introduction to art history and museum studies | Quizlet

What was the historical context of the transition from modernism to post-modernism?

1945-present

Post-war and Cold War Era (WWII saw rise of new superpowers, USA and Soviet union, and beginning of the Cold War)

What was the importance of MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) director, Alfred H. Barr Jr's, scheme from 1936?

Foundational for the canonization of modern art

Showed how different movements in history led towards modernism (non-geometrical and geometrical abstract art)

- emphasis on cubism

- his perspective was linear and Eurocentric

• first director of MoMA

Who was Clement Greenberg?

an important advocate for american abstract art

- argued for an emphasis on medium and abstraction, as well as linear development

- not so much what we are seeing, but the medium in which it is shown

What is the technique known as dripping and what artistic movement is it from?

its from post modernism

- dripping paint on canvas on the ground to create optic effect

ex. Jackson Pollock, Number 1

What is kitsch?

means "not art"

What was Conceptual Art?

Concept/idea is ultimately more important than the expression of the artist, who makes it, or where

- Was in reaction to Abstract Expressionism

"Cognitive, instead of affective"

- had impressions of seriality (serial layout or arrangment)

Why can Conceptual Art make people annoyed and frustrated?

challenges our own conception of what art is

ex. something as simple as lines such as Sol Lewitt's "Lines in Four Directions" which is literally lines in four directions

- what are the confines of art?

What is Pop art?

Appropriation of pop culture

- modernist strategy (collage) used to parody consumer and mass culture

- was in reaction to 'serious' style of Abstract Expressionism

- seriality also seen here

- repetition

- mixing of high and low culture (throwing things together that might not be seen as the same way)

- television becoming ubiquitous (seen everywhere)

All manifestoes make use of what kind of language?

Provocative language (war, aggression, exclamation marks)

What is period eye?

For the authors of manifestos, their proposed revolutions cannot be achieved without a strong break from __________________

without a strong break from traditional structures (e.g. museums in Futurism, conventional language in Dada, natural form in De Stijl, or Portuguese colonization in the Cannibalist manifesto

What is the intention of a manifesto?

A written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer

- often used by modernist artist groups between 1900 and 1940

its meant to break traditions; not meant to be a logical or easy read

- not to be read like a textbook with authority

What is the difference between modernism and post-modernism?

Modernism: "Less is more"

Post-modernism: "Less is a bore! More is more!"

p.s. pos-modern usually used to describe art after 1970

What are the ideals of modernism?

revolution, utopia, universalism

What is pluralism?

concept that recognizes and embraces a diversity of perspective, ideas, and cultural expressions within a single framework

What are characteristics of post modernism?

- Art does not develop in a linear way (see avant-garde movements), and without totalizing narratives about society (as opposed to manifestos) --> plurality

- Art is not autonomous: it does not distinguish itself from other objects by definition

- Art gains meaning through its relation with the viewer --> artistic intentions do not matter as much for the interpretation

- Merging of 'high' and 'low culture

- From focus on painting, or canvas as medium of painting (greenberg) to multi-media

What does "avant-garde" mean?

artists, movements, and works that are revolutionary and ahead of their time

What was the historical context of Modern art/Modernism?

1900-1945

- World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1940-1945) drastically reshaped the geopolitical landscape

- Technological innovations --> invention of airplane, radio, and television --> intensified global communication

- also, development of nuclear weapons during WWII put pressure on international relations

- Social and political developments --> new ideologies (i.e. Facism, Nazism, and Communism), totalitarian regimes, women's rights, decolonization

When was World War I?

1914 - 1918

When was World War II?

1940-1945

What are the many 'isms' of modern art?

Post-impressionism, symbolism, fauvism, expressionism, cubism, futurism, dadaism, surrealism, suprematism

There was an acceleration in modernity, with rapid stylistic developments

--> everyone wanted to be the "first"

What was post-impressionism and when did it take place?

