Final Flashcards
Hagia Sophia
Constantinople (modern Istanbul)
Early Byzantine
532-537
Hagia Sophia was built during the reign of Justinian. Pendentive contruction made possible the logy dome which seems to be suspended. Penditive and Squinches transfter the weight from the great dome to the piers beneath, rather than to the walls.
Monastery of St. Catherine
Mt. Sinai, Egypt
Early Byzantine (Justinianic)
6th century
The Monastery was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and served to protect the hermit-monks and house pilgrims during their visits. Features christ pantekos, virgin and child, and the transfiguration of christ. The artist chose to create a completely gold background devoid of landscape and shadow.
Barberini Diptych showing Justinian
Constantinople (modern Istanbul)
Early Byzantine
mid-6th century
This diptych honoring classical style looks back to portraits of Roman leaders on horseback (marcus orelius). The leaders are depicted in a position of power and mercy.
San Vitale
Byzantine (Justinianic)
Ravenna
525-578
San Vitale is centrally planned like Justinian’s churches (hagia sophia). It features two concentric octagons, a dome crowns the taller, inner octagon providing clerestory lighting. San Vitale’s mosaics are proxies for the absent sovereigns (Justinian and Theodora).
Mausoleum of Santa Costanza (Constantine’s daughter)
Rome
Early Christian
ca. 338-350
Basilican church design was a favorite of the Western Christian world, but they also adopted a central-plan (building parts are of equal or almost equal dimensions around the center). This structure was a tomb for Constantine’s daughter. Roman architecture such as the Pantheon influenced this type of building. It has a brick exterior and many of the mosaics that decorated the interior are now lost.
Ivory diptych of the Nicomachi and Symmachi: Priestess celebrating rites of Bacchus
Rome
Early Christian
ca. 400
Exhibits the endurance of pagan themes and patrons and the classical style. The ivory either commemorates the marriage of the two prominent families or the passing of members within the family. The woman is sacrificing at an altar and the imagery focuses on the idealized human beauty.
Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus
Rome
Early Christian
ca. 359 AD
Wealthy Christians favored elaboratly decorated sarcophogi. Features scenes of Old Testament instead of faces of the deaceased.
Catacomb of Saints Peter and Marcellinus
Rome
Early Christian
early 4th century
Catacomb painting mixed old and new testament themes. Jonah was a popular subject because he prefigured Christ Resurrection. Christians had to be buried outside of city’s walls on private property.
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Lunette: Good Shepherd
Early Christian
Ravenna
425-426
Christ lead sheep (souls) into heaven.
House-Church (Domus Ecclesiae) of Dura Europos
Dura Europos, Syria
Early Christian
ca. 240-256
A private residence remodeled into a Christian community house. The hall had a raised platform at the end where the leader of the congregation stood. Another room was meant for baptism. It was a modest house compared to those of Roman temples since Christianity was not yet approved by the state.
Sarcophagus with philosopher, Jonah, Baptism and orant
Rome
Early Christian
ca. 270
Depicts the salvation of Jonah, Christ as the GOod Shepherd and the baptism of Christ. Featured motifs borrowed directly from contemporary pagan sarcophogi. The black faces were to be filled in as the faces of the deceased.
Old St. Peter’s
Rome
begun by Constantine
Early Christian
ca. 320-337
Erected by Constantine, the first imperial patron of Chistianity. The buildings plan resembles those of Roman basilicas, not pagan temples. Wide central nave, flanking aisles and an apse.
Santa Sabina
Early Christian
Rome
422-432
Paintings from the Synagogue of Dura Europos
Dura Europos, Syria
Jewish/Early Christian
ca. 245-256
Converted private house with a central courtyard. The sacred Torah is at the center of one long wall adorned with paintings depicting Old and New Testament scenes. Portrays different narrative scenes from biblical history. The Torah shrine is in the middle with wall murals all around. God does not appear in the paintings except for his hand. These paintings are not as interested in a sense of space and depth. The facial expressions are emotionless and the figures often stand in frontal rows. Compare to Bishop Bernward Doors.
Merovingian Brooches
Jouy-le-Comte, France
Migrations
mid-6th century
Part of a larger collection of the jewelry from when Merovingian Kings ruled France today. They were buried with a wealthy Merovingian woman. They resemble the plain fibule in the apse mosaic of San Vitale in Ravenna. These fibulae were emblems of office and prestige.
