Early Western Medieval Art

1. Early Western Medieval Art The lecture

2. Theme: TV Networks—HCO T = Tribes V = Vikings Networks: H = Hiberno Saxons C = Carolingians O = Ottonians Early Medieval TV Networks HCO

3. Welcome to the “Dark Ages” • “Dark Ages” is incorrect- the term is Middle Ages and Medieval • Art historians note the blend of this era of • Christian iconography • Greco-roman heritage • Celtic/Germanic style • These combinations continued to thrive and change resulting the wide diversity of European nations today. • There was continuous friction between church and state in the West, unlike Islam and Byzantine lands

4. Various “Barbarian” groups invaded the Roman Empire In two waves 300-500 and 500-700 CE • Huns, Vandals, Goths, Visigoths, Franks, Lombards, Angles, Saxons and Jutes among others. • Art historical record is slim at best during this Migration Period • What has survived is usually small, and utilitarian • They rejected the classical idea of representing things naturally or realistically.

6. Tribes • The original art of the Germanic people was abstract, decorative, and geometric. It as confined to small portable items like weapons, jewelry, and belt buckles. • Fibulas (shoulder pins) were often decorated with precious metals and inlaid stones. The entire surface is covered in decorative patterns, reflecting horror vacuior need to fill the entire space. The patterns reflect the shape and surface of the object they adorn, which helps emphasize the form of the piece.

7. Frankish Fibula • Fibula (a decorative pin, used by the Romans and Etruscans) • Fibulae were symbols of prestige- note Justinian’s is richer than the other guy’s. • Richly decorated • Zoomorphicforms were characteristic of this culture. • (Art that creates patterns using animal imagery, or animal style) • Cloisonné = a process of enameling using cloisons- a cell that holds enamel or other decorative materials.

9. Sutton Hoo • Sutton Hoo is one of Britain's most important archaeological sites, ranking in significance with Stonehenge in Wiltshire. • The burial ground of the Anglo-Saxon pagan kings of East Anglia, Sutton Hoo is the site of one of the most spectacular archaeological discoveries ever made in England. • In 1939 archaeologists unearthed an astonishing Anglo-Saxon ship burial in Woodbridge, Suffolk; astonishing both for • the state of preservation of the objects within the tomb, • but also astonishing for the sheer rich quality of the artifacts. • The burial goods from Sutton Hoo are remarkable - gold weapons and armor, inlaid ornaments, silver and tableware.

10. Purse Cover Hiberno SaxonSuffolk, England, c. 600 CE • -Abstract portrayal of the human and animal figure • -Lined by linear patterns (interlacing) • -Animals were a favorite subject among artists in the Middle Ages. • -Functional-was the lid to a purse or bag • -Retrieved from the Sutton Hoo shipwreck

12. The importance of Sutton Hoo cannot be overstated. From the grave goods we can learn a lot about the pattern of life in this darkest part of the “Dark Ages” in Britain. Even the style of the craftsmanship lets us draw conclusions about how strong were Saxon connections with rest of Europe.

13. Hiberno- Saxons aka Insular Art • Produced in the post-Roman history of the British Isles. The term derives from insula, the Latin term for "island"; in this period Britain and Ireland shared a largely common style different from that of the rest of Europe. • Art historians usually group insular art as Early Medieval Western art • Most Insular art originates from the Irish monasticism of Celtic Christianity, or metalwork for the secular elite, and the period begins around 600 AD with the combining of 'Celtic' styles and Anglo-Saxon (English) styles

14. Lindisfarne Gospels • The Lindisfarne Gospels was created in the early eighth century CE for ceremonial use at the monastery of Lindisfarne in the northeast of England. • The manuscript's main text, which was written out by a single scribe. The Gospels contains 15 elaborate fully decorated pages, featuring ornament of extraordinary intricacy. • Astoundingly complex patterns are plaited and knotted across these pages and intertwined with fanciful birds and animals. • At the start of each of the Gospels is an illustration of its author with his symbol, and throughout the text pages of the manuscript are numerous decorated initials. Ornamental page from the Book of Lindisfarne,from Northumberland, England, 700 CE.

