Art of the Migration

  • Huns first make contact with the Goths

  • Visigoths sack Rome then set up a kingdom in southern Gaul. Later forced into Spain

  • Vandals: northern Germany to north coast of Africa, later Sicily

  • Burgundians: Settle in East cent. France

  • Franks: Settle in Sen Valley

  • Saxons, Angles, Danes from Scandinavia
      * Saxons and Angles flood into Britain

  • “Dark Ages” because knowledge of this period is very vague

  • Scythian Pectoral:
      * North of the Black Sea
      * quazi nomadic Asian
      * Animal Combat scenes

  • Sutton Hoo Ship Burial, Suffolk, England, ca.625
      * Filled w/ many small objects from Scandinavia
      * Chief Status
      * Silver bowls, Roman coins, Christian Artifacts
      * Shoulder Clasp: Gold and colored enamel chips fused
      * Cloisonné: creating designs on metal with enamel/ colored glass paste
        * abstract animal hunt scene
        * no references to Roman World
      * Purse found: no leather left, 40 coins, 7 1/2 inches long
      * Purse Cover
        * cloisonne compartments
        * heavily abstracted animals
          * master of the animals motif
      * Brooch
        * Heavily stylized braids of snakes

  • Manuscript Illumination: hand-written books with painted decoration that generally includes precious metals such as gold or silver.

  • Book of Durrow, Carpet Page, late 7th cent.
      * Carpet page because of the rectangular form possibly Islamic influence
      * Celtic patterns, with small cross in the center of the medallion

  • Book of Durrow, St. Matthew
      * beginning page of book of Matthew
      * skewed perspective, stylized face
      * cloisonné clothing

  • Book of Durrow, St. Mark
      * Artistic/decorative form of Lion

  • Book of Kells, late 7th Cent.
      * Eagle: evangelist symbol of St. John

  • Merovingian Brooch, ca. 600
      * Brooch: big safety pins for garments
      * stylized Eagle

  • Echternach Gospels St. Matthew, late 7th Cent.
      * Brighter yellow,
      * tear drop shaped cloisons

  • Lindesfarne Gospels, Carpet Page, early 8th cent.
      * stylized cross
      * interlacing snakes

  • Lindesfarne Gospels, St. Matthew, early 8th cent.
      * Matthew writing his book w/ angel above him
      * Greek and Latin inscriptions

  • Codex Amiantinus, Ezra, from Jarrowm early 8th cent.
      * Illumination of Ezra writing in a book
      * Ezra has more volume denoting possible training
      * bookshelves w/ orthangonals
      * Irish/British?

  • Oseberg Ship Burial, Norway, ca. 825
      * remains of 2 women

  • Bow Sprit
      * expressiveness, powerful emotion