Medieval Art in Europe (Middle Ages 500-1400)
1. Essential viewing (expected level and advanced level)
Expected levelhttps://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history-basics/art-1010-ddp/v/tice-art-1010-medieval-and-byzantine-art-mp4
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Want to know more?
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/medieval-europe-islamic-world/a/introduction-to-the-middle-ages
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2. Read and record key information in your visual diary (Make a vocab list)
Cultural contextThe Middle Ages in Europe saw a decrease in prosperity, stability, and population in the first centuries of the period—to about 800 AD, and then a fairly steady and general increase until the massive setback of the Black Death around 1350, which is estimated to have killed at least a third of the overall population in Europe.
Many regions did not regain their former population levels until the 17th century. At the start of the medieval period most significant works of art were very rare and costly objects and held by monasteries or major churches, and largely produced by monks. By the end of the Middle Ages works of considerable artistic interest could be found in small villages and significant numbers of wealthy homes. |
Cultural ideasMiddle Ages is the period of time in Europe between the end of antiquity in the fifth century and the Renaissance, or rebirth of classical learning, in the fifteenth century and sixteenth centuries.
The visual arts prospered during Middles Ages, which created its own aesthetic values. The wealthiest and most influential members of society commissioned cathedrals, churches, sculpture, painting, textiles, manuscripts, jewellery and ritual items from artists. Many of these commissions were religious in nature but medieval artists also produced secular art. Few names of artists survive and fewer documents record their business dealings, but they left behind an impressive legacy of art and culture. |
Materials and techniquesMedieval art was produced in many media, and the works that remain in large numbers include sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, stained glass, metal work and mosaics. Other media such as fresco wall-paintings, work in precious metals and tapestries.
The use of valuable materials is a constant in Medieval art; Gold was used for objects for churches and palaces, personal jewellery and the fittings of clothes, and—fixed to the back of glass tessarae —as a solid background for mosaics, or applied as gold leaf to miniatures in manuscripts and panel paintings. Even more expensive was the pigment ultramarine made from ground lapis lazuli obtainable only from Afganistan, was used lavishly in the Gothic period, more often for the traditional blue outer mantle of the Virgin Mary than for skies. Ivory, often painted, was also an important material until the very end of the period, |