Chi Rho Iota Page, from Book of Kells
Migrations (Hiberno-Saxon)
ca. 800
Described as the greatest achievment of Hiberno-Saxon art. The painter transformed the biblical text into abstract pattern, literally making God’s words beautiful. The intricate design recalls early medieval metalwork (fibulae and purse lid).
Doorway panels from Parish Church at Urnes
Urnes, Norway
Migrations
ca. 1050-70
Even though much of Scandinavia had become Christian, Viking artistic traditions persisted. This is evident in the decorations of the door panels that feature elongated animal forms entertwining with plants in spirals.
Cross page and page with St. Matthew, from Lindisfarne Gospels
Migrations (Hiberno-Saxon)
ca. 698-721
An example of the combination between early medieval abstraction and Early Christian art. The ornamental patterning is much more intricate than that of The Book of Durrow. The exquisite patterns are held in check by the all important symbol of imported religion.
Page with Man (Frontispiece to Matthew), from Gospel Book of Durrow
Migrations (Hiberno-Saxon)
ca. 660-680
The Book of Durrow combines the abstraction of early medieval personal adornments with Early Christrian pictoral imagrey. Each page is dedicated to the evangelist who wrote the gospel. Compare to purse lid and fibulae of Suton Hoo Ship Burial.
Oseberg ship burial
Oseberg, Norway
Migrations
ca. 800
A great wooden ship that exemplifies how the Vikings were master wood carvers. The post combines in one composition the head of a roaring beast with surface ornamentiation in the form of tightly interwoven writing animals.
Purse lid from Sutton Hoo ship burial
Sutton Hoo, England
Migrations
ca. 615-25
One of the many treasures found in the Sutton Hoo ship burial. The combinaton of abstract interlace ornament with animal figures is the hallmark of early medieval art in western Europe.
Anastasis fresco, from funerary chapel of the Monastery of the Chora (Kariye Camii)
Constantinople (modern Istanbul)
Late Byzantine
ca. 1315-1321
Christ is depicted as a white appartition surrounded by blue mandorla as he raises adam and even a one, smooth, graceful motion. Byzantine artists were not concerned ith the systematic observation of material nature. The source of their visions were unconventional spiritual world unsusceptible to change.
Crucifixion mosaic, from Church of the Dormition
Daphni, Greece
Middle Byzantine
ca. 1090-1100
Combination of Hellenistic (emotional) style and the ore abstract Byzantine. The Virgin Mary and Saint John point to Christ as if a devotional object. Christ is displayed with a sagging body curved like an S. Not overtly in pain though blood and water spurt from his wounds.
Christ Pantokrator mosaic, from Church of the Dormition
Daphni, Greece
Middle Byzantine
ca. 1090-1100
The image of Christ gazes down from the central dome of the building. Pantokrator means ruler of all, applied to Christ in his role as Last Judge of humankind. It is like a giant icon that serves to connect the worshipper with Heaven through Christ. Below are hierarchical scenes from the New Testament.
Theotokos (Virgin and Child) mosaic, from apse of Hagia Sophia
Constantinople (modern Istanbul)
Middle Byzantine
dedicated 867
Replaced an iconoclast that was destroyed shorty after the repeal of iconoclasm.
Mosaic of Empress Zoe and Constantine IX, from Hagia Sophia
Constantinople (modern Istanbul)
Middle Byzantine
ca. 1028-1035
The Empress Zoe was meant to be married off to a holy Roman emperor but he dies shortly. It isn’t until she is 50 years old that she finds a husband. Constantine the 9th is portrayed in this portrait with her and Christ is in the center as the largest figure to emphasize his importance. She was a very intelligent woman who played a role in political matters of the time.
Lamentation, from Saint Pantaleimon Monastery
Nerezi, Macedonia
Middle Byzantine
1164
Painter displayed the lamentation of Christ in a hilly background apposed to most gold backgrounds of the Byzantine era. Passionate, emotionally charged scene featuring the Virgin Mary mourning her son even though she was not present during the entombment of Christ. Christ’s body follows the traditional S curve.
Anastasis mosaic, from Saint Mark’s Basilica
Venice, Italy
Middle Byzantine
begun 1063
The great arch framing the church shows a narrative of Christ’s liberation from death of Adam and Eve and other biblical figures. Christ steps on Satan and the doors and keys to hell while saving Adam and Eve. The mosaics reflect Venice as the link between the eastern and western Christendom. They do not show a sense of depth or space.
Virgin of Vladimir
once in Vladimir, Russia, but made in Constantinople
Middle Byzantine
12th century
Mary is depicted as the Virgin of Compassion who presses her cheek against her son as she contemplates his future. It rejects the iconoclastic viewpoint and decends from works from the Monastary of Saint Catherine in Mount Sinai.