After 1886 (late 19th century)

- after impressionism was established

- stylistically more diverse than impressionism, not as easily categorized

• More abstraction than impressionism (ex. Starry Night)

- Paul Cezanne, Van Gogh, George Sepuat, and Gauguin

Who was Paul Cezanne?

Was a bridge figure between late 19th century romanticism --> moving to impressionism --> post-impressionism and prefiguring --> cubism in the early 20th century

What "ism"" was Van Gogh's painting, The Starry Night, an example of?

Post-impressionism

- more abstraction than previous paintings like The Clichy Bridge (impressionism)

- played more with the realm of painting

What is pointilism?

the use of little colored dots to create effects

ex. Georges Seurat, A Sunday on la Grande Jatte

What was primitivism?

post-modern style; part of post-impressionism

Paintings in a colonial context and eurocentric vision; aesthetic idealization

ex. Paul Gaugin, depicted Tahiti as a non-modern/primitive place

What was symbolism and when/where did it take place?

• From late 19th century onwards

• France

• In reaction to Realism, return of emotions

• Subjectivity, spirituality, and dreamlike atmospheres; not really concerned with real-life

• Return of religious and mythological subjects; Gustave Moreu as protagonist

• was an inspiration for surrealism

• precision and detail still influences of the Paris academic art salon different from other modernist styles with more clear stylistic break

• wasn't necessarily radical

What was Fauvism and when/where did it take place?

• France

• Early 20th century, since 1905

• Vivid and arbitrary colours; stark color contrasts

• sense of ‘flatness’ (color of the table cloth are merged with the red background); but perspective achieved through the chair, human figure, and window view

• Subjectivity, simple forms

• ex. Woman with a Hat, Henri Matisse, 1905 —> no shadows on the face, green colours

What was Expressionism, and where/when did it take place?

Between 1905 and 1920 (early 20th century)

• Germany & Austria

• Expression of emotions, psychological states

• Expressive use of colour; Highly intense, non-naturalistic colours

• Two groups: Die Brucke (The Bridge) & Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider

• Die Brucke: ‘bridge between art and society’

• ex. painting of group member of Die Brucke, 1928

• Der Blaue Reiter: from 1912 onwards, nature and animals, in particular, horses

What was this painting, Boeren, 1930, By Charley Toorop, an example of? (seen at Centraal museum)

Expressionism ‘mixed’ with the subject matter of Realism: ‘an image of the people’

• The painter exaggerates their facial features with harsh contrasts, speaking the “hardiness” of the working class. The French 19th century also had a motif of painting the working class, as this was also the time period of salons, and painting the working class was seen as an act of rebellion against the salons.

What was cubism and when/where did it take place?

• Early 20th century

• France

• Geometric forms, fragmentation, multiple persectives

• Flatness and assemblage

What was German Expressionism in a colonial context?

Dealt with objects and scenes with German colonies at the time, such as New Guinea

• Appropriation of sculpture from New Guinea, then a German colony

• Subject matter not modern, but done in a non-modern way

• Color schemes that aren’t so naturalistic

What was early cubism?

Analytical

• Structured dissection of the subject

• fragmentary image

• multiple perspectives

ex. Georges Braque, Glass on a Table, 1909-1910

What was later cubism?

Synthetic

• Integration of textures, patterns

• Collage

• Flatness, versus multiple perspectives

• Not always easy to identify what is what

How was Primitivism seen in Cubism?

Integration of sculptures from the African continent, most prominently by Pablo Picasso, at the Musee du Trocadero in Paris

• appropriating these objects to creat art

• Another example of what is stylistically modern and what is more traditional

What was Futurism and when/where did it take place?

Since 1909 (early 20th century)

• Italy

• Modernity: speed, technology, violence

• Bold colours and abstraction

• Also embraced large crowds and movements

  • intersection of facism and futurism

• Manifestoes, ex. Futurist Manifesto (1909) by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti

  • rejection of tradition (museums, libraries, etc.)

  • Embrace of technology, violence, and masculinity

• Another example: Aeropittura (Aeropainting)

  • Romanticization/celebration of war; darker sides of modernity

What is Dadaism and when/where did it happen?

