Medieval Europe - APAH

Antique Rome

2nd Century - 8th Century

Constantine the Great adopts Christianity

Edict of Milan 313 - ends Christian persecution

• says its OK to be Christian, but does not make it the main religion

Art is more STYLIZED, less Greek idealized naturalism

“Santa Sabina” Rome, Italy; 430 CE; Antique Rome; Brick, stone, wooden roof

Basilica Plan (Forum of Trajan) → originally, Basilica Ulpia = SECULAR law court → Basilica plan turned into a sacred church

• SPOILA - reused Roman capitals and bricks

• Roman influences - Corinthian columns, roman barrel arches

Built on TOP of Temple of Juno

Amun-Ra influence - Clerestory, focuses light on nave

Originally contained mosaics- illustrated stories from the Bible

• the mosaics reflect light, symbolizing the spiritual nature of Jesus being the light

Look in binder for the architecture plan

“Catacomb of Priscilla” Rome, Italy; 200 CE; Antique Rome

Catacomb = underground burial chambers (groups)

5 miles of chambers, 40k tomb

• land donated by wealthy Roman woman named Priscilla

Buried underground because they needed space to bury people due to the Christian practice of burying dead bodies

Contains earliest known Christian Artwork

• We know Christian artworks were being made before, but Christians were persecuted before, therefore the artworks likely didn’t survive or were kept secret

Frescoes - made PERMANENT paint/paintings/art

More stylized and narrative-focused

Artwork made by PRIEST (Priests had power and could read, therefore they were the ones to read the stories in the Bible and the ones to draw the stories)

Content - Christ’s death, resurrection, and with Madonna (Mary)

Greek roundels

Check Venn Diagram in binder

Byzantine Empire

Roman capital moved to Istanbul, renamed Constantinople

Justinian I takes throne 527-565

Population is newly mobile

Orthodox Christianity is official state religion

• You HAVE to be Christian

MASSIVE building projects - churches

• propaganda =— large, visible

“San Vitale” Italy; Byzantine; 530 CE

Built on the grounds of martyr St. Vitalis

Construction sponsored by local banker and architect Argentarius

• to show piety

Function - martyrium, church, relic, visitation (circumbulation)

Didactic art - educate illiterate public

Central plan - looks like the Pantheon

• central plan allows the travelers/pilgrims to walk around the surrounding aisle to visit the relics

MOSAICS - reflect light, enhance spiritual experience of pilgrims

Central plan, more windows to let in more light

Vines and nature - represents heaven

MOSAIC; VISUALS:

Gold background - timelessness, divinity

Frontal view

Overlapping figures

Stylize figure, individualized faces

HOTI - (Justinian I) center, grown, purple, fibulae, holds a bowl for the Eucharist, military power (soldiers), halo

FUNCTION - Asserts POWER of Justinian, even if not physically present in Ravenna, Italy -PROPAGANDA

“Hagia Sophia” Constantinople, Turkey, 530 CE

Central plan

Built to rival Jewish Temple of Solomon

PENDENTIVE - dome on a square of arches

• Floating halo of light

Huge central plan space- filled with light

Filled with Mosaics

VISUAL: Didactic art = educates illiteratie public

Frontal View

Focus on the narrative

Stylized

Later turned into a mosque from the conquering Ottoman Turks who practiced Islam

• Qibla placed near the apse, but it was off-center to point towards Mecca

“Merovingian Looped Fibulae” Medieval Europe; 6th century; gilt metal

Fibulae = brooch to fasten clothing and was originally worn by Roman soldiers to fasten cloath

Establishes status

Semi-circle shape represents a victory wreath, specifically victory over death, symbolizing the resurrection of Jesus

Fish is a symbol of Christianity and Jesus

Cloissone - inlaid with semi-precious stones

• establishes status, precious stones and gold

Symbol of status for mobile population

• People can go visit other places, and a brooch can communicate a visiting person’s status

Fibulae - typical cross and cross-bow shape

“Virgin (Theotokos) Mary and Child between Saints” Byzantine EMpire; 6th century; Encaustic on wood

Encaustic = wax painting on wood, allowed for mobile art; This is the beginning of the use of encaustic

• Previously, frescoes were used for its permanence, but it was used on walls and not portable, thus encaustic was an upgrade because it allowed for portability

Theotokos - Virgin Mary enthrone with baby Jesus

• sitting on a gold chair

Icon - small portable painting depicting sacred figures; private worship; healing powers

• people would privately pray in their homes to these icons that were believed to have healing powers → People no longer went to churches, thus no longer giving donations to the church. Additionally, it was believed that it was a sin to pray to these icons because it was a sin to worship graven images

• STARTS ICONOCLASM

Eyes = stylized and functioned to receive prayers and send it to heaven

Evidence of Roman ideals

“Vienna Genesis” Byzantine Empire; 6th century; Illuminated Manuscript

Story = “Jacob Wrestling the Angel” - Jacob becomes Israel

Continuous narrative - Jacob is travelling with his family to Canaan. However, after crossing the river, he wrestles an angel. After the struggle, he emerges righteous and changes from Jacob to Israel

Codex - first book, elimnates scrolls

Greco-Roman = contrapposto stance, curvilinear, drapery

Assembly line of artists worked to create it

Illuminare - to make ornate

Vellum dyed with purple, lined with silver ink

• Vellum = an old form of paper made form animal hide, but was expensive. THUS, the use of vellum shows wealth AND piety