Rebecca at the Well, from Vienna Genesis
Early Byzantine
early 6th century
Made for an imperial patron with the pages dyed purple. Abraham and Isaac are finding a suitable wife. It is presented in two episodes where in the first, Rebecca leaves the city of Nahor to fetch water from the well. In the second, she offers water to the servant’s camels.This is made in a classicizing style which still remains very powerful in the 6th century.
Rossano Gospels: Christ before Pilate, and Hebrews choose between Christ and Barabas
Early Byzantine
early 6th century
The earliest preserved illuminated book that contains illustrations of the New Testament. The artist wanted to harmonize the colors with the purple background. Here, Jesus appears before Pilate and the figures stand on two ground lines. Jesus is shown as a grown adult and the Barabas are labeled and appear on the lower portion.
Rabbula Gospels: Ascension of Christ
Early Byzantine
586
Christ is featured much like in the Transfiguration as Saint Catherine in Mount Sinai. The biblical book of acts omits the Virigin Mary’s presence during Christ’s Ascension, however Rabbula features the Virgin Mary in a central position. This is an example of how important the Virgin Mary was in late medieval art.
Paris Psalter, preface miniature showing David playing lyre
tempera on vellum
Middle Byzantine
mid-10th century
Byzantine painters revived the classical style. David is portrayed as if a Greek hero and is accompanied by personifactions of Melody, Echo and Bethlehem.
Equestrian portrait of Charles (the Bald or Great?)
Carolingian
ca. 850-900
Revives the glory and imagry of the ancient Roman Empire.
Palace Chapel of Charlemagne
Aachen, Germany
Carolingian
792-805
Inspired by San Vitale but is far simpler and geometric. Omitted apselike extensions.
Schematic plan of monastery at St. Gall
Switzerland
Carolingian
ca. 819
The building itself was never constructed but it provides a contemporary image of what these monasteries were like. It is laid out on a grid system and is based around a basilica plan church with adjoining garden, rooms for eating, sleeping, and work. It acts as a self-sufficient community based around the worship of God - functioning as a center of learning and antiquity.
Coronation Gospels of Charlemagne: Saint Matthew
from Aachen, Germany
Carolingian
ca. 800-810
The artist fully absorbed the classical style of art using light and shade to create shapes. Capital of a renewed Christian Roman Empire.
Ebbo Gospels: St. Matthew
from Hautviller, France
Carolingian
ca. 816-840
Merging of classical illusionism with the northern linear tradition. Saint Matthew writes frantically while the folds of his drapery writhe and vibrate with tension.
Utrecht Psalter, Psalm 22 (23)
from Hautviller, France
Carolingian
ca. 825-50
Rich in anecdotal detail and show figures acting out King David’s psalms. The vivid animation resemble that of the Ebbo Gospels.
Lindau Gospels, front cover with Crucifixion
Carolingian
ca. 870
Revives the Early Christian Imagry of youthful Christ headless in pain.
Church of St. Michael’s
Hildesheim, Germany
Ottonian
1010-33
Built by Bishop Bernward. The churches two apses, two trancepts and multiple towers give it a distinctive profile.
Doors of Bishop Bernward
Church of St. Michael’s, Hildesheim, Germany
Ottonian
1015
Vividly tell the story of Original Sin and ultimate redemption. It draws parallels between the old and new testaments as in the expulsion from Paradise and infancy and suffering of Christ.
Gero Crucifix
Ottonian
ca. 970
Early example of the revival of monumental sculpture in the Middle Ages. Sculptor depicted with unprecendented emotional power the intense agony of CHrist’s ordeal on the cross.
Otto III Enthroned, from Gospel Book of Otto III
Ottonian
997-1000
Sceptor and cross inscribed orb represents his universal authority, conforming to Christian imperial iconographic tradition. Compare to Christ and Virgin with saints and angles.
Uta Codex: Abbess Uta dedicating her codex to the Virgin
from Regensburg, German
Ottonian
ca. 1025
Illustrates the important role that women could play in religious life and as patrons of the arts. The dedicatory page shws Uta presnting her codex to the Virgin Mary.
Golden Madonna of Essen
Essen, Germany
Ottonian
ca. 973-82
Its primary purpose is to serve as a container for a relic, or pieces of saints. It is covered in gold and has tiny features on the big faces. It is not entirely sure if this was a deliberate choice. The imagery looks back to that of the Virgin and Child – portraying a motherly connection between the two.