Early twentieth century

• Switzerland, international

• Absurdity, anti-art, political and social critique

• The Readymade (Objects which are ‘already made’); Marcel Duchamp (most famous artist)

• Manifestoes

  • Ex. Dada Manifesto (1915) by Hugo Ball: Expression of absurdity through language & rejection of logic

  • Made into a non-logical, non-sensical language in 1917 —> Eurocentric implications*

What was the impact of the readymade (dadaism)?

Showed the legitimizing power of the museum as an institution that grants objects the status of art

ex. Urinal by Marcel Duchamp (first rejected, then exhibited at the Society of Independent Artist’s Salon in New York in 1917)

What was Hannah Hoch’s Political criticism?

Hoch did not agree with the position of the female in this painting

• did not like the strategy of being unserious (satirical, irony, subversion)

What was Surrealism and when/where did it take place?

Since 1924 (early 20th century)

• France

• Exploration of the unconscious, dreamlike imagery (like earlier Symbolism); not rational

• Juxtapositions and subversion of traditional techniques

• ex. J.H. Moseman, Self-portrait, 1935

• Automatic drawing and writing: writing down anything that comes from their mind

• Manifestoes ex. Surrealist Manifesto (1924) by Andre Breton

  • Rejection of rationality

  • Liberation from spiritual and social constraints

  • Inspiration from Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis

What was automatic drawing and writing and what movement was it from?

(Surrealism)

• Writing down anything that comes to mind

What was Suprematism and when/where did it happen?

After 1915 (early 20th century)

• Russia

• Group of Russian ‘avant-garde’ artists

• Rejection of representation

• Geometric abstraction with spiritual ideals

• Ex. Primacy of The Square: Black Square (1915)

  • Abstraction with religious and spiritual value: an attempt at an ‘absolute degree zero’

  • paintings that all could understand and feel emotional about compared to religious works

• Suprematist Manifesto (1915) by Kazimir Malevich

  • Rejection of representation

  • Spiritual and Utopian vission

What is prehistory?

Refers to an age before the written record

• lack of written records has no bearing on intellectual capabilities

• How to deduce information from this period?

  • From scientific evidence: archaeological finds, geological records, contextual evidence, etc

  • carbon dating (organic things only)

What are the three stone ages?

• Paleo-lithic (2.5 million - 200,000 BCE)

• Meso-lithic (300,000 to 40,000 BCE)

• Neo-lithic (40,000 to 4,000 BCE)

What was the Paleolithic (Old) stone age and what was it marked by?

longest period of human development, but also most static in both technical skill and creativity; that said, researchers believe that humans were developing both mentally and in their manual skill

• marked by simple, crude stone artifacts ex. chopper, hammer stone. acheulean blade; items with practical value

• 2.5 or 2 million BCE until 200,000 BCE (~2 million years long)

What was the Mesolithic (Middle) Stone Age and what was it marked by?

300,000 to 40,000 BCE

Had first clear signs of what we would consider fully artistic expression

• ritualized behavior

• production & use of ochre (pigments); starting to create markings using colored materials

• shells/bones used as ornament/jewelry

• Objects cast into (non-tool) functions

• Abstract markings

• Impermanent Visual Culture (Body art, ornamentation/jewelry, dance/rituals, story-telling, shamanism)

ex. Leaf-shaped spear heads from Germany (more chiseling observed)

What was the Neolithic (late) stone age and what was it marked by?

Shortest stone age but had the most artifacts

• prehistoric cave paintings (similar motifs in Europe, Peru, etc)

Ex. Lascaux Grotto, Chauvet, Altamira

• Parietal paintings = latin for cave wall paintings, lots of aurocs (large cattle) and other animals like horses, European rhinos, mammoths, etc

  • Incision & spray techniques

• There were also tools like leaf blades, bone harpoons, and pendant with carved deer

• Statues ex. Lion-man of Hohlenstein-Stadel (oldest confirmed statue; ritualistic function) and statues of Venus (represent fertility)

What were the three caves mentioned in class from the Neolithic stone age and what was important about each?

