Early medieval art

Western medieval art
culture,

a time of great innovations and

the production of unique artifacts

The “Middle Ages”

a period between the collapse of the western Roman Empire in the 5th

century and the beginning of the Renaissance in 1400 CE

true

moved away from naturalism and realism of the Greek era

true

a time of innovation that laid the groundwork for the Renaissance

Selective Survival of Artifacts

The archaeological evidence surviving from this period is very patchy

• mainly small portable and non-perishable objects recovered from

burial sites

• Artifacts produced from wood, leather, and other natural materials

did not survive in the northern climate

• Later buildings replaced most architecture, such as churches and

palaces

Art in the Western Medieval Period

Expensive and time-consuming

• Not purely aesthetic; artistic value was not the top priority

• Always served a purpose:

• Religious devotion

• Burial goods

• Other practical functions

The Making of

Illuminated Manuscripts

Written and decorated by hand

• One of the most precious objects produced in the Middle Ages

• Mainly made in monasteries and courts

• Commissioned by rulers

Lindisfarne Gospels

Northumbria, Anglo-Saxon England, c. 715–725 CE

The Image of St. Matthew

• The Cross Carpet Page

The Cross Carpet Page

Mirrored

• Interlace

• Spirals

• Animals

Matthew in the Ebbo Gospels, c. 816-835 CE

Distinct “Frenzied line style”:

• wildly, enthusiastic, excited, uncontrolled

brushwork

• Classical revival:

• Efforts in realistically representing figures

in three dimensions: highlighting and

shadowing