieval art, was an important figure in developing the understanding of it.

Medieval art was now heavily collected, both by museums and private collectors like, the and.After the decline of the, and the use of Insular styles, the anti-realist and expressive elements of medieval art have still proved an inspiration for many modern artists.German-speaking art historians continued to dominate medieval art history, despite figures like (1862–1954) and (1881–1943), until the Nazi period, when a large number of important figures emigrated, mostly to Britain or America, where the academic study of art history was still developing. These included the elderly and younger figures including, and many others. Had immigrated as a child in 1907.Jewish portrayals in medieval Christian art.

At the, ParisThe great majority of narrative religious medieval art depicted events from the Bible, where the majority of persons shown had been Jewish. But the extent to which this was emphasized in their depictions varied greatly. During the Middle Ages some Christian art was used as a way to express prejudices and commonly held negative views.In Medieval Europe between the 5th and 15th century many Christians viewed Jews as enemies and outsiders due to a variety of factors. They also tended to hate them for being both culturally and religiously different as well as because of religious teachings that held negative views of Jewish people such as portrayals of the Antichrist as Jewish. The Jewish people's economic position as moneylenders, coupled with royal protections that were given to themcreated a strained relationship between Jews and Christians.

This strain manifested itself in several ways, one of which was through the creation of and art and propaganda that served the purpose of discrediting both Jews and their religious beliefs as well as spreading these beliefs even further into society. Late medieval images of represented the Christian doctrine of, whereby the Christian had replaced the Jewish Sara Lipton has argued that some portrayals, such as depictions of Jewish blindness in the presence of Jesus, were meant to serve as a form of self-reflection rather than be explicitly anti-Semitic.In her 2013 book Saracens, Demons, and Jews, Debra Higgs Strickland argues that negative portrayals of Jews in medieval art can be divided into three categories: art that focused on physical descriptions, art that featured signs of damnation, and images that depicted Jews as monsters. Physical depictions of Jewish people in medieval Christian art were often men with pointed and long beards, which was done as a derogatory symbol and to separate Jews from Christians in a clear manner. This portrayal would grow more virulent over time, however Jewish women lacked similar distinctive physical descriptions in high medieval Christian art.

Art that depicted Jewish people in scenes that featured signs of damnation is believed to have stemmed from the Christian belief that Jews were responsible for the murder of Christ, which has led to some artistic representations featured Jews crucifying Christ. Jewish people were sometimes seen as outsiders in Christianity dominated societies, which Strickland states developed into the belief that Jews were barbarians, which eventually expanded into the idea that Jewish people were monsters that rejected the 'True Faith'. Some art from this time period combined these concepts and morphed the stereotypical Jewish beard and pointed hat imagery with that of monsters, creating art that made the Jew synonymous with a monster.The reasons for these negative depictions of Jews can be traced back to many sources, but mainly stem from the Jews being charged with deicide, their religious and cultural differences from their cultural neighbors, and how the antichrist was often depicted as Jewish in medieval writings and texts.

The Jews were recently blamed for the death of Christ and were thus negatively depicted by the Christians in both art and scripture alike. The tensions between Jews and Christians were incredibly high and this caused various stereotypes about Jews to form and become commonplace in their artistic depiction. Some of the attributes seen distinguishing Jews from their Christian counterparts in pieces of art are pointed hats, hooked and crooked noses, and long beards. By including these attributes in the portrayal of Jews in art, Christians succeeded in ‘othering’ Jews more than they already were and made them seem even more ostracized and segregated from the general population than they already were.

Not only were these attributes added into depictions of Jewish People, they were generally portrayed as villainous and monstrous because of their supposed murder of Christ as well their rejection of Christ as the messiah. This, coupled with the fact that they lived in largely insular groups separated them greatly from their Christian neighbors and caused a lasting rift between the groups that are reflected in the medieval art.See also.Notes.

Many of your students may have a very foggy idea about the historical and cultural developments in the West prior to year 1000. Oftentimes, influenced by popular culture, they simply think of this period as mysterious “dark ages.” You may take a quick poll to check how many of them agree with this label and then discuss what ideas they associate with it. Use this as an opportunity to correct this unjust, but widely held view. The period after the dissolution of Roman Empire and up to the year 1000 was an incredibly formative period of western medieval art culture, a time of great innovations and production of unique artifacts.These major societal, cultural, and artistic changes resulted from the fusion of three important traditions: Graeco-Roman heritage, the traditions of various people living or newly settled in Northern Europe, and a relatively new Christian faith.

Although some were initially viewed as barbarians (foreigners) by the Romans, the northern settlers quickly adapted to Roman community life with many of them rising to prominent positions. Other settlers from Central Asia chose to establish their own communities in Europe to challenge the previous structures. This constant movement and migration happened primarily during the fourth and fifth centuries. In the following centuries, these various groups merged providing foundations for today’s European nations. Originally pagan, the settlers gradually converted to Christianity and adopted many of the Roman customs and laws, which helped to unify these heterogeneous populations.A few themes to stress throughout the lecture include art as a form of status symbol, the fusion of Mediterranean Christian and native pagan traditions, and the selective survival of artifacts.

This will help students to understand that early Medieval art was not purely aesthetic, but also a symbol that could proclaim one’s status, education, identity, and culture. Also, by stressing that the archaeological evidence surviving from this period is very patchy, consisting mainly of small portable and non-perishable objects recovered from burial sites, students will be less likely to judge this period as “dark ages” devoid of artistic and cultural production and innovation. In addition, later buildings replaced most architecture, such as churches and palaces, and many other artifacts produced from wood, leather, and other natural materials did not survive in the northern climate. A great place to start is the Oxford History of Art Series books. Lawrence Nees’s Early Medieval Art (Oxford University Press, 2002) provides a wonderful overview of the non-architectural arts of the period all organized into concise thematic units. Roger Stalley’s Early Medieval Architecture (Oxford University Press, 1999) is a survey of extant architecture from the Carolingian to Romanesque period, although he mostly focuses on British and north-western European examples.Henry Luttikhuitzen and Dorothy Verkerk’s Snyder’s Medieval Art (Pearson, 2005) provides a comprehensive survey, although it is less focused on the contextual and cultural analysis of the artifacts. To learn about manuscripts, I strongly recommend Raymond Clemens and Timothy Graham’s Introduction to Manuscript Studies (Cornell University Press, 2007).Smarthistory also has in this area including a video on manuscript production and illumination that you may show in class.

A beginner’s guide to medieval Europe and Latin Europe may be especially useful way for the students to sort the material when preparing for the exam. Amy Raffel (editor) is a PhD candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center. She has a Master’s degree in Contemporary Art history from the Institute of Fine Arts (NYU) and has taught Introduction to Modern Art as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at Lehman College since 2010. Currently, Amy is a genome contributor for Artsy and editor and contributor of Art History Teaching Resources. ArtHistoryTeachingResources.org is licensed under a.AHTR is grateful for funding from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and the CUNY Graduate Center.