Chapter 10: Early Medieval Art

Vikings from Scandinavia

The _____, in their speedy boats, flew across the North Sea and invaded the British Isles and colonized parts of France.

Attila the Hun

This was the age of mass migrations sweeping across Europe, an age epitomized by the fifth-century king, ____, whose hordes were famous for despoiling all before them.

Dark Ages

So desperate was this era that historians named it the “_____,” a term that more reflects our knowledge of the times than the times themselves.

Charlemagne

However, stability in Europe was reached at the end of the eighth century when a group of Frankish kings, most notably ______, built an impressive empire whose capital was centered in Aachen, Germany.

Scribes

These copied the Bible and medical treatises, not modern literature or folk stories.

Scriptorium

a place in a monastery where monks wrote manuscripts

vellum

A codex was made of resilient antelope or calf hide

parchment

sheep or goat hide

Merovingians

A dynasty of Frankish kings who, according to tradition, descended from Merovech, chief of the Salian Franks.

Chasing

to ornament metal by indenting into a surface with a hammer

Cloissonné

enamelwork in which colored areas are separated by thin bands of metal, usually gold or bronze

Zoomorphic

having elements of animal shapes

Fibula

a pin or brooch used to fasten garments; showed the prestige of the wearer.

Hiberno Saxon art

The art of the British Isles in the Early Medieval period.

Hibernia

the ancient name for Ireland.

Horror vacui

(Latin, meaning “fear of empty spaces”) a type of artwork in which the entire surface is filled with objects, people, designs, and ornaments in a crowded, sometimes congested way

Animal style

a medieval art form in which animals are depicted in a stylized and often complicated pattern, usually seen fighting with one another

Gospels

the first four books of the New Testament that chronicle the life of Jesus Christ

Colophon

a commentary on the end panel of a Chinese scroll; an inscription at the end of a manuscript containing relevant information on its publication

Incipit

meaning it depicts the opening words of Saint Luke’s gospel: “Quoniam Quidem…”

Merovingian looped fibulae

* Made of silver gilt worked in filigree with semiprecious stones, inlays of garnets and other stones
* Zoomorphic elements—fish and bird, possibly Christian or pagan symbols.
* Highly abstracted forms derived from the classical tradition.

Lindisfarne Gospels

* The first four books of the New Testament
* Used for services and private devotion.
* Manuscript made from 130 calfskins.
* Written by Eadrith

Eadrith

bishop of Lindisfarne.

Cross-carpet page

* From the Book of Matthew from The Book of Lindisfarne
* Mixture of traditional Celtic imagery and Christian theology.
* Cross depicted on a page with horror vacui decoration.

Saint Luke portrait page

* From The Book of Lindisfarne
* identified by Greek words using Latin characters: “Hagios Lucas.” There is also Greek text.
* Identity of the calf is acknowledged in the Latin phrase “imago vituli.”

Saint Luke incipit page

* Numerous Celtic spiral ornaments are painted in the large Q; step patterns appear in the enlarged O.


* Naturalistic detail of a cat in the lower right corner; it has eaten eight birds.
* Incomplete manuscript page; some lettering not filled in.