2. Introduction Middle Ages Medieval Byzantium
Marks the end of the Classical world
Ends at the beginning of the Renaissance
Medieval
End of Roman Empire in the west by 476 CE
The western part of the empire followed the Roman Catholic Church
Byzantium
Roman Empire becomes Byzantine empire in the east
Roman capital becomes Constantinople
The eastern part of the empire followed the Greek Orthodox Church

3. Introduction cont. Romanesque Gothic Begins in the 11th century CE
Period of building large stone churches covered with sculpture
Gothic
c to the fifteenth century
Known for grand cathedrals

4. Some stylistic characteristics of art from the Middle Ages:
Expresses spiritual concerns rather than humanist ones
Made to support religion and pilgrimages
Centered around location of relics and important sites
Religious subject matter
Richly decorated manuscripts
Fantastical animal-like forms
Elongated and twisted figures
Grand-scale cathedrals

5. 3.31 Map of Europe and the Middle East in the Middle Ages

6. Art of Late Antiquity
Marks the transition from the pagan polytheistic religions to three large monotheistic religions:
Judaism
Descendants of Abraham
Yahweh’s (God’s) face is not shown in art
Few examples of Jewish art survive
Christianity
Worships Jesus Christ as the son of God
Second Commandment
Admonishes that Christians should not worship idols
Some sects believe that this warns against making images of religious figures
Islam
Muhammad as main prophet of Allah (God)
Does not show Allah in art, and rarely shows human figures

7. 3. 32 Interior west wall of synagogue at Dura Europos, Syria, 244–5 CE
3.32 Interior west wall of synagogue at Dura Europos, Syria, 244–5 CE. Reconstruction in National Museum, Damascus, Syria

8. 3.33 Exodus and Crossing of the Red Sea, panel from west wall of synagogue at Dura Europos, Syria, 244–5 CE. Reconstruction in National Museum, Damascus, Syria

9. 3. 34 Painted ceiling, late 3rd–early 4th century CE
3.34 Painted ceiling, late 3rd–early 4th century CE. Catacombs of Saints Peter and Marcellinus, Rome, Italy

10. 3. 35 Good Shepherd, 425–6. Mosaic in lunette
3.35 Good Shepherd, 425–6. Mosaic in lunette. Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy

11. Byzantine Art Emperor Justinian great patron of the arts Mosaic Icons
Funded Hagia Sophia, Constantinople
Protected icons at monastery of St. Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt
Mosaic
Made from glass tesserae
Often placed in Byzantine churches to reflect light
Icons
Encaustic paintings on wood
Venerated, believed to possess powers of healing

12. Some stylistic characteristics of Byzantine art:
Christian subject matter
Small icons promote personal mediation
Glass mosaics made for churches
Floating figures in which line is emphasized rather than volume
Flat spaces with minimal sense of depth
Light an important element for churches and mosaics
Frequent use of gold, especially in the background
Empty background to signify no connection to a specific time or place

13. 3. 36 Christ icon, 6th century. Encaustic, 33 × 18”. St
3.36 Christ icon, 6th century. Encaustic, 33 × 18”. St. Catherine Monastery, Mount Sinai, Egypt

14. 3.37 San Vitale, apse, c. 547, Ravenna, Italy

15. 3. 38 Theodora and Attendants, c. 547
3.38 Theodora and Attendants, c Mosaic on south wall of apse, 8’8” × 12’. San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy

16. Manuscripts and the Middle Ages
Books written and decorated by hand
Artists and scribes were often monks
Beauty and detail of manuscripts encouraged long contemplation

17. 3. 39 Page from the Koran, probably late 12th century
3.39 Page from the Koran, probably late 12th century. Maghribi on vellum, 7½ × 7½”. British Library, London

18. 3.40 Cross-carpet page introducing the Gospel according to St. Matthew. Lindisfarne Gospels, fol. 26b. British Library, London, England

19. 3.41 Detail of 3.40

20. 3.42 The Fifth Vision of Hildegard of Bingen, frontispiece for Liber Scivias, c. 1230, original manuscript lost. Biblioteca Governativa, Lucca, Italy

21. 3.43 The Ascent of the Prophet Muhammad on his Steed, Buraq, Guided by Jibra’il and Escorted by Angels, 1539–43. Miniature painting from a manuscript of Nizami’s Khamsa (Five Poems), originally produced in Tabriz, Iran