“Lindisfarne Gospels” Hiberno-Saxon

Conversion - books and luxury items

• looks successful

Lindisfarne Island - off coast of Britain

Placed at altar in church - legitimized transactions

• domestic/secular (real estate, marriage) events turned sacred

• Like Lady Xoc in a way taht it turned a political event sacred (husband Shiled Jaguar becomes King

Interlacing lanes - references Celtic work

Completed by ONE monk over 6 years - meditation

970 CE - contains earliest surviving English translation of the bible

Zoomorphic - animal and animal

Blue = royalty

Red = the wine that → Blood of Christ through transubstantiation

Cross made of wine goblets - represents the Eucharist

Romanesque Europe

800-1200 CE

Increased travel from pilgrimage routes

• more international style - things become homogenized

Influenced by Roman culture

“Bayeux Tapestry” Romanesque Europe; 1066

Embroidery - made by women

Norman (France) conquest of England

William (Norman) vs Harold (England)

Patron - Bishop Odo (Will’s half brother)

History from viewpoint of the victor - William of Normandy → BIAS → not entirely historically accurate

HISTORICALLY ACCURATE PARTS:
- the 11th century dining practices
-military armor (like Night Attack)

Tapestry popular in medieval times because it’s portable, making them practical for the mobile population

“Church of St. Foy” Romanesque; Conques, France; 11th century

Located along the pilgrimage route of Santiago de Compostela

Church built BEFORE it had a relic

• people would stay and donate

• nearby church had a relic of Saint Foy → That church was dilapidated and on the outskirts of the route, so people didn’t visit that church often either → monks from Conques steail it at night

68 feet high Barrel with a vaulted nave

• 1: lets in LIGHT

• 2: Makes you look towards the heavens

• 3: echoed the choir’s magical singing, enhancing the spiritual experience

Cruciform plan - adds transepts where a pilgrim can enter through a side door and go behind the apse to visit the relics (and drop off offerings), then leave through the other transept without disturbing the nave

Tympanum of Last Judgement faces courtyard

• Jesus' hands go up and down, representing heaven and hell

• Parishioner’s have a CHOICE - pay offerings to go to heaven or do not and go to hell

• Devil is ALSO a judge

• each sinner represents a sin to avoid - adultery, gluttony, abuse of office, etc.

Reliquary of St. Foy

Saint Foy is a martyr

Saint Foy was a 12 year old girl who was killed from Roman persecution of Christians. She was arrested, tortured with a hot brazier, and finally beheaded. However, even while being tortured, Saint Foy never surrendered her faith, demonstrating her religious devotion to Christianity

Her reliquary was originally in Agen but stolen by monks from Conques in order to attract more welath and visitors

Bernard Angers first spoke about this reliquary in 1010 and expressed his concern about idolatry, where the pilgrims would worship the reliquary for its jewels and beauty rather than its contents and what it represented

pilgrims donate gemstones → dress covered in different gems

Head thought to have been the head of a Roman statue of a child → spoila → made object more important by associating it with past riches of Roman Empire

Common belief: reliquary cannot be relocated unless saint gives permission → its relocation to Conques was seen as Saint Foy’s willingness to be moved → Conques gains influx of pilgrims

Lamb and crucifix represent sacrifice

GOTHIC PERIOD

12th-16th century

Gothic Period the derogatory term from later Renaissance artists, means “ugly and non-classical” (classical = Greco-Roman)

Economic prosperity due to pilgrims → invest in churches

Emphasis on morality → biggest and nicest building in a town is usually the church

Renovation of St. Denis kickstarts stained glass, highly ornate, and asymmetrical church design

“Chartres Cathedral” French Gothic; 12th century; Limestone and stained glass

Asymmetrical, highly ornate

• looks interesting, captures attention

Built on a Roman Temple

• like Santa Sabina

Relic - Virgin Mary’s tunic

• leads to Rise of Cult of Mary → artwork more feminine- seen in the floral designs and rose windows

Perpendicular style; emphasized verticality

Original church built in 7th century; burned down in 1194

Tunic miraculously survives after going missing for 4 days → leads people to believe that the tunic truly is a divine relic

Cruciform plan - enter through transept, go visit relics behind the apse, leave offerings (typically monetary), leave through other transept. This plan and process allowed the pilgrims to not disturb the nave

Golden Ratio - perfect proportion, Represents Gods PERFECT creation in the universe

• The Golden Ratio often seen in nature, and nature was created by God

Groin Vault

Flying Buttresses - support large building, allows light through the stained glass

Key Gothic Visuals - ELONGATED FIGURES

Individualized saints → focus on the narrative→ for the illiterate public→ NOT to educate (stories of the Bible are known by now), INSTEAD it is for the illiterate public to recognize the Saints

NEW CONCEPT: LUX NOVA (lux = light; nova = new): transforms the light of God like a projector → colored light

• pilgrims described the feeling as being inside a jewelry box

Enhance spiritual experience of pilgrims

Tracery = sacred geometry

Blue = represents royalty → Virgin Mary, who is depicted with a crown, is the Queen of Heaven

Rose Window = sacred femininity

Pointed arch = leads the eye up and stops to the eye looking up to the heavens

• Roman Barrel differs because it goes up but then down instead of staying up