Chapter 11 (Medieval Europe) Flashcards
Irish or Celtic stone crosses are identifiable by which of the following?
…A circle intersecting the cross arms
It has been said that the author-portrait of Saint Matthew from the Lindisfarne Gospels shows classical influences. What supports this statement?
…The figure is seated as a philosopher or poet reading or writing.
Which group of barbarian invaders at one time controlled part of Italy and formed a kingdom in southern France, and then were forced into Spain by the Franks?
…Visigoths
The symbol of Matthew from the Book of Durrow shows frontal head, profile feet, and a cloak and frame that resemble contemporaneous cloisonné metalwork. Which of the following statements explains this work?
…Wedding the abstraction of early medieval adornment and early Christian and Byzantine pictorial imagery
____ were centrally important to the revival of learning during Charlemagne’s reign.
…Monastic communities
Bernward’s doors for Saint Michael’s, Hildesheim, juxtapose scenes from Genesis with scenes from ____.
…the life of Christ
In the image of Saint Matthew from the Ebbo Gospels, the artist merged classical illusionism with ____.
…the northern linear tradition
Two silver spoons, “Saulos” and “Paulos,” Paul’s names before and after baptism, were discovered as part of the Sutton Hoo burial. What might be alluded from these spoons?
…The owner’s conversion to Christianity.
Later Ottonian church architecture adopted heavy square piers alternating with columns, dividing the nave into vertical units and mitigating the smooth rhythm of early Christian arcades. This system is known as ____.
…alternate support
Which work demonstrates that the Carolingian artist had fully absorbed the Classical manner?
…Saint Matthew, Coronation Gospels
What church plan was used as the model for the palace chapel at Aachen?
…San Vitale
The alternate support system is first found in the architecture of which period?
…Ottonian
Who was a major force in the revival of the Classical style in early medieval times?
…Otto III
The ____ burial epitomizes the early medieval tradition of burying great lords with rich furnishings.
…Sutton Hoo
The epic ____ records that heroes were buried with items of prestige, such as rings and brooches, as a testament to their greatness.
…Saga of Beowulf
Equestrian statues were reminders of Rome’s glory. Charlemagne returned to Rome after his coronation with an equestrian statue of Theodoric. Which statue served as the ultimate model for such equestrian portraits?
…Marcus Aurelius
In the mid-10th century, the eastern part of the Carolingian empire was consolidated under the rule of the ____.
…Ottonians
What manuscript is commonly considered the greatest of the extant early medieval Irish books?
…Book of Kells
Early-11th-century England was briefly part of what empire?
…Danish
Through the use of illuminated manuscripts, Christian monks impressed the illiterate Christian population by ____.
…making words beautiful
The ____ was the most typical object of prestige adornments in the medieval period.
…fibula
The art of medieval monasteries in Ireland is described as ____.
…Hiberno-Saxon
In which way did the three-aisled basilica for the Monastery of Saint Gall differ from its early Christian prototypes?
…It had a second apse on the west end.
What was the primary vehicle used in the Christianization of the British Isles?
…Illuminated manuscripts
The two groupings of a man standing between two lions on the Sutton Hoo purse cover can be found in ____.
…the ancient world
The primary sacred text was the Bible, consisting of the Old Testament originally written in Hebrew and the New Testament written in Greek. In what language is the Vulgate version of the Bible written?
…Latin
Because of their large scale, ____ are the exceptions of artistic production in Ireland and northern England.
…high crosses
The Carolingian architectural plan that demonstrated the beginnings of the modular system was found in ____.
…the Monastery of Saint Gall
The Utrecht Psalter is most closely related to which of the following?
…Ebbo Gospels
What model may have inspired the presence of two apses and a side entrance at Saint Michael’s, Hildesheim?
…Basilica Ulpia
In the later Middle Ages, religious books were created for the private devotions of the laity. They were based on readers used by the monks. These books contained prayers to be read at specific times during the day and were popularly known as ____.
…Books of Hours
The Lindau Gospels book highlights the stylistic diversity of early medieval art. Which of the following describes that combination?
…The work highlights the early Christian tradition and Utrecht Psalter style.
The style of Saint Matthew from the Ebbo Gospels resembles the illustrations in the contemporaneous ____.
…Utrecht Psalter
In the image of Otto III enthroned, the ____ signify his universal authority and conform to a Christian imperial iconographic tradition.
…scepter and orb
Why is Christmas day 800 significant
Pope Leo III interrupted Christmas mass to crown Charlemagne emperor of Rome. The event took place in Saint Peter’s basilica. This was the first person to be emperor in more than three centuries
The Book of Durrow has pages devoted to pure embellishment with neither text nor illustration. Why is this significant?
The Book of Durrow illustrates its independence from the classical tradition of papal Rome. This type of decoration, pure embellishment, has no precedent in classical art.
What purpose did the plan for the monastery at Saint Gall serve, and how was it organized?
The monastery at Saint Gall is the first monastery to employ the modular system. This was a innovation by the Ottonians. The purpose of the monastery at Saint Gall was to provide a place for worship, and also a place for the monks to live. The monastery was also an important area for education and artistic development in similar fashion to those during Charlemane’s reign. Additionally, the space provided a coherent arrangement for the buildings within a monastic community. The fundamental purpose of the design was to separate the monks from laity who also lived within the community.
Why is the image of Saint Matthew in the Lindisfarne Gospels exceptional, and what would explain its uniqueness?
It is exceptional among Hiberno-Saxon images because it is not based purely on abstract design. Instead, the artist based the composition on a model inspired by specifically classical art. It is believed that the model for this work was an illustrated book brought from Italy to England.
Interpret the portrait of Otto III from the Gospel Book of Otto III.
He is presented as an emperor, holding the cross-inscribed orb and scepter, emblems of his office and his authority. At his sides are the clergy and barons, representing the church and the state. Otto III was very aware of his Byzantine connections (his mother was Theophanu, an imperial princess of Byzantium); even though this portrait is stylistically remote from Byzantium, the political resemblances to Byzantium are clear. This work shows the same political theme as the mosaic portrait of Justinian from San Vitale.
Early medieval civilization in western Europe represents a fusion of which cultures?
It was a fusion of Christianity, the Greco-Roman heritage, and the cultures of the non-Roman peoples north of the Alps.
What form did much medieval art from this period take
the form of small “status symbols” like fibula. It also took the form of illuminated manuscripts
How did the reception of smaller “status symbols” of art change
Earlier scholars viewed these as minor arts but they were very important to people of the time
