Name: Church of Santa Sabina
Era: Early Christian 200-450
Location: Rome
Significance: Basilica plan + the wooden doors of the church are the earliest display of Christ’s crucifixion
Name: Empress Theodora and her Attendants
Era: Early Byzantine 300-800
Location: Church of San Vitale, Ravenna
Patron: Justinian
Significance: depiction of Justinian’s wife and demonstration of a shift in art style -- from 3d to flat 2d
Name: Hagia Sophia
Era: Early Byzantine 300-800
Location: Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey)
Patron: Justinian
Architects: Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus
Significance: A space believed to transport individuals from a physical to a spiritual realm (temporal disruption). Centrally planned building
Name: Chi Rho Iota page, Book of Kells
Era: Insular 450-650
Location: British Isles
Significance: the most complex insular gospel. Has interlace and zoomorphic imagery. It is also evidence of the spread of Christianity throughout Europe
Name: Mosque of Cordoba
Era: Umayyad 650-750
Location: Cordoba, Spain
Patron: Abd al-Rahman I
Significance: Contains hypostyle halls, Visigothic arches, and Islamic prominence. Has a mihrab.
Name: Lindau Gospels (made in Austria)
Era: Carolingian-Ottonian 760-900
Location: Austria
Significance: depicts a triumphant Christ on the cross; jewels represent Heavenly Jerusalem and technological mastering of metal. Displays advanced filigree and repousse.
pearls: holy apostles
red jewels: Christ’s blood
blue jewels: heaven
Name: Beatus of Liebana Illustrated Commentary on the Apocalypse (12 volumes) “Christ Appearing in the Clouds”
Era: Romanesque 1000-1150
Location: Santo Domingo, Silos
Makers: Munnio and Dominico
Significance: Represents the book of revelation and depicts the second coming of Christ. Displays local color and isocephaly
Name: Plan of the Abbey of Cluny
Era: Romanesque 1000-1150
Location: Cluny, France
Significance: Has a double transept (sign of power, excess), radiating chapels, relics, altars, basilica-like plan, distinct geometric form, huge cloister, and monastic complex. Cluny III was the largest church until St. Peters was rebuilt.
Name: Christ in Majesty (on tympanum)
Era: Romanesque 1000-1150
Location: St. Pierre, Moissac, France
Significance: Hieratic scale. Depicts Christ surrounded by 4 beasts and 24 elders. Extremely detailed work: flowers and elders on the bottom are slightly different. Rise of monumental sculpture on the front of churches. Shift from (early Christian) Neoplatonism to extravagant exteriors, which is the church’s social control.
Name: Dancing Prophet/Jeremiah on trumeau
Era: Romanesque 1000-1150
Location: Saint-Pierre, Moissac
Significance: An elongated sculpture. The body is twisting and not naturalistic, with more artistic freedom (qualities typical of Romanesque sculptures).
Name: Cloister Capitals
Era: Romanesque 1000-1150
Location: Saint Pierre, Moissac
Significance: Each capital is carved and decorated in a different way. Some have epitaphs. Typically display scenes from the old testament.
Some mentioned in class:
Daniel in the lion’s den
The heavenly Jerusalem
Used to display dedication and lavishness.
Name: Cistercian “Bernardine” Plan of the ideal monastery
Era: Romanesque 1000-1150
Significance: depicts a flat apse, denying excess decorations
Name: Fontenay Abbey Church
Era: Romanesque 1000-1150
Location: Burgundy, France
Founded by: Bernard of Clairvaux
Significance: no fancy sculpture, very simple to reject greed and ostentation.
Name: Virgin and Child
Era: Romanesque 1000-1150
Location: The Cloisters, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Significance: this goes back to Byzantine imagery. The concept of Jesus sitting on Mary’s lap is referred to as The Throne of Wisdom. Mary is stiff, playing a supporting role as the bearer of the child. Baby Jesus has a receding hairline to show wisdom, like Solomon from the old testament. Liquid-like, linear patterns of drapery, and stiff limbs.
Name: Basilica of Saint-Sernin
Era: Romanesque 1000-1150
Location: Toulouse, France
Significance: Has two levels: a nave arcade and a gallery, round arches, barrel vault, transverse arch, and a bay unit. Bay unit: a unit marked between vertical lines or planes. Example: the space between two columns.
Name: Sainte-Foy Tympanum
Era: Romanesque 1000-1150
Location: Conques, France
Significance: depicts the last judgment and resurrection of the dead.
3rd layer: souls rise from their tombs
2nd layer: Christ in the center in the mandorla
1st layer: angels (?)
Name: Durham Cathedral
Era: Norman Romanesque 1066-1170
Location: Durham, English
Architect: Bishop William of Calais
Significance: Has twin towers, a German addition to westwork. Norman alternation: compound pier and column alternation. Superbay: a transverse arch and two nave arches per bay.
