Chap 14.3 Slides Flashcards
What building was considered the finest artistic achievement of the Middle Ages?
Many art historians consider the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris to be one of the finest artistic achievements of the Middle Ages.
What was most art in the Middle Ages created as?
Like most art in the Middle Ages, it was created as a symbol of God.
What was the style of architecture?
Where was this architecture found?
- Some of greatest examples of religious feelings found in churches
- Built in new Gothic style
- Taller, brighter than previous churches
Gothic architecture had __________ which eliminated need for columns for support.
Windows had ________
- Flying buttresses allowed higher ceilings, eliminated columns
- Stained glass showed Biblical scenes, saints
How were the cathedrals decorated?
- Cathedrals lavishly decorated
- Statues of saints, kings, figures from Old Testament
- Exterior had gargoyles, spouts to drain rainwater from roof
- Many gargoyles carved into likenesses of hideous beasts
How were the inside of cathedrals adorned?
- Walls painted with elaborate murals of religious scenes
- Candleholders, crosses, statues intricate works of art
- Many decorated with gold, precious stones
- Clothes of priests heavily embroidered, woven with gold threads
How were religious texts decorated?
- Religious texts richly decorated by illumination, decorating manuscript with pictures, designs
- Illuminators brought pages to life with scenes from manuscript;
- Decorated the first letter on a page, making it large, colorful, and flowing
What were hung on the walls?
What were shown on these?
Tapestry
- Most medieval art religious; some showed daily life, history
- Tapestries, large woven wall hangings, hung in castles to prevent drafts
- Many tapestries show scenes from daily life, fantastic creatures, unicorns, dragons
What was literature about in the Middle Ages?
Writers from the Middle Ages produced works that covered a wide spectrum, including religion, romance and epic adventures
Who wrote the religious texts?
What were these texts about?
Who read these?
- Many writings dealt with religion
- Few people other than monks, priests could read or write
- Range of works
–Sermons on how to live
–Interpretations of Bible passages
–Lives of saints
•Widely read by nobility, clergy
Were there songs and poems?
What language were these written in?
- Medieval writers created religious songs, poems
- Hildegard of Bingen, famous poet, nun
- Wrote dozens of poems
- Hildegard, other writers, used Latin, language of Roman Catholic Church
What was medieval literature about?
Literature included epics, romances
•Long poems, stories of heroes, villains, written in language people spoke every day
What were epic poems about?
–Tell tales related to war, heroes
–The Song of Roland, Charlemagne’s fight against Muslims in Spain
What were romances about?
–Tell tales of true love, chivalry
–Many tell stories of King Arthur and knights of Round Table
Who usually performed these epics, romances?
•Epics, romances often performed by troubadours
A major work by Geoffrey Chaucer was ________
What was it about?
Canterbury Tales
- Geoffrey Chaucer’s collection of stories
- Group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury; each tells story to entertain others
- Characters give insight into what life was like in the Middle Ages
A famous work by Dante was _________
What was it about?
The Divine Comedy
- Dante Alighieri’s story of his imaginary trip through the afterlife
- Composed in three parts, or cantos
- On journey, met people from own life, as well as figures from history
What were the contributions of Chaucer and Dante?
- Chaucer helped increase use of written English language in England, where many had been speaking French
- Dante’s writing shaped development of Italian language for centuries
What were new ideas?
- Religious writers of Middle Ages spread new ideas throughout Europe
- New ideas gave rise to new ways of thinking and learning
What was science during this time?
Alchemy
- People in Middle Ages curious about how world worked
- Began to conduct scientific experiments in alchemy, early form of chemistry
What were the constrictions on learning?
- Experiments constricted by reliance on authority of Greek writers
- Also by teaching of the Catholic Church
What were alchemists looking for?
- Alchemists convinced they could find way to turn base metals into gold, but could not
- Work in alchemy influenced later growth of science
How did Universities develop?
- Growth of European universities influenced by Islamic scholarship
- Blending of European, Islamic cultures led to translation of Aristotle, other Greek scholars, from Arabic into Latin
- European scholars exposed to new ideas
- Universities taught mainly religious courses first, but later broadened scope to include medicine, law
One of the most famous scholar was ________
What did he teach?
- One of most influential medieval scholars, Thomas Aquinas
- Keenly interested in works of ancient philosophers, especially Aristotle
- He tried to use Aristotle’s methods of logic to prove existence of God
Aquinas’ teaching became known as ___________
•Aquinas’ use of intellect and logic to bring together opposing ideas became known as Scholasticism
What did Aquinas and Scholasticism lead to?
- Teachings helped expand former ways of thinking, understanding
- New methods helped Europeans place themselves in wider world