Lectionary of Henry II: Annunciation to Shepards
Ottonian
Reichenau
1000
Church of Saint-Sernin
Toulouse, France
Romanesque
1070-1120
A project ran by the count of Toulouse. It is a reworking of old St. Peters with a basilica. There are towers and the structure is built from geometric block like units. Buttresses are an extremely important aspect in the structure and support for this building. There are double isles and a series of small semicircular chapels. This allows pilgrims to walk through the aisles to visit the chapels – making it accommodating to larger groups of people. The size of the structure was unreal for people of the time.
Reliquary from Abbey Church of Ste-Foy
Conques, France
Romanesque
ca. 980
A piece of skull is placed into this reliquary, which acts as a box in the shape of this particular saint. A crucifix is on the back of the box. This piece is unusual because it survives iconoclasm. Its survival, however, is due to the fact that it was walled up within the monastery so no one could find it. The reliquary is meant to be the earthly embodiment of the saint in Heaven so that it may listen to and grant the worshipper’s prayers.
Third abbey church at Cluny
Cluny, France
Romanesque
1088-1130
It was the largest church in Europe until it was blown up by real estate developers. Here, monks finally got to live lavish lifestyles. Before they were poor and were told that they did not need material things. The sculpture of church is based on the 7 hymns and 7 notes in an octave. The monks would sing for 7 hours. The church had a barrel-vaulted nave, four aisles, and radiating chapels. It was a symbol of power and prestige.
Abbey Church of Saint-Étienne
Caen, France
Romanesque
ca. 1115-1120
The interior is wider and relatively lower in proportion to its width. It features diagonal ribs that allow clerestory lighting with additional clerestories at the top. There are also tall columns that sometimes exist in groups of three. Radiating chapels probably housed relics. It is an early example of the introduction of stone sculpture into Romanesque architecture.
Portal from the Cathedral of Saint-Lazare
Autun, France
Romanesque
ca. 1120-35
Doors were seen as portals into the church. The last judgement scene is depicted on the portal with Christ in the middle. The saved are on his left and the damned on his right. It also features the weighing of souls with the devil on one side and an angel on the other to decide who will go to hell. It is a 3-dimensional scene treated as if it were 2-dimensional. (The drapery on Christ is drawn almost as lines). Very dramatic scene.
Portal from the Abbey of La Madeleine
at Vézelay, France
Romanesque
1120-32
Shows Christ’s instructions to the apostles to spread the good word. Christ is very large within the frame and gives the apostles three missions. Light rays coming from his hand represent the instilling of the Holy Spirit in the apostles. The figures get smaller and more positive as they move toward Christ. Down below are scenes of foreign nations whom the apostles will go out and convert.
Portal from the Benedictine Abbey of St.-Pierre
Moissac, France
Romanesque
ca. 1115-30
There is a deliberate flattening of scale and depth. The scale is consistent to what you know, not what you see. Line is used to create a sense of urgency and emotion. Below on the troumo shows Jeremiah in an exaggerated S-curve.
Head reliquary of St. Alexander
from Stavelot Abbey, Belgium
Romanesque
1145
Used to hold relics or pieces of a specific saints. This one housed the hallowed pope’s relic. The box is in the shape of the saint and is lavishly decorated with jewels and enamel. Influenced by Roman portraiture, it looks back to Augustus just as various reliquaries do. It gazes frontally at the viewer, trying to engage them through worship.
Virgin and Child (“Sedes sapientiae”)
from Auvergne, France
Romanesque
ca. 1150-1200
A wooden example (not bejeweled) where Christ looks like a small adult child. It was set up in chapels almost as a cult image. The Virgin is much more accessible to people rather than Christ alone – explaining her popularity in icons and statues. Christ holds a book in one hand and a gesture of blessing in the other – embodying divine wisdom. The style is linear, frontal, and is only meant to be looked at from one direction. The drapery is expressed purely as line rather than as volume. Naturalism is not the goal for the artist.
Renier de Huy
Baptismal font
Romanesque
1107-1118
A basin for the baptism of babies, decorated with the original baptism of Christ scene. The artist didn’t want to get into the issue of landscapes so they show a cone of water and Christ emerging from it. The other side shows a contemporary scene of two baptismal fonts such as the baptism of one of the donors. It rests upon twelve oxen. The Classical style is being revived here, with idealized, soft bodies.