Name: Bayeux Tapestry
King Edward’s body is carried to St. Peter the Apostle + King Edward in bed speaks to his faithful after which he died
Era: Norman Romanesque 1066-1170
Location: Westminster Abbey, England
Significance: Based on the Norman conquest of England. 64 meters long. Made of linen, embroidered. Kind Edward: the main character, Anglo-Saxon king. Died of a stroke on Christmas day. The body is located in Westminster Abbey. These two sections of the story are told from right to left, contrary to the rest of the tapestry.
Name: Raised Throne of Roger II
Era: Norman Romanesque 1066-1170
Location: Capella Palatina in Palermo, Sicily
Significance: promotes the idea of spiritual power. Mosaic of Christ and apostles on top of the throne to show that they approve of his rule.
Name: Tree of Jesse Window
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: Abbey Church of Saint-Denis (near Paris), France
Significance: A window about kingship stemming from an Old Testament subject coming from Isaiah. Jesse is seen as the basis for the dynasty of sacred rulers which make up Christ’s sacred lineage. Displays lilies, which are a reference to the French monarchy. Suger is represented in this window through amplificatio.
Name: Royal Portal
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: Notre-Dame de Chartres, France
Significance: The royal portals depict Christ in Majesty, promoting the apocalypse, therefore reflecting the desire of the church to convert the secular laity that pass by the building. It also marks the rise of the cult of Mary where she is seen as an intercessor between one and Christ.
Name: St. Lubinus Window
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: Window of Trades, Chartres Cathedral
Significance: Donated by the vintners, taverners, and wine-criers. It is part of the most complete set of stained-glass windows that exist from medieval cathedrals. Amplificatio is used as a narrative strategy. Shows shoemakers, bread makers, bankers (usurious act), etc.
Name: South Transept Portal - Martyr’s Portal
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: Notre-Dame de Chartres, France
Significance: These are the Jamb statues of Notre Dame of Chartres. It depicts Saint Theodore, Saint Stephen, Pope Clementine, and Saint Lawrence. All figures have been idealized, which is deduced from their haircuts which reflect the traditional style of the time.
Name: Saint-Chapelle
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: Paris, France
Patron: King Louis IX
Significance: The chapel has walls of stained-glass windows and a rose window. Paid for exclusively by the King for either political or pious reasons. The windows depict stories from the bible: Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Judges, Isiah/Jesse, John, Passion, John, Jeremiah, Ezechiel, Esther, Judith, Kings, Royal, and Apocalypse in the rose window.
Name: St. Maurice
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: Cathedral of Saints Maurice and Catherine in Magdeburg, Germany
Significance: This life-sized figure marks the beginning of racialized figures.
Name: The Hereford World Map “Mappa Mundi”
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: England
Significance: Places a round depiction of Jerusalem at the center which opposes the biblical description of Jerusalem as square. Paris is scratched out. Alexander the Great’s conquests are displayed by a tent.
Name: Fox from Hugh of Fouilloy and William of Conches Bestiary
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: Getty
Significance: Painted by Hugh of Fouilloy and William of Conches. Depicts the fox as an allusive animal that plays dead to trap its dinner, an anecdote that warns the audience to be wary of temptation and tricks. Images like this demonstrate a fascination with foreign animals and people.
Name: Lady World
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: Worms Cathedral South Portal
Significance: Is associated with the story of a knight devoted to a beautiful woman, which is symbolic of the world: beautiful in the front but full of horrors in the back. He eventually realizes that he is worshipping the world by giving in to his own desires and changes his lifestyle to please God.
Name: Scrovegni Arena Chapel
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: Padua, Italy
Significance: Shifts focus on Mary and depicts Christ as a son of a large and happy family. Images do not strictly follow the gospels. Instead, they vaguely follow biblical stories and two secular texts. Painted by Giotto and built by Scrovengi to atone for his sins as a banker.
Name: Crucifixion
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: Arena Chapel, Padua
Significance: Painted by Giotto. Crucifixion with a crowd instead of Christ in a monastery. Displays foreshortening
Name: Lamentation
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: Arena Chapel, Padua
Significance: Painted by Giotto. A lamentation of Christ’s death. Giortto uses composition to draw your eye to the center of the scene: Mary lamenting Jesus’ death. The audience is invited to participate with the people in the painting; the audience becomes an extension of the painting because of the landscape which makes it seem like the audience is a part of the crowd
Name: Maesta (Duccio)
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: Duomo di Siena
Significance: Extremely big painting, Byzantine-like. Lines defined the fabric instead of folds and shadows. The painting depicts scenes of the annunciation with Mary and Jesus surrounded by Saints (Catherine, Paul, Peter, Agnis, and John the Baptist) along with the patron Saints of Siena.
Name: A mon seul desire
Era: Gothic 1140-1450
Location: Musee National du Moyen-Age -- Theremes de Cluny (Paris)
Significance: About the senses: readable in many different ways. Could be conveying that people should overcome their senses and urges to get closer to God.