The Middle Ages

1. Medieval Art

2. Medieval Times
Period of History in Europe between the Collapse of the
Roman Empire and The Renaissance (6th – 14th Centuries CE)
Terms Medieval / Middle Ages reflects the view of early
historians who saw this period as an age of ignorance, decline,
barbarism between two “golden ages”
This period is important in the development of Europe

3. The Christian Church
• During the Middle Ages in Europe, the Christian Church was very
powerful and wealthy
• The Christian Church was the main repository of learning and the
arts
• The Christian Church was the primary Patron of the Arts, hiring
artists to make art and architecture

4. Manuscripts
• A manuscript is a handwritten book or document also known as an
“Illuminated Manuscript”
• Manuscripts were made before the invention of the printing press
• Many manuscripts were made by monks
• A scribe is the person who writes in a manuscript and the illuminator
does the drawings
• Most manuscripts during the Middle Ages in Europe told Christian
stories

5. Chi Rho Page

6. Chi Rho Page, Page from
Manuscript (Drawing),
Medieval Art, 800 CE, 13 x 9.5
inches
• Chi Rho Iota are Greek letters which
represent the first three letters of
Christ’s name
• from the Book of Kells, a book made by
monks on an island near Scotland
• Illuminated Manuscript written in Latin
containing the four Gospels of the New
Testament (Bible)
• The ink and colors for the book were
imported from the Near East
•Celtic style (the Celts were a group from
the British isles) – Celtic style uses “knots”
– intertwining / overlapping lines and
shapes – also influenced by Barbarians
• The design also contains images of St.
Matthew, and moths (symbol of Christ)

7. Page from
Book of Kells

8. Detail from Book of Kells

9. Detail from Book of Kells

10. Matthew the Evangelist

11. Page with Matthew the Evangelist, page
from Manuscript (Ink and Colors on Vellum),
850 CE, 10 1/4 x 8 1/4 inches
• Page from the Ebbo Gospels
(Gospel Book of the Archbishop of
Reims) from Hautvillers, France
•An evangelist is someone who
receives messages from God
• Matthew is listening to the words
from God sent from an angel (upper
right hand corner).
•Matthew wrote stories in the Old
Testament (Bible)
• Powerful message – feeling of
wind blowing and “energy”

12. Manuscript Cover

13. • Manusscript named after the Abbey of
Lindau on Lake Constance (Germany),
where it was once housed. Cover was
likely made in Salzburg, Austria.
• Manuscripts often had elaborate book
covers
• Story of Crucifixion of Christ (Christ on
the Cross / suffering)
• Mourning Figures on both sides of the
Crucifix
• Angels on each side of the Crucifix on
the top and in the “frame”
• Gold with gemstones and pearls
• Repousse technique – type of relief
(pushing out from the back with tools)
Crucifixion with Angels
and Mourning Figures,
outer cover of Lindau
Gospels (Gold with relief
and Precious Stones /
Pearls), 880 CE, 35 x 27
cm

14. Viking Burial Ship

15. Viking Burial Ship
Burial Ship (Oseberg Ship), Norway,
Wood, 815-820 CE
Vikings – Seafaring
culture from Scandanavia
– colonized a vast area of
Europe in 9th and 10th
Centuries
Ships symbolize dead
warrior’s passage to
Valhalla (afterlife)
Serpent shape (coil
shape with serpant’s head
at the prow)

16. Church of St. Cyriakus

17. Church of St. Cyriakus
• Medieval style architecture
often has towers, small
arched windows and
doors, made of stone,
appears “heavy”, simple
decoration
•The Church of St. Cyriakus,
inspired architects in
Europe for at least 300
years after it was built
Church of St. Cyriakus (Germany), Begun
961 CE

18. Romanesque
Art and
Architecture

19. Romanesque Art
• 11th and 12th Centuries CE in Western Europe
• Romanesque refers to “in the Roman style”
• Term Romanesque Art first used in 19th Century
• Architectural style includes Roman style details,
including Roman columns and round arches in the
windows

20. Major Events during Romanesque Period
Pilgrimages - religious travel to important sacred sites
Crusades - series of military campaigns waged by Roman Catholics
to gain control over the Holy Land in the Middle East
First Crusade: 1095 – 1099 CE
Second Crusade: 1147 – 1149 CE
Third Crusade: 1188 – 1192 CE

21. Pisa
Cathedral Complex of Pisa (Tuscany, Italy),
Romanesque Architecture, begun 1173 CE

22. Pisa
• “Leaning Tower of Pisa”
part of Cathedral
complex of buildings
• Tower is a Campanile
(type of bell tower)
• Campanile built on top
of the ruins of an old
building
• Campanile started to
lean right away
• Today, the Campanile
leans 13 feet off of the
perpendicular
• The tower continues to
move, but much less
since they’ve added lead
to the foundation of the
building
Cathedral Complex of Pisa (Tuscany, Italy),
Romanesque Architecture

23. Campanile
(Bell Tower)

24. Romanesque Churches
Plans were designed in the shape of a Crucifix
nave apse
t
r
a
n
s
e
p
t

25. Church of Sainte-Foy
(France)
Abbey Church of
Sainte-Foy (Conques,
France), Romanesque
Architecture, 1120 CE

26. Church of Sainte-Foy
(France)
• Pilgrimage Church (Religious
Travel)
• People travel here to be healed
• Sainte-Foy was a child Saint in
4th Century
• Contains the bones of Sainte-
Foy (reliquary) that were stolen
by monks
• Additive Architecture (added
extra towers, and rebuilt some
parts later) - Original Dome
Collapsed
Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy (Conques,
France), Romanesque Architecture, 1120 CE