16. St. Matthew from the Lindisfarne GospelsHiberno Saxon700 CE • -St. Mathew is seated on a cushioned bench, book in his lap writing his Book of the NT • -Man behind the curtain may be an inspiration from God, or Christ or Moses • -Matthew’s symbolic angel is above him with the words “image of a man” • - Byzantine influence • Greek words • Angles hands are covered • -flattened soft linear elements • -hard lined drapery

17. Book of Kells • contains the four gospels of Mark, Mathew, Luke and John • its age and its design, although damaged, allow us a glorious glimpse into the art and style of ancient Ireland. • The book is considered a crowning glory of the Celtic art form, and possibly one of the most important treasures of Western Europe. • Begun on island of Iona, moved to Kells Monastery, County Meath, Ireland in 9th Century. • Over the years, approximately 30 of its pages have been lost, the remaining 340 contains the four gospels, a list of Hebrew names, among other things. • Took a team of artists working for 30 years to complete. • The best pages open the four chapters with illustrations of the saints along with individual pages that depict events in the life of Christ.

18. Chi Rho Iota PageBook of Matthew from the Book of KellsHiberno-Saxon800 CE • -Was considered to be so beautiful that people thought angels had made it • -There are faces of angels and Christ interlaced throughout the design. • -The letters X, P, and I are woven into the design because they are the Greek letters representing Christ's name. • -one can become lost in the infinity of God, thus removing oneself form sin • -monks made these as a devotional, cold, intense work=a recreation of the pains of Christ

19. Monasteries- Very Important • Monastery is the building, or complex of buildings, comprising the domestic quarters and workplace(s) of monks or nuns. The monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which may be a chapel, church or temple • The life of prayer and communal living was one of rigorous schedules and self-sacrifice. • Prayer was their work, and the Office prayers took up much of a monk's waking hours. • In between prayers, monks were allowed to sit in the cloister and work on their projects of writing, copying, or decorating books. • These would have been assigned based on a monk's abilities and interests. The non-scholastic types were assigned to physical labor of varying degrees. • Monasteries were important contributors to the surrounding community. They were centers of intellectual progression and education. They welcomed aspiring priests to come study and learn. • Since monasteries offered respite for weary pilgrim travelers, monks were obligated also to care for their injuries or emotional needs. • Over time, lay people started to make pilgrimages to monasteries instead of just using them as a stop over. By this time, they had sizeable libraries that attracted tourist. Families would donate a son in return for blessings.

20. Monastic life

21. High Cross of MuiredachHiberno Saxon923 CE • Known as a Celtic Cross • Found all over Ireland, these were "markers" of Christian territory . • Early crosses used interlace designs. • Later examples such as this tell Christian stories in a flat, airless style, or are covered with all-over pattern. David and Goiliath Moses smites water

22. Hiberno-saxon/Insular Art • Small portable • Zoomorphic/animal style • Horror Vacui • Christian and Celtic/Germanic traditions • Illuminated manuscripts • Monasteries

23. Manuscripts • Intricate ornamental patterns • Full pages devoted to pure embellishment • Carpet pages • Resemble textiles • Abstract and zoomorphic form • Evangelist symbols (ALOE) • Embellished words

24. Vikings or Norse Art • Norse art is a blanket term for the artistic styles in Scandinavia during the early Medieval period. • Viking art has many elements in common with Celtic Art, Romanesque art and East-European. • Vikings terrorized Europe from 793 to the mid-11th century. • Known as the pre-Christian traders and pirates of Scandinavian descents, they began to destroy the Christian monastic communities. • The Vikings used their great ships to invade Europeans coasts, harbors and river settlements on a seasonal basis. Their voyages included heading east from Ireland to Russia, west to Iceland and Greenland and they reached Newfoundland before Christopher Columbus discovered the "New World". • They created fast and seaworthy longships. The Vikings had a tailored way of succeeding all their attacks. They did not just hit and run, they colonized all the lands they occupied. This allowed them to grow and govern large areas of Ireland, England, France, Baltic regions and Russia.

26. Animal Head Post from the Oesberg Ship Burial Vikingc. 800 CE • -Ship burial was for two highly placed woman in the Viking court • -Snarling mouth, eyes wildly staring • -Head filled with interlaced animal patterns • -Nostrils flaring • -Unknown purpose of the head post, may have been used in a procession of on the prow of a boat • -knotting on the head

27. Wood carved portals of stave church Urnes, NorwayViking Art1050 CE • By the 11th century, most of Scandinavia had converted to Christianity. • Staves • Much of the church is slightly newer (12th Century) • Animal forms interlace with plants • The culmination of Viking art

