PYRAMIDS, PALACES & GREAT BIG WALLS -
Mediaeval Art
This lesson is intended to serve as a brief introduction to basic
elements found in Mediaeval art. What we call the "Middle Ages" extends from
the decline of pagan classicism in the fourth century to the Christian
revival of classical styles and values, which we call the "Renaissance", at
the end of the 15th century - a span of eleven centuries. Examples have been
chosen to illustrate a variety of media present in the art of this period.
Medieval Art at the Metropolitan Museum
MATERIALS
(Don't forget the box!)
- Architectural Plans for 2 Churches,
c.1200, Photographic enlargements.
Romanesque c 1100
Gothic c 1200
The people of the Middle Ages built magnificent
cathedrals, such as Notre Dame in Paris and Canterbury in England.
The churches and cathedrals were the gifts of long years of labor
and love from the people, both rich and poor. Not everyone could
write earnest prayers or beautiful hymns or go on a pilgrimage,
but almost everyone could take part in the building of a
cathedral. Sometimes a skilled worker would work for years carving
one beautiful figure in stone. Care, patience, skill and devotion
helped to make the churches built in the Middle Ages among the
finest ever erected. These works of superb beauty were fashioned
not ‘for art’s sake’ as the Greeks had done, but chiefly for the
greater glory of God.
Until the 12th century Christian churches were
usually built in what is known as the Romanesque style of
architecture. They had small, arched windows and heavy, thick
walls to support the vaulted stone ceiling. A new style of
architecture called Gothic developed in Western Europe in about
the 12th century. In contrast to the Romanesque style, it had thin
walls and many tall, beautifully designed windows, and pointed
arches. Its floor plan was always in the form of a cross. Gothic
architecture was made possible by the discovery that a flying
buttress, a column-like support outside the walls, would hold up a
heavy ceiling (providing support from above) as well as heavy
walls. The flying buttress is one of the main characteristics of
Gothic architecture. |
1a. Gargoyle contemporary plaster
reproduction casting. (In Box)
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About
Gargoyles
The word "Gargoyle" shares
a root with the word "Gargle"; they come from "gargouille",
an old French word for "Throat". A true gargoyle is a
waterspout. An unusual carved creature that does not serve that
purpose is properly called a "Grotesque". |
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- Samson and the Lion, 1181, Nicholas of
Verdun, Flemish (c.1150-1210), detail from the Klosterneuberg Alterpiece
(Austria), gilded
copper and champlevé enamel,
Metropolitan Museum of Art, exhibit poster
| An altarpiece is an ornamental
carving or painting, etc. above and behind an altar They typically
are Bible scenes and characters. This example is of tempera paint
on a wooden panel. The conventionalized face with the rimmed,
staring eyes, angular patterns, linear contours and strong
outlines everywhere were repeated with local variations from
generation to generation from the 6th century into the 12th. |
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The Flight to Egypt, 15th century,
Flemish, leaded stained glass window, Photographic reproduction
The precise origin of this
panel is difficult to ascertain since Flemish and French glass
painters worked in both countries. Typical of Flemish realism in
art are the meticulous representation of the carpenter's tools
that Joseph carries on his shoulder and the maternal tenderness of
Mary nursing the child, Jesus. Technical advances in glass
painting are also evident in the work. As in all late Flemish
glass, color is primarily deep in tone, used sparingly, and
restricted to garments and details of landscape. White glass
predominates, heightened in its effect by additions of silver
stain. When seen in a window, these white areas lend clarity to
the design. In this
particular example the greatest color contrast is reserved for the
pearly mantle and deep blue robe of the Virgin, making her the
center of attention. Her head and that of the Child are
exquisitely painted, while the rest of the scene i rather
sketchily drawn. By the end of the Middle Ages, the glaziers’
shops were highly organized and a master employed numerous
assistants. This panel is undoubtedly an example of several
members of a workshop.
STAINED GLASS —
The art of making stained glass, given new impetus by the
Gothic style in the 1140’s, was raised to its zenith a half
century later, The glassmakers' basic formula called for
sand, salt and ashes. Stained glass was made by heating this
mixture into a molten mass then coloring it with metallic
oxides — copper for red, iron for yellow, cobalt for blue.
Thin fragments of colored glass were worked into the grooves
of malleable lead frames, forming panels. Only after all the
panels had been mounted in the window could the glaziers
judge the brilliance of their colors and the impact of their
design. Before assembly, enamel paint was applied in certain
places to create shading, lines, and details, and the
individual pieces were fired in a kiln to harden the
pigment. The windows glowed like huge jewels. Much original
glass has been destroyed, but the remains indicate that the
windows were brilliantly colored visual teaching aids for
the church. |
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3a. Stained glass samples - Contemporary
colored glass tiles (box)
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The Unicorn in Captivity, c.1500,
Flemish, tapestry, Musee de Cluny, Reproduction Print.
The years between 1480 and 1520 witnessed the
height of Flemish tapestry excellence. Tapestries had advantages
over wall paintings in that they were portable, could be taken
down and re-hung elsewhere, added warmth to cold castle walls, and
helped reduce echoes in stone-walled halls. The materials, dyed
wools and silks, and even gold and silver threads added luxurious
textures and colors to the interior environments.
The process was lengthy and costly; from an idea
sketch an artist would create a full-size painting on a paper,
called a cartoon, and from this the highly skilled weavers set up
their looms. The entire tapestry was woven on a huge loom, thread
by thread. The design is made by winding the horizontal threads
around the vertical threads. they press the stitches tightly
against each other so that the colored horizontal yarns entirely
cover the undyed vertical yarns. Unlike the rug weaver, the
tapestry weaver faces the back of the fabric as he works.
Valuable state collections of tapestries are
preserved throughout Europe. Among the finest Gothic tapestries of
the 1500s is a set of six called "The Lady and the Unicorn" in the
Cluny Museum in Paris.
The unicorn is a fabulous animal generally
depicted with the body and head of a horse, the hind legs of a
stag, the tail of a lion and a single horn in the middle of the
forehead. It was believed that with his single long horn he had
the power to purify the forest waters and absorb the poison that
the serpent spread on them to kill the forest animals. |
Field Harnesse for Sir Edward Bucklethorpe,
Geoffrey Pike, English heraldic graphic illustration. Reproduction
print.
| Geoffrey Pike - Armourer
Thomas Le Parker - Illustrator |
5a. Castles, photographic
reproduction
| Calendar of
photographs; poem "Prisoner of Chillon", Lord Byron |
5b. Coat of Arms
Britain, Land of History: 1982,
contemporary illustration, Barry Evans, English, Poster
| Mary Stuart Queen of Scots
(1542-1587), was destined for great splendors and tragic miseries.
Some milestones are shown here .. Rizzio was her secretary; he was
murdered by her second husband, Lord Darnley. her son was born at
Edinburgh castle and became King James who united England and
Scotland. Holyrood House was Mary's palace while she reigned. her
third marriage, to the Earl of Bothwell, so enraged her people
that they besieged the couple at Borthwick Castle. They escaped,
but soon after, Mary was captured in England. Queen Elizabeth I
considered her a potential rival for the throne and held her
captive until the insecurities of the age led to Mary's execution. |
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