Liber Scivias of Hildegard of Bingen
Romanesque
ca. 1150-1200
A manuscript written by the Abbess of the monastery. She saw visions and became a mystic which is what is portrayed in the manuscript. She is being visited by the Holy Spirit – celebrating her awakening with the fire of heaven coming down. She writes it all down which inspires her to speak with a divine voice. The manuscript itself is a writing of her visions. A monk is next to her, copying down all she has written within a book.
Bayeux tapestry: The Battle of Hastings, 1066
Bayeux, France
Romanesque
ca. 1066-82
A continuous frieze-like narrative that chronicles the history of the conquering of Britain. King Edward reclaims his last will and testament and then it shows his death. A comet is shown, acting as a bad omen. Scenes of daily life are also shown. All of the margin images below are little pictures of battle. The story told here is the conqueror’s version of history, a proclamation of national pride.
The Scribe Eadwine
English
Canterbury
1160-70
Abbey Church of Saint-Denis: Ambulatory and radiating chapels
Paris, France
Gothic
choir from 1140-1144
Remolded additions to the church, it represented a sharp break from past practice. Lightweight rib vaults resting on pointed arches cover the ambulatory and chapel. It allowed builders to eliminate walls between chapels and fill them with stained glass. This added a new dimension to lighting within the church. This vaulting and stained glass became hallmarks of French Gothic architecture.
Laon Cathedral: Nave
Laon, France
Gothic
begun 1190
Retained many Romanesque features but also combined it with rib vault resting on pointed arches. A triforium is used, which is a band of arcades below the clerestory. It reflected the growing desire to break up all continuous wall surfaces. The building aimed for sheer verticality and to reduce mass, replacing it with framed voids.
Chartres Cathedral
Chartres, France
Gothic
1140-1220
Rebuilt after a fire, the crypt held the most precious relic, the mantle of the virgin which survived the fire. The plan reveals a new kind of organization – a single square in each aisle flanks a single rectangular unit in the nave. The goal was to unify the interior space. It was one of the first churches to be planned with flying buttresses which allowed builders to eliminate the tribune above the aisle. The windows also become a lot larger. The window that survived the fire features virgin and child with saints bringing gifts down below.
Chartres Cathedral: Royal portal of west facade
Chartres, France
Gothic
ca. 1145-1155
These statues faced great changes, recalling developments in ancient Greek sculpture during the transition from Archaic to Classical. The saints communicate and turn slightly away from one another. Naturalistic drapery folds breaks any rigidity. The faces and costume are extremely individualized. The figure of St. Theodore portrays him as the ideal Christian knight.
Chartres Cathedral: Rose window, north transept
Notre-Dame de la Belle Verrière
Chartres, France
Gothic
ca. 1220
Although there are a large clerestory windows, the interior of the church is quite dark. The purpose of these windows was to transform natural light into mysterious and beautiful light rather than to illuminate. The rose changes in hue with the hours, turning it into views of celestial heaven.
The stained glass transforms natural light into divine light through rich brilliant color. This particular image is not a biblical scene. Instead, it illustrates stone masons and sculptors building the church. Instead of just showing the history of the world through religious tales, it shows the history of the church and its creation. It combines traditional and contemporary themes in this way.
The centre depicts the Virgin Mary and enthroned Christ against a red background. It has a traditional frontal composition but now Mary is younger, haloed, crowned, and accompanied by the dove of the holy spirit. She looks very tender as she holds Christ. Builders used light to transform the material into the spiritual.
Amiens Cathedral
Amiens, France
Gothic
1220-1269
Similar in many ways to Chartres, it had elegant rectangular-bay systems, four-part rib vaults, and a buttressing system. Showed French obsession with creating even taller churches. The arches are more peaked and the towers are lighter. Flying buttresses acted as bridges and support for the walls in between windows. The windows are wider but are structural as builders aimed to let in more light.
Amiens Cathedral: Portal of west facade
Trumeau sculpture of Christ (“le beau Dieu”)
Amiens, France
Gothic
1220-1269
The lower parts reflect influence of Laon Cathedral in spacing. However, the builders punctured upper parts of the facade to an even greater degree. It left few surfaces for decoration but sculptors covered the ones that remained with arches, pinnacles, etc. Sculpture also inhabits the area above the portal.
A fully modeled sculpture of Christ’s figure, enveloped with massive drapery folds. It is a free-standing statue and an architectural canopy is placed above his head. Here, Christ is shown as a kind figure who doesn’t strike terror in sinners. He tramples evil forces of the world and blesses those who enter the church.