Lascaux Grotto, Chauvet, Altamira

• Lascaux Grotto: Featured lots of aurocs (large cattle), horse and deer match the fossil record of Paleolithic period in that region, few human figures

• Chauvet: aurocs, horses, European rhinos, mammoths, etc; ability to depict animals naturalistically

• Altamira: polychrome ceiling has been called the “Sistine Chapel” of stone; 22,000 years of occupation; likely painted by singular painter

  • charcoal drawings, handprints (same type of paintings seen in China & Argentina

  • altar of bisons (dirt scultpures, hasn’t been fired, very delicate

What is the difference between artifacts and art?

Artifacts usually has a function, something from the past.

Art can be anything; more abstract, can be a dance, can be tangible or intangible

What is the timeline of ancient egypt?

3500 BCE: Early Human Civilization in the Nile Valley

3100 BCE: Pre & Early Dynastic Period; Pharaoh Narmer unites Egypt (Unification)

2600 BCE: Old Kingdom (The Age of Pyramids)

2050 BCE: Middle Kingdom (Middle Class Rises)

1550 BCE: New Kingdom (Hyksos dominate the North/Delta)

1501 BCE: Thutmose III

1361 BCE: King Tut

1303-1213 BCE: Ramesses III

31 BCE: ends with death of Cleopatra, Egypt becomes part of Roman Empire

What are the characteristics of Egyptian art?

Hierarchical scale/proportion: the size of the figure denotes its importance

Composite view: The head, arms, legs, and feet are depicted in profile, whereas the eyes and shoulders/torso are presented as seen from the front

Continuous Narrative: sequential scenes are shown within the same image

ex. Judgment scene from the Book of the Dead (version from 1275 BCE), British museum

• figures are “flat” and face to the side of the work

Color palette (limited): red, green, blue, yellow, white, black; each has own symbolism ex. black means death & resurrection

What was the significance of the Palette of Narmer? (Ancient Egypt)

Earliest example of art displaying the ancient Egyptian style

ca. 3200-3000 BC

• makeup palette that visualizes and commemorates the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, and the beginning of Dynastic Egypt

• Idealization: The depiction of the pharaoh as an idealized, youthful, and athletic figure also reinforces the political message of the artwork —> the ruler appearing more eternal and divine than human

• Has composite view (or twisted perspective), hierarchical scale, and registers (horizontal bands conventionally used to neatly order pictorial elements)

Give an example of an ancient Egyptian sculpture

The Seated Scribe from Saqqara

• painted sculpture that exhibits a high level of Naturalism

  • depiction of realistic objects in a natural setting

• Has a lifelike quality achieved through the painting of the plaster and the use of inlaid eyes

What is naturalism?

The depiction of realistic objects in a natural setting

What were mastabas?

low, flat tombs used by Egyptians built out of sun-dried bricks

—> led to the creation of step pyramids (one mastaba over another) —> led to mastabas built without steps and with a point, leading to true pyramid form

Egyptian religion placed great importance on what?

Placed great importance on the resurrection of the soul, or ka, and eternal life in the spirit world after death

What were the purpose of the pyramids? And give an example of a pyramid

No definitive answers, but primary theory is that they were burial structures

ex. Pyramid of Khufu, oldest and largest of the Giza pyramid complex

• made from a sandstone and granite core with a brilliant white limestone casing

• The last remaining of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world

What were the characteristics of art from the Egyptian middle kingdom?

Don’t have a lot of info on them because they were destroyed by invaders and new kingdom

Increased sense of realism and more refined technique

What were the art characteristics of the Egyptian New Kingdom?

• Ancient Egypt’s most prosperous age

• Continued to embody the main principles of Egyptian art: frontality, hierarchy of scale, and composite composition

What were the characteristics of the Amarna period (ancient egypt)

1351-1344 BCE

• sense of movement

• activity in images

• overlapping figures

• busy and crowded scenes

• change in how the human figure was portrayed

• Hierarchy of scale not as prevalent

Style which was adopted during and just after the reign of Akhenaten, who abolished polytheism and initiated monotheistic form of worship called Atenism

Art becomes more realistic/naturalistic

Polytheism was eventually reinstated after Akhenaten’s rule

What is the importance of Madonna in Christian art?