28. Viking • Animal style • Status symbol object • Ship building • Not Christian until the 11th Century

29. Carolingian Art • Franks settled in France during/after the fall of Rome. • In 768 CE Charles I was crowned king of the Franks • He removed the Lombards from Italy & united most of Western Europe for the first time since Rome fell. • In 800 CE, was crowned Emperor of Rome by the Pope and claimed to revive the Roman Empire • Called Charles the Great or Charlemagne (Carolus Magnus) • His rule spurred the Carolingian Renaissance, a revival of art, religion, and culture through the medium of the Catholic Church. • Carolingian Art is the art produced during his reign

31. Equestrian portrait of Charlemagne(?)Carolingian800 CE • Stresses imperial imagery of holding the orb, a symbol of the world in the rider’s hands • -Influenced by Roman equestrian statues • -Rider much larger then the horse he sits on • -Sits bolt upright, with little attention to the natural movement of the horse • - ref (Marcus Aurelius)

32. Saint Matthew from the Coronation GospelsCarolingian800 CE • Goes along with the Carolingian Renaissance • Roman toga • Natural-ish setting • Depiction of realistic space • Shows body underneath the folds in drapery • Calm, serene

33. Saint Matthew from Ebbo Gospels Carolingian c.800 CE • -Named for the bishop for whom the book was transcribed • -Stylized • -Saint Matthew is portrayed as being in a hurry and is accentuated with the large brush strokes signifying movement. • -Landscape is starting to appear in artwork again. • -There is a sense of anxiety in the saint's face-naturalism • -The border surrounding the image proves it is painted by a Northern European artist. • -very expressive brushwork

35. Covers for Bibles and Psalters were RICHLY decorated. • (books were only for the wealthy) • Made of gold, jewels and ivory • Repousse

36. Cruxifictioncover of Lindau GospelsCarolingian870 CE • Made for Charles the Bald- grandson of Charlemange • Youthful Christ • Figures of Mary and John below and angels above are active

37. Palatine ChapelOdo of Metz Carolingian c. 800 CE • -Built after the manner of the Roman and Byzantine Empires • - Reference Santa Costanza and San Vitale • -Was a political symbol telling his empire that he had divine right to rule Western Europe • -Central-plan church • -Roman arches • -Combines the glory of Rome with the beauty and splendor of the Byzantine Empire

41.   It was designed by Odo of Metz, who modeled it after the Byzantine-style church of San Vitale (consecrated 547) in Ravenna, Italy.  The most important surviving examples of Carolingian architecture are exhibited in the chapel.  Its octagonal, domed central area (the Octagon) is surrounded by a tall (two-story), 16-sided ambulatory.  Adjacent to the Octagon is the West Hall, with its formerly open-air atrium. Also notable are the imperial box on the upper floor and the winding staircases that lead up to the twin towers. The cupola crowning the chapel's dome rises to a height of 101.5 feet (30.9 metres).  For centuries the chapel had the highest vaulted interior in northern Europe.

43. Corvey Abbey Key piece Carolingianc. 800 CE • -A more typical Carolingian church than the Palatine Chapel • -Basilica church- was a Benedictine monastery • -The new "westwork" was created-the towers were integrated into the west facade as one flush edifice. • -still patterned after old St. Peters of Rome • -There is an imperial throne on the 2nd story so that if Charlemagne chose to visit the church he would overlook all of the priests and altar. (He is the head of the church.) • -Axial planed church • A westwork is the monumental, west-facing entrance section of a Carolingian, Ottonian, or Romanesque church. The exterior consists of multiple stories between two towers.

45. Torhalle or Gatehouse of Lorsch MonasteryCarolingianc. 800 • -Three arched openings are divided by engaged columns ref “Arch of Constantine” • -fluted pilasters on the second floor • -Carolingian patterning motifs cover the walls • -Chapel on the upper story, originally, perhaps a reception room for guests • -Building stood in an atrium • -Turrets on left and right house stairwells

47. The art and architecture of the Carolingian period is based on Roman models.

48. Carolinian • Charles the Great (Charlemagne) crowned by Pope Leo III on Christmas day 800 • First Holy (Christian) Roman Emperor • His name given to era (Carolus Magnus) = Carolingian • Regain glory of Roman Emperor • Based on San vital • Commissions many manuscripts

49. Ottonian Art • New wave of “barbarian” invasions brought chaos back to Europe- Vikings, Magyars, Saracen pirates • Carolingian Empire crumbles 30 years after the death of Charlemagne. • the Holy Roman Empire (or sometimes the Ottonian Empire) is formed in Germany after the breakup of the Carolingian Empire. • Founded by Otto I in 962 • (Sidenote- the Holy Roman Empire exists in Germany until 1806)