Early Medieval Art Flashcards
Minor Arts
Small objects that reflect the wealth of the owner.
Stone, inlaid jewels, glass, enamel.
Avoidance of naturalism, tendency towards abstraction
Geometric
Excavation of Sutton Hoo ship burial
Nomadic kings were burried with all of their belongings.
Filled with coins, utincils, masks, clasps, buckles
Sutton Hoo purse cover
(leather disintegrated)
Cloisonné
Abstracted animals, fit together as one decorative piece.
Stylized.
Symetrical.
Artist was going for surface pattern and abstraction over faithful representation.
Cloisonné
Taking small metal strips and soldering them together to create cells on a metal background. Filled with glass paste, enamel, or semi-precious stones.
Hoard
Staffordshire Hoard
2009 metal detecting man found objects in farmfield. Biggest find since Sutton Hoo.
The oseberg ship
Norway
Queen, lady in waiting (?), and animals
Ship meant for afterlife
Tapestry and treasures
Wood carving - interlaced patterning
Animal head post
Animal head post from oseberg ship
Interlace patterns
Apotropaic
Apotropaic
Intended to ward off evil
Manuscripts
Books made one at a time by educated monks, at monasteries.
Made on vellum or parchment, made from animal skin.
Book of Kells
Chi Rho Iota page
Frontest piece - Inbetween written pages.
Carpet page - resembles textiles due to heavy patterning.
180 small animals used to make pages for this book.
Imported, expensive inks.
Probably for an altar, special use.
Gives overview of the chapter of the book through illustration.
King of Charlemagne
bronze
Charlemagne, king of the Franks, expanded the territories he inherited from his father, and in 800, Pope Leo III crowned him emperor of Rome (r. 800–814). Charlemagne reunited much of western Europe and initiated a revival of the art and culture of Early Christian Rome.
Mustache is Frankish sign of nobility
Charlemagne is important precursor to Romanesque
Carolingian Renaissance
Charles the great (later King Charlemagne) encouraged re-birth of Roman work.
starts with Charles the great / Charlemagne
Franks stopped muslim invation iof gaul
Charlemagne crowned holy roman emporer by pope
a joining of secular and church powers
Interior of the Palatine Chapel of Charlemagne
Comissioned by King of Charlemagne
Narthex, spiral staincases, central plan, two octagons, clerestory.
Emphasis on verticality.
Inspired by byzantine San Vitale, but took out exedrae to make it simpler, more geometric, and easier access to visual impact.
Dome in the palatine chapel
Byzantine and Roman influence
Palace Chapel of Charlemagne
cut stone
central plan
Westwork
New to carolingian era.
Second level is where emporor is located.
Throne of Charlemagne