Depiction of Virgin Mary, usually accompanied by a infant Christ, but she can also be shown alone

What are things to look for when visually analyzing a painting?

Balance, emphasis, movement, pattern, repetition, proportion, rhythm, variety, unity, scale

What is the timeline of the Ancient Mediterranean World?

Minoan: until 1600 BC

Mycenaen: 1600 - 1100 BC

Dark Ages: 1100 - 800 BC

Archaic: 800 - 480 BC (Greek vase paintings discussed in class developed during this period)

Classical: 480 - 323 BC

Hellenistic: 323 - 31 BC

What was the archaic period? (Ancient Greece)

800 - 480 BC

Witness the formation of a sculptural tradition: large-scale autonomous sculpture and monumental sculpture for buildings

• Influenced by ancient Egypt but developed its own characteristics

Two major types of sculptures:

• Kouros: free standing Ancient Greek youthful male nudes)

• Kore: free standing Ancient Greek statues depicting youthful females

What were the similarities between Kouros (Ancient Greek male statues) and statues from ancient egypt?

• eyes

• way they are standing

• hands held in a fist

• front facing

• very broad shoulders

• not really realistic

• Unlike egypt: back of sculpture is sculpted

What happened during the Classical Period in Ancient Greece?

5th and 4th centuries

Introduction of democracy and the end of aristocratic culture

Changes of use of sculpture and increased technical skill, moving towards greater naturalism

Contrapposto: positioning of the body which had a contrast between rigid and relaxed elements —> allow viewer to feel the inner workings of the human body

Greek also had interest in athletics; artists studied athletes practicing to create figures in action ex. Poseidon/Zeus c. 460, Artemision Bronze

What is an example of a sculpture from the Ancient Greek classical period?

Kritos Boy, Acropolis, Athens, 480 BC (Early Classical style)

• Harks back to Kouros

• Moment of change from Archaic to Early Classical —> the flesh covers an organic structure of bone and muscle

• First statue from classical antiquity known to use

  • Right leg (forward) bends at the knee so that the left leg appears to hold the body’s weight. Torso shifts so that the right hip and shoulder are lowered

  • —> contrast between rigid and relaxed elements allow the viewer to feel the inner workings of the human body

What happened during the Hellenistic period in Ancient Greece?

Start 4th century BC

The quest for the ideal

• more dynamic pose, represented more freely

• drapery, more complex

• Accurately rendered but idealized human body

• Different stances being used

• ex. Diskobolos - Discus Thrower 460 - 450

  • very dynamic, more complicated pose, no more depicting figures that are just standing, built to be seen in the round

Depictions of Narratives

• artwork showed scenes from the stores and events they are based off; focused on pain and suffering; tragic events; viewer has an idea of what is happening without any knowledge of the narrative itself; real historical events

• ex. Laocoon Group in Rome (man fighting with his sons and snakes)

  • interplay between smooth and textured surfaces

  • heavy shadows + exquisite detail in the figure’s expressions and musculature

  • inspired renaissance and neoclassical art

What are the benefits of the Lost Wax Casting technique?

Allows casting of a sculpture that is empty inside

Able to create sculptures that were very thin, took less materials, and took much precision —> highly technical

Why was the Laocoon Group a key example of Hellenistic sculpture?

its emphasis on emotion and drama

Heavy shadows + exquisite detail in the figure’s expressions and musculature

Sculpture in the round, meant to be viewed from all sides

In ancient greece, what were the parallel developments in science/philosophy/art at the time?

science/philosophy: beginning of rational thought, shrugging off of myth as acceptable explanation, belief in a knowable world, beginnings of the developing the tools necessary to decipher that world; mathematics as a language to describe the world

art: saw a democratization of artistic expression; enthusiastic effort to learn to represent nature as it is (cf. Dutch 17th Golden Age); need to represent the ideal of the human body

What was the importance of pottery? (ancient greece)

Storage containers, cookware, and dishes

• as necessary for the ancient greeks as they were for us

• without much glass and with metal being expensive, clay was a very handy material

Could depict scenes from battle, daily life, ex. wedding, funeral purposes

What was black figure pottery (ancient greece)?