27. Romanesque Portals
• A Portal is the
decoration around
the entrance to a
building, usually
Churches
• Round Arches
• Relief Sculpture

28. Portal Cathedral of Saint-Lazare

29. Portal Cathedral of Saint-Lazare
• Judgment of Christ
(Christ deciding who goes
to heaven or hell). Sinners
on one side and saints on
the other side of Christ in
center on Tympanum
• Warning to those
entering the church,
including text (written in
Latin)
• Relief Sculpture
Portal, Cathedral of Saint-Lazare
(Burgundy, France), Romanesque
Architecture, 1130 CE

30. Romanesque
Capitals

31. The Magi Asleep

32. The Magi Asleep
The Magi Asleep, capital from interior of
Catedral of Saint-Lazare, 1125 CE
Capital - Decorative top of
Architectural Columns
Creation of Narrative Scenes on
Capitals is a Romanesque
innovation
Also called “Historiated
Capitals”
Scene from childhood of Jesus -
story of Angel Waking the 3 Wise
Men
View from Above

33. Bayeux
Embroidery

34. Detail from the Bayeux Embroidery

35. Bishop Odo Blessing the Feast
(from Bayeux Embroidery)

36. Bishop Odo Blessing the Feast,
detail from Bayeux Embroidery,
Linen with Wool Thread, 1066 -
1082 CE
Strip of Embroidered Linen 68 meters
long known as Bayeux Embroidery
created by women in France
Embroidery – images (and text) created
by hand-done stitches using thread on
already-woven fabric
Entire artwork has 50 Scenes with 600
human figures, 700 horses, dogs, and
other creatures, 2000 letters
This Scene is a feast before a battle -
Bishop and Knights eating at curved
table
Translation of text: “…and here the
servants perform their duty. Here they
prepare the meal. Here the bishop
blesses the food and drink.”

37. Reliquary
Statue of
Sainte Foy

38. Reliquary Statue of
Sainte Foy, Wood with
Gold and Gems, 980
CE, Height 85 cm
Relics of Sainte Foy stored inside the sculpture -
body is hollow (relics are sacred objects from a
religious figures - can include bones, hair, teeth,
personal objects, etc.)
Gems and Cameos added by those making a
pilgrimage to Reliquary Church of Sainte-Foy in
Conques, France
Head may be from an older sculpture from
Roman Empire (head of a Roman emperor?)
Sculpture survived several wars through history,
including French Revolution in late 18th Century

39. Medieval Cameo
A cameo is a piece of
jewelry, typically oval in
shape, consisting of a
portrait in profile carved
in relief on a background
of a different color

40. Gothic Art and
Architecture

41. Gothic Art and Architecture
• Mid-12th into the 15th Century CE
• Dominant style in Europe for 400 years
• Art and Architecture that expressed the political and religious values of
Christians
• Term Gothic comes from the “Goths” – a group of Germanic invaders who
helped destroy the Roman Empire
• Style began in France, but spread throughout Europe

42. Mid-12th Century in Europe
Advances in Building Technology
Access to More Materials and Resources
New Intellectual and Spiritual Aspirations

43. Notre Dame, Paris

44. • Well-known example of Gothic
Architecture
• Tallest building in world for
600 years
•New ways to build tall
buildings – openings in building,
supports on outside, more
windows made the structure less
heavy
•Stained glass windows (Rose
Window)
• Pointed Arches (Gothic
Feature)
Cathedral of Notre Dame (Paris)
Gothic Architecture
1163 CE

45. Flying Buttresses
Flying Buttresses helped
support the weight of
the building on the
outside
Invented during Gothic
Period
Gothic churches could be
very tall because of the
buttresses supporting
the weight

46. Ribbed Vaulting
• Used to Support the wide roof
in Gothic churches
• Wide Space without Columns
in the Middle (uninterrupted
space)
• Inspired by Human Anatomy

47. Stained Glass Windows
• Invented during the Gothic Period
• Light as a symbol of God
• Colorful images of Saints, donors to the
church, animals, other designs

48. Sainte-Chapelle Paris

49. • Vast expanses of stained
glass windows
• Gothic style known as
“Rayonnant” or radiant,
because of the light and
the use of gold
• Church built to house King
Louis IX’s collection of
relics (including a nail and
a crown of thorns from the
Crucifixion)Sainte-Chapelle Church (Paris)
Architecture
1243-1248 CE

50. Stained Glass detail

51. • Shop owner (Fur Shop)
selling his furs for coats
• Shop owner donated money
to the church (patron)
• Shows the influence and
wealth of business owner
• Colorful details
• Cut pieces of class with
details drawn on the glass
Furrier’s Shop (detail from the
Charlemagne window in Chartres
Cathedral, France)
Stained Glass
Early 13th Century

52. Virgin and Child

53. Virgin and Child (from the
Abbey Church of St. Denis)
Silver Gilt and Enamel
1139 CE, height 69 cm
Reliquary Statue containing the
hairs of the Virgin Mary
Virgin Mary and Christ Child
Contrapposto - graceful S-curve
pose
Gothic style – elongated figure
Commissioned by Queen Jeanne
d’Evreux

54. Comparison