Early Christian Art in the Medieval West

Early Chris+an Art of Europe
Reading
Stokstad, 429-‐437

Range
600-‐1100 CE
Anglo-‐Saxon, Hiberno-‐Saxon,
Norse, Merovingian

Terms/Concepts
vellum, parchment, Genesis,
Pentateuch, Gospels, Evangelist,
scriptorium (scriptoria), Carpet
Page, Incipit Page, illumina+on,
Monument List
  15-‐5, St. MaMhew from the
Book of Durrow, Hiberno-‐
Saxon, 7th Century CE.
  Not in Book, Carpet Page,
Book of Durrow, Hiberno-‐
Saxon 7th Century CE.
  15-‐7, The Evangelist MaMhew,
Lindisfarne Gospels, Hiberno-‐
Saxon, 710-‐725 CE.
  15-‐1, Chi-‐Rho Page, Book of
Kells, Hiberno-‐Saxon, 9th
Century.
  Not in book, Carvings, Stave
Church, Urnes, Norway, 12th
Century CE.

View Slide

Reminders
•  Your second chance for the Mythological
Comparison is due THIS THURSDAY.
•  Your Image and Text assignment is due
Thursday May 2nd.

View Slide

Byzan+ne Empire
“An able Goth wants to be like a Roman; only a
poor Roman would want to be like a Goth.”
–Theodoric, King of the Visigoths

View Slide

EUROPE AD 300-600
30
30
40
20
10
0
30
Paris
Troyes
Trier
Córdoba
Cologne
Genova
Pisae
Narbonne
Bordeaux
Saragossa
Tarragona
Cádiz
Toledo
Marseille
Mediolanum
Caralis
Lyon
Lisbon
Besançon
Leptis Magna
Memphis
Cyrene
Sinope
London
York
St Albans
Arles
Geneva
Aquileia
Ravenna
Rome
Naples
Ephesus Antioch
St Catherine’s
Monastery
Carthage
Sabratha
Nicopolis
Athens
Alexandria
Philippi
Thessalonica
Trapezus
Damascus
Caesarea
Bethlehem
Jerusalem
Mosul
Constantinople
Nicomedia
S L A
V
S
P I C T S
C
E
L
T
S
BASQUES
B E R B E R S
F I N N O -
U G R I A N S
S L A V S
IRISH
BRITONS
IRISH
A F R I C A
SCANDINAVIA
BRITAIN
I B E R I A ITALY
GREECE
E G Y P T
GAUL
ASIA MINOR
CORSICA
SARDINIA
SICILY
CRETE
CYPRUS
BA
LEARIC IS
A L P S
A T L A S M T S
PYRENEES
CAUCASUS
S A H A R A
ARABIAN
DESERT
Mt Sinai
Dnieper
D
niester
Rhône
Loire
Tagus
Elbe
Oder
N
ile
Danube
N O R T H
S E A
BALTIC SEA
M E D I T
E
R
R
A N E A N S E A
ENGLISH
CHA
N
N
EL
A T L A N T I C
O C E A N
B L A C K S E A
RED
S
EA
370
376
455
410
439
418
406
452
N
0
0
300 miles
450 kms
1 The Disintegration of the Roman Empire
important churches
Huns
Vandals, Alans, Sueves
Visigoths
Burgundians
Ostrogoths
Angles, Saxons, Jutes
Lombards
Franks
Empire of Justinian, AD 565
successor kingdoms:
East Roman Empire
Kingdom of the Vandals
Kingdom of the Visigoths
Burgundian Kingdom
Kingdom of the Ostrogoths
Sasanian Empire
Kingdom of the Sueves
Frankish Kingdom
1 THREATENED BY BARBARIANS through the fourth
century and especially in the fifth century, the
western empire collapsed, though many elements
of its culture survived. The eastern empire was
eventually able to deflect its enemies. Mainly of
Germanic origin, the barbarians were forced
westwards by pressure from the nomads of
central Asia.
The Conquest of the West
Byzan+ne Empire
“An able Goth wants to be like a Roman; only a
poor Roman would want to be like a Goth.”
–Theodoric, King of the Visigoths

View Slide

DANES

(c. 960)

NORSE

(c. 970-1025)

Areas Christianized, 900-1100

View Slide

Parchment: Lambskin prepared as
a surface for writing or painting.
Vellum: Calfskin prepared as a
surface for writing or painting.
The Medieval Manuscript

View Slide

Preparation of parchment
•  Placed on a stretcher
•  Then it was scraped

View Slide

In some instances, the animal`s skin is then sanded.