Beginning of 6th century BC

Consisted of painting figures with slip (watered down clay) that would turn black when the vase was fired

• artists then incised details (such as hair, facial features, folds, and patterns in garments) onto the figures as well as paint (white paint —> women’s skin, red paint —> garments)

• Mythology popular subject to depict on vases, patterns used to frame central scene

Ex. Attic black-figure amphora - Ajax and Achilles

• amphora (string honey, oliva oil, water, wine, trophies)

• spotlight effect

What was red figure pottery? (Ancient Greece)

appeared between 530-525 BC

Opposite to black figure; more complicated

• artists paint around where he wants the figure to be, leaving the figure red and the background black

  —> artist then paints the details onto the figure, instead of incising them

What is a peripteral temple?

Ancient greek temple which has an open space surrounded by a collonade

ex. temple of Apollo at Corinth c. 550 B.C. one of the earliest stone-built Doric temples.

What are the three orders of ancient greek columns?

Doric order: very little ornamentation

Ionic order: capital has circular shape

Corinthian order: last to emerge; decorated with leaves

Know the names and shape of their capitals!

The Roman Empire spanned all around what sea?

The Mediterranean Sea

How did Greek Culture influence the Roman Empire

Greeks had colony in Sicily and southern Italy —> great impact on Roman art

Romans copied Greek paintings and sculptures, copied/borrowed Greek architecture & mythology, and borrowed/got influence from Greek Theatre

What are Frescos?

paintings on a wall

• plaster a wall and you paint on it with pigments that are very watery

• very durable medium that survives very well - thousands of years without natural calamities —> tell us about roman art

What were the three styles of roman paintings?

Oldest style: geometric colorful paintings on sculpture; try to mimic stone slabs/marble panels ex. Herod’s Lower Palace, Masada, Israel

2nd style: middle style, more architectural, ex. Pompeii 20-79 AD

3rd style: depicts scenes and more realism, ex. Wall Fresco from the Villa of Mysteries, Pompeii

What are the main features we see in Roman Art?

• interest in anatomy (ideal body shape like Greece, but also were more realistic; more wrinkles, unique nose)

• Foreshortening (also seen in Greece): depiction of bodies in contorted positions or from a shorter angle, shows a maser of painting (painting difficult positions)

• Sculptures also in distress to show mastery

• Horns —> nod to represent strength, divinity, and aggressiveness. Horned gods often warriors.

• Perspective

• Color theory: very bold colors and juxtaposition

• Drapery - how it folds over the human figures and puts them on display

• Shading/lighting - mosaics

• Very interested in naturalism at this time

Why are Late Hellenic (Greece) sculptures often indistinguishable from Roman sculptures?

because they are most likely hellenistc “import" copies or otherwise Greek products, because by 2nd century BCE, most “Roman” sculptors were Greek, often enslaved

Roman sculptprs were not respected, and unlike Greece, anonymous

Temples were often decorated with re-used Greek works

Vast numbers of Greek statues were “imported”

Why did Greek statues (made of Bronze) not survive as well as Roman statues (made of marble)?

Because bronze can melt while marble is more durable

What was the roman colosseum for?

For public functions, for spectacles, for entertainment for the masses, could stage naval battles (over 1000 gladiators a year died in these games)

What are some of the characteristics of the Pantheon in Rome?

• constructed around a sphere

• free standing dome

• made of stone and concrete

• covered in marble slabs

• hole in the celling called the oculus

What was Byzantine Art an extension of?

Roman art

When did the Roman empire split?

395 AD by Emperor Constantine

When did Rome fall and why?