Reims Cathedral
Reims, France
Gothic
1225-1290
A very expensive building, statues inhabit the area above the rose window. The figures stand taller than before and do not move in space as much. The exterior of the building is intricately decorated. A pair of sculptures on the west facade portray the annunciation of the angel telling the Virgin Mary the news. Theses sculptures really showed off the High Gothic style of sculpture.
Reims Cathedral: Annunciation and Visitation, right jamb figures on the center portal, west facade
Reims, France
Gothic
ca. 1230-1255
Portrays the angel delivering news to Mary. She does not respond overtly to the news that the angel has brought her. The drapery wraps around the body and reveals the weight put on one leg. The bodies are turned so that they react with one another. The drapery looks back to figures such as the Togate statue of Augustus, portraying classical antiquity. The faces are also very classicizing in nature.
Sainte-Chapelle: Interior
Paris, France
Gothic
1243-1248
Built specifically to house relics such as the crown of thrones, the reed, and the shroud of Jesus. It is a small building with gothic pointed arches and flying buttresses on the outside. The emphasis is on the extreme slenderness of the architectural forms. The large windows filter light and fill the interior with a rose-violet atmosphere. The stained glass features small scale narratives that gives us a long history of the world.
The Relics Presented to King Louis
French
Paris
1243-48
It was built as if it were a monastery and had relatively heavy walls that supported the nave. The interior was divided into a series of horizontal units. The elements used within this structure really outlines a strong horizontal emphasis. The height of the building is modest compared to Amiens and Reims so flying buttresses were used sparingly. Although Gothic through many elements, it departs from French Gothic style.
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury, England
Gothic
1220-1258
It was built as if it were a monastery and had relatively heavy walls that supported the nave. The interior was divided into a series of horizontal units. The elements used within this structure really outlines a strong horizontal emphasis. The height of the building is modest compared to Amiens and Reims so flying buttresses were used sparingly. Although Gothic through many elements, it departs from French Gothic style.
Westminster Abbey: Lady Chapel of Henry VII
London, England
Gothic
1503-1519
A tall building with a lot of horizontality, it is much more ornamental rather than structural. Builders turned the linear play of ribs into a sort of architectural embroidery. In the chapter house, slender piers support great fan vaults that go up and radiate out. The patterns on the vaults don’t really serve much purpose rather than act decoratively.
Cologne Cathedral
Cologne, Germany
Gothic
begun 1248
Nicholas of Verdun - Shrine of the Three Kings
ca. 1190-1205
Houses the Gero crucifix, it is a very grand cathedral inspired by French Gothic building. It boasts a giant nave with two aisles on each side. The choir features double lancets and tall, slender windows. It expresses the Gothic quest for height. It is a structurally sound building as well.
Bonaventura Berlinghieri - Saint Francis Altarpiece
Church of San Francesco, Pescia, Italy
Gothic
1235
Follows the Byzantine tradition, it is one of the earliest representations of St. Francis on wood. This style is denounced as old fashioned and barbaric. St. Francis has a very Byzantine wardrobe with smalls scenes that tell the story of him working miracles and as a devoted worshipper. The scenes connect him more emphatic to Christ. The image is flat and of a spiritual nature.
Florence Cathedral
Florence, Italy
Gothic
begun 1296
Features a combo of different traditions, it signifies the relationship between civic and religious power in the Florence community. It is sort of a weird combo of a basilica plan church and central plan church with a great dome in the middle. There are no flying buttresses, emphasizes its horizontality, and the dome is rebuilt into a sort of a giant sundial. It has an elaborate facade that has little to do with the structure of the building.
Nicholas of Verdun - Shrine of the Three Kings
from Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany
Gothic
ca. 1190-1205
A reliquary that was specifically built for the relics of the three kings. It is shaped like a basilica church with triple bay arches and classicized figures. The figures are 3-dimensional, turns in space, and has a relationship with the architectural setting. The also break free of the frame. The drapery falls in a very classicizing manner, and the jewels, floral ornaments, and interlace patterns also reflect classical prototypes.
Nicholas of Verdun - Shrine of the Three Kings
from Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany
Gothic
ca. 1190-1205
The altar features a grid of scenes from the Old testament and the New Testament. It is working in a Byzantine style with elongated figures. The upper and lower registers contain the Old Testament scenes, appearing above and below the New Testament episodes they prefigure. For example, the sacrifice of Isaac with the sacrifice of Christ.
Ekkehard and Uta
Choir statues from Naumburg Cathedral, Naumburg, Germany
Gothic
ca. 1245-1260
The two figures are attached to columns and stand beneath architectural canopies. The costumes and facial features individualize the two. Naturalism within the drapery suggests that the two were made with a model. Ekkehard is shown as an intense knight contrasting with the beautiful, glamorous Uta. The figures are much more emotional and react to other scenes.