22. Pilgrimage in the Middle Ages
Central to the practice of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Pilgrims traveled to:
Places where relics were kept
Sites of important religious events

23. 3. 44 Reliquary of the Head of St. Alexander, 1145
3.44 Reliquary of the Head of St. Alexander, Silver repoussé, gilt bronze, gems, pearls, and enamel, 7½” high. Musées Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire, Brussels, Belgium

24. 3.45 Dome of the Rock, 688–91, Jerusalem, Israel

25. 3.46 Kaaba, Al-Masjid al-Ḥar¯am, Mecca, Saudi Arabia

26. 3. 47 Mihrab from the Madrasa Imami, Isfahan, Iran, c. 1354
3.47 Mihrab from the Madrasa Imami, Isfahan, Iran, c.  Mosaic of polychrome-glazed cut tiles on stonepaste body, set into plaster, 11’3” × 9’5¾”. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

27. Symbolism in Medieval Churches
Imagery used to teach the faithful stories from the Bible
Many parishioners and pilgrims were illiterate

28. 3.48 St. Trophîme, west portal with tympanum, 12th century, Arles, France

29. St. Trophîme, west portal with tympanum
Last Judgment
Placed above entrance and exit to church
Blessed on Christ’s right; damned on his left
Christ
Hierarchical scale
Central position
Four Evangelists:
Matthew (angel)
Mark (lion)
Luke (ox)
John (eagle)

30. 3.49 Diagram of the west portal tympanum in 3.48

31. Medieval Church Plans
Churches were sites of relics and made for pilgrimages
Romanesque churches
Some architectural features reminiscent of ancient Rome
Pointed arch a new aspect at this time
Use of tympanum

32. 3.50 St. Sernin, c. 1070–1120, Toulouse, France

33. St. Sernin, Toulouse, France
St. Sernin Church
Designed in shape of Latin cross
Entrance on the west; entrance on the east
Towers show generations of building
Bell tower shows evolution of pointed arch in upper levels
Entrance on the west via a portal featuring Last Judgment tympanum
Altar to the east

34. 3.51 Latin cross plan

35. The Rise of the Gothic Gothic architecture Increased height Rib vaults
Flying buttresses

36. 3.52 Chartres Cathedral, completed 1260, France

37. 3.53 Chartres Cathedral, interior view showing labyrinth

38. The Gothic Cathedral of Chartres
To see more of this beautiful and dramatic building, watch:
The Gothic Cathedral of Chartres

39. 3. 54 Cimabue, Virgin and Child Enthroned, c. 1280
3.54 Cimabue, Virgin and Child Enthroned, c Tempera and gold on wood, 12’7½” × 7’4”. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

40. 3. 55 Giotto, Virgin and Child Enthroned, c. 1310
3.55 Giotto, Virgin and Child Enthroned, c Tempera on wood, 10’7”× 6’9”. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

41. Discussion question
The Middle Ages was a time of strong religious belief. Select two artworks, each made for believers of a different religion, and contrast how the artist has emphasized the religious elements of the artwork.

42. Discussion question
Compare the architecture of a Gothic cathedral with that of an Islamic mosque. How does the architecture of each reflect the beliefs and rituals of its worshipers?

43. Discussion question
Select one two-dimensional artwork (paintings, mosaics, manuscripts) from the West and one from the Byzantine tradition. Contrast the form and content of the two artworks.

44. Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts
This concludes the PowerPoint slide set for Chapter 3.2
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts
By Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

45. Picture Credits for Chapter 3.2
3.31 Drazen Tomic 3.32, 3.33 Zev Radovan/ Canali Photobank, Milan, Italy 3.35 Photo Scala, Florence 3.36 Monastery of St. Catherine, Sinai, Egypt 3.37 Photo Scala, Florence 3.38 Cameraphoto/Scala, Florence 3.39, 3.40, 3.41 British Library, London 3.42 Biblioteca Governativa, Lucca 3.43 British Library/akg-images 3.44 Musées Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire, Brussels 3.45 © Hanan Isachar/Corbis 3.46 Mohamed Amin/Robert Harding 3.47 Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1939, Acc. no Photo Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art Resource/Scala, Florence 3.48 © Matthew Lambley/Alamy 3.49 Ralph Larmann 3.50 © Rolf Richardson/Alamy 3.51 Ralph Larmann 3.52 Hervé Champollion/akg-images 3.53 Sonia Halliday Photographs 3.54, 3.55 Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence 45