Rome fell in 476 AD, weakened by successive intrusions from Northern Germanic tribes

• during this time, Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) (330s-1453 AD) at arguably its greatest extent

What shift was observed in Byzantine art?

Shift towards a more abstract but also a universal forms, away from the naturalism and freedom of antiquity

• born from a faith-based approach, and relied on stylization (non-realistic style

• Pagan influences and style characterized by Christianity

• Early depiction of jesus (reminiscent of roman gods such as Apollo, wearing roman military clothing)

• ex. Christ Pantocrator, St. Catherines, Sinai Monastery, 6th century

  • depiction of jesus; two sides of face, one side is kinder and one is more the just; showed stylistic choices vs. realistic

What is meant by “antiquity”?

The ancient past, or the time before the Middle Ages (500-1400 ce)

• classical period, etc

What happened to the Roman Empire in the Early Middle Ages?

Incursion of Germanic tribes from the East, start invading and seizing parts of the Roman empire, weakening it significantly

After 500 AD, Western Rome is “gone”

Disease and poor health also made Rome more susceptible to invasion

As classical antiquity broke down, a new dynamic cultural space emerged. What other periods/genres influenced the 500-1000 AD period (Early Middle Ages) of the Roman Empire?

During this period, Europe becomes a melting pot of different cultures

Hellenistic Roman: Late Hellenistic Art had some minor lasting effects

Christian Roman: This genre heavily influenced this period

Byzantine Roman: Many Byzantine influences seeped into Western cultures

“Merovingian” (Frankish): The Franks (Germanic peoples) came early, creating a culture which fused Germanic, Gaulish, and Roman cultures

“Celtic” (Gaulish/Britannic): Parts of Britain / NW France (Brittany) and Ireland continued Celtic Culture

“Viking” (North Germanic): Northern Europeans (mainly Germans) continued Germanic culture wherever they invaded

What was the significance of the Gundestrup Cauldron?

Tipifys melting pot of styles at the time

Metal comes from Northern France (celtic silver)

Also materials from eastern and western half

Also different styles

• range of figures, battle scnes, celtic armour, celtic motifs, celtic deities, battle scenes may be from celtic myths

• stylistic influence from Roman art; God figure with the horns pouring grain; very roman cultural custom

What are characteristics of late Roman Jewelry? What caused changes?

Typicaly roman style of busts carved into gem stones

Starts to change with incoming germanic invasion, more patterning starting to occur

Very detailed patterning brought about by these German tribes

ex. Meringiuan Broaches

How was Germanic influence observed with the style of helmets?

• Change in design/decoration of helmet

• Roman: more simple

• Germanic: more refined and intricate, figural patterns

Why was Charlemagnes's reign so significant?

led to the production of Carolingian art, classic style

Crowned in 800 by pope, first acknowledgement of Germanic tribe emperor

We see how religion affects art; specifically, Christianity

had strong patronage of the arts —> return/renovation of Antiquity/ Roman classicism (classical figures, draped clothes)

• copied early Christian models

• Influence of contemporary Byzantine and Greco-Roman styles

What is classicism?

artwork that draws inspiration from ancient Roman or ancient Greek culture, architecture, literature, and art

What was characteristic of Northern Germanic Art?

• ritualistic function

• knotted beasts, common with celtic tribes, norse ship burial

• starts to translate to christian art —> christian churches being decorated with Norse motifs

ex. Urnes, Stave Church, Door, Norway

What was the book of kells?

A great combination of styles in one manuscript

• one of the national treasures of ireland

• produced in monastery in scotland or ireland

• pages very richly decorated

What was the significance of the Palatine Chapel? What was it similar to? Why?

Built by Charlemagne to be his residence, seat of his empire

Begun 792, Aachen, Germany

Floor plan/patterning resembles late Roman structures

Charlemagne wanted to crown himself the new Christian King, so he copied older Christian chapels

Lots of similarities between Palatine chapel and San vitale Chapel

• archways

• figures lining the dome wearing similar togas

• same figures

• same gold background