View Slide

Purple Dye = Murex Shell
Blue = Lapis Lazuli
Green = Verdigris
Gold Leaf

View Slide

Genesis

View Slide

Pentateuch

View Slide

Gospels

View Slide

Durrow
The Bri+sh Isles
Iona

View Slide

View Slide

15-‐5, St. MaMhew from the Book of
Durrow, Hiberno-‐Saxon, 660-‐680
Detail from the Purse Cover, SuMon Hoo,
Anglo-‐Saxon, 7th century.

View Slide

View Slide

Lindesfarne
The Bri+sh Isles

View Slide

View Slide

The Bri+sh Isles
Iona

View Slide

View Slide

0˚
10˚
40˚
50˚
10˚ 20˚
711
714
670
697
711
Kairouan
Carthage
Tulaytulah (Toledo)
Mérida
Oviedo
(c.790)
Tangier
Saragossa
Ceuta
Toulouse
Poitiers
Turones
London
Sutton Hoo
Hamwih
Paris
Geneva
Milan
Ratisbon
Turin
Verona
Bononia
Florence
Genoa
Venice
Ravenna
Rome
Naples
Taranto
Athens
Thessalonica
Adrianople
Varna
Constantinople
Smyrna
Bari
Spalatum
Palermo Messina
Lyon
Marseille
Barshilunah (Barcelona)
Tarrakunah (Tarragona)
Cartagena
Algiers
Qurtubah (Córdoba)
Cologne
Nijmegen
Dorestad Paderborn
(776)
Hedeby
York
Scone
Winchester
Glastonbury
Cividale
Quintanilla
de las Viñas
Lorsch
(after 764)
St Maurice
d’Agaune
Jarrow (684)
Monkwearmouth (674)
Reculver (669)
Grenoble
Germigny
-des-Prés
(c.800)
Jouarre
(670s)
Ingelheim
Centula (790s)
Aachen
(795)
Escomb
(670s) Hexham
Ripon (670s)
Yeavering
St Denis
Benevento
(c.770)
Tempio di
Clitunno
San Vincenzo al Volturno
Pavia
Lomello
San Pedro
della Nave
São Gião
de Navaré
São Frutuoso
de Montelios
San Juan
de Baños
Santa Comba
de Bande
Santianes
de Pravia
Santa María
de Melque
Canterbury
(after 597)
Seine
Rhine
Tagus
Ebro
Danube
Elbe
Oder
Vistula
A T L A N T I C
O C E A N
N O R T H
S E A
BA LT I C
S E A
BLACK
SEA
M E D I T E R
R
A
N
E A N S E A
A
D
R
I A
T I C
S E A
A L P S
P
Y
R E N E E S
BALTIC
PEO
P
LES
S L A
V
S
S
L
A
V
S
NO
RTHM
E N
(SCA
NDINAV I A N S )
SAXO N S
F R I S I A N
S
BRETONS
BASQUES
B
ALEARIC IS
CORSICA
SARDINIA
SICILY
MALTA CRETE
BAVARIA
AQUITAINE
ASTURIAS
KINGDOM OF
THE PICTS
SCOTTISH
KINGDOMS
IRISH
KINGDOMS
STRATH-
CLYDE
EAST
ANGLIA
KENT
WELSH
STATES
WEST
WALES
NORTHUMBRIA
MERCIA
AVAR
EMPIRE
BULGARIA
B
Y
Z
A
N
T I N E E M P I R E
U
M
A
Y
Y
A
D
C
A
L I P H A T E
KIN
G
DO
M
OF THE LOMBARDS
FRANKISH KINGDOM
WESSEX
N
0
0
200 miles
300 kms
Centres and Distribution
of Luxury Goods c.730
Muslim Umayyad Caliphate
date of Muslim conquest
Byzantine Empire
Frankish Kingdom
Kingdom of the Lombards
mints represented in the
Sutton Hoo burial (c.630)
provenance of objects found in
the Sutton Hoo burial (c.630)
distribution of marble sarcophagi
and capitals quarried/carved
in Toulouse region, 6th-7th C
ecclesiastical structures of which
significant remains survive
secular (mostly royal) sites with
substantial surviving fragments
or known from literary sources
trade route
670
1

View Slide

714
do
90)
Saragossa
Toulouse
Poitiers
Turones
London
Sutton Hoo
Hamwih
Paris
Geneva
Milan
Ratisbon
Turin
Verona
Bononia
Florence
Genoa
Venice
Ravenna
Lyon
Marseille
Cologne
Nijmegen
Dorestad Paderborn
(776)
Winchester
Glastonbury
Civida
Quintanilla
de las Viñas
Lorsch
(after 764)
St Maurice
d’Agaune
Reculver (669)
Grenoble