Saint Maurice
from Magdeburg Cathedral, Magdeburg, Germany
Gothic
ca. 1245-1250
Saint Maurice was an African saint so he is portrayed as such. It is a very specific representation of the founder saints of these cathedrals.
Bamberg Rider
from Bamberg Cathedral, Bamberg, Germany
Gothic
1235-1240
It is unsure who the man depicted represents, but it looks back to Carolingian riding figures who look back to Marcus Aurelius. The man is depicted as a young Christian knight wearing a crown. It seems to be a true portrait, carefully represented through clothing high saddle, and horse trappings. The rider turns toward the observer, as if to engage his troops.
Virgin of Paris
Paris, France
Gothic
ca. 1320
Worshipper can ask the Virgin through this statue to pass on their prayers to God. It portrays her role as a loving mother as she also takes the role as the queen of heaven. There is a different relationship in these gothic sculptures, showing an exaggerated S-curve.
Virgin of Jeanne d’Evreux
from the abbey church of Saint-Denis, Paris, France
Gothic
1339
Made in gold, the exaggerated S-curve is present similar to the Virgin of Paris. Mary stands on a rectangular base decorated with enamel scenes of Christ’s Passion. Christ playfully reaches out to his mother. It is an intimate look into the human characterization of mother and child. It also served as a reliquary that was believed to hold some of Mary’s hair.
Vesperbild, Madonna with Dead Christ (Rottgen Pieta)
from the Rhineland, Germany
Gothic
ca. 1300-1325
It greatly expresses the suffering of Mary as she holds the dead body of her son, with exaggerated features and the bloody wounds of Christ. Christ is portrayed as a stunted wreck, not the triumphant Christ. The humanizing of religious themes acted as a direct appeal to the emotions of worshippers. It provides a stark contrast to the calm of the enthroned images of mother and child.
Louis IX and Queen Blanche of Castile, from Moralized Bible
Gothic
1226-1234
Has a costly gold background depicting Blanche and Louis enthroned. Below are a monk and scribe portraying the act of creation. The structure emphasizes the relationship between picture and frame. The images are structured within gothic arches, supported on columns. The figures do not have much relation to their background.
God as Architect, from Moralized Bible
Gothic
ca. 1220-1230
God appears as the architect of the world with his compass, measuring out the world. Th sun and moon and unformed matter will become earth once God applies geometric principles on it. In contrast, creationism said that God simply created the world from sheer force rather than as an architect.
Abraham, Sarah, and the Three Strangers, from Psalter of St. Louis
Gothic
1253-1270
A miniature book of psalms meant for personal use, sort of jewel like. It shows the scene of Abraham and the Three Angels who come to announce that his wife, Sarah, will bear a child. It is contained within a Gothic cathedral with flying buttresses, roof beams, and a tree that separates the two scenes. It mimics the effects of stained glass.
Master Honoré - Breviary of Philippe le Bel: David anointed by Samuel (top)
and David and Goliath (bottom)
Gothic
1296
Draws on traditions of gothic sculpture and gothic stained glass. The page features two Old Testament scenes involving David. The linear treatment of the hair and the delicate figures are typical of its time. The painter was very interested in providing volume but was not so adamant about portraying his figures in space.
Jean Pucelle - Belleville Breviary
Gothic
ca. 1325
Features psalms and prayers for personal use, decorated with scenes that were not necessarily connected to the text. There is a different approach to space compared to earlier traditional gothic settings. It shows a deep space with illusionistic architecture. Th margins are filled with playful imagery. For example, people playing games, snails, monkeys, and miniature people.
Jean Pucelle - Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux
Gothic
ca. 1325
Jean Pucelle - Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux: Betrayal of Christ
Gothic
ca. 1325
A small, personal book of devotion, filled with illuminations. Similar to contemporary gothic sculpture that is uninterested in texture or volume. It looks much like stained glass and is painted in black and white. It draws on a number of traditions, combining them. The figures interact with their landscape and Mary’s body sways and turns in space. A hatch in the ceiling allows the Holy Spirit to come down from it.
Richard de Bello (?) - Mappa Mundi
Gothic
ca. 1300
A large map of the world made on vellum. There is interest in a wider world where the center of it is Jerusalem. The world is bent into recognizable places, with England as an island and even Paradise. At the top is Christ in Majesty, looking down at the rest of the world. Christianity becomes the history of the world, not just a belief system.
Cimabue - Virgin and Child Enthroned
Florence
Late Medieval Italy
ca. 1280
One of the first artists to break away from the Italo-Byzantine style, introducing a new naturalism. It still reveals the painter’s reliance on Byzantine models for composition and gold background. The gold embellishments on the drapery enhance the 3-dimensionality. The overlapping figures of the angels portray a sense of depth.
Giotto - Virgin and Child Enthroned
Florence
Late Medieval Italy
ca. 1310
Mary is nearly goddess like on her Gothic throne. Rather than slender and fragile though, she is depicted as weighty and a queenly mother. Giotto aimed to create a figure of substance. The new style portrays sculpturesque figures with strong use of light and shadow. This painting marks the end of medieval painting in Italy.
Giotto - Arena Chapel: Interior
Padua
Late Medieval Italy
ca. 1305-1306
Shows scenes from the last judgment with the blue heaven above. Giotto encloses scenes in little boxes so that each scene is an individual panel. It is like a window into a larger world – extending beyond and outside the frame. The Lamentation of Mary mourning over dead Jesus draws you in emotionally. Th figures close around the scene, whereas Byzantine artist wouldn’t have covered parts of Christ’s body or have their backs turned. Giotto uses weighty, historical naturalism to highlight the impact of the story. The narrative wants to tell a story and engage the viewer.
Giotto - Arena Chapel: Lamentation
Padua
Late Medieval Italy
ca. 1305-1306
Shows scenes from the last judgment with the blue heaven above. Giotto encloses scenes in little boxes so that each scene is an individual panel. It is like a window into a larger world – extending beyond and outside the frame. The Lamentation of Mary mourning over dead Jesus draws you in emotionally. Th figures close around the scene, whereas Byzantine artist wouldn’t have covered parts of Christ’s body or have their backs turned. Giotto uses weighty, historical naturalism to highlight the impact of the story. The narrative wants to tell a story and engage the viewer.
Duccio di Buoninsegna - Virgin and Child in Majesty, from Maestà Altarpiece
Siena Cathedral, Siena, Italy
Late Medieval Italy
1308-1311
The center shows Mary and Christ enthroned amidst a chorus of angels and saints. The composition and facial types are derived from the Byzantine tradition. However, the strict frontality and rigidness of the figures disappear, as they turn slightly to interact with one another. The drapery falls loosely and naturally. This work features great color composition and texture manipulation.
Simone Martini - Annunciation
from Siena Cathedral, Siena
Late Medieval Italy
1333
The annunciation scene witnessed by two local saints whom stand very sculpturally on either side. The angel kneels in front of Mary in a strange separate background. Therefore the space is not unified. Mary looks shocked at the unexpected news delivered from the angel. White lilies are there to represent her purity. It is done in an overall gothic style but still has a flat space.
Pietro Lorenzetti - Birth of the Virgin
from Siena Cathedral, Siena
Late Medieval Italy
1342
Shows the scene of Mary giving birth to Christ. In here the floor is more unified and columns divide the scene into separate areas. It takes a historical and divine event and brings it into the present. For instance, the figures wear contemporary robes. The left scene has windows that look across the street to a gothic cathedral in contemporary style.
Ambrogio Lorenzetti - Allegory of Good Government in the City
Siena
Late Medieval Italy
1338-1339
This is a non-religious painting that decorated the walls of a town hall. It celebrates life in the cities in a narrative scene. There are figures of women dancing, a man herding sheep, and people going about daily life. The space recedes into the distance as the figures become smaller as they go further back. The painting also features ordinary buildings, not purely religious ones. It is a real vision of what life is really like. It is similar to the Roman second style painting through color schemes, interest in buildings, and sense of depth.
Ambrogio Lorenzetti - Allegory of Good Government in the City(detail)
Siena
Late Medieval Italy
1338-1339
This is a non-religious painting that decorated the walls of a town hall. It celebrates life in the cities in a narrative scene. There are figures of women dancing, a man herding sheep, and people going about daily life. The space recedes into the distance as the figures become smaller as they go further back. The painting also features ordinary buildings, not purely religious ones. It is a real vision of what life is really like. It is similar to the Roman second style painting through color schemes, interest in buildings, and sense of depth.
Gloucester Cathdral
English
Gloucester
1332-57
A particularly German style building, it has two story windows on the outside which allows more light and can be more accommodating to large groups. The aisles are the same height as the nave and incorporates French-inspired rib vaults with pointed arches and lancet windows. The interior is more unified and free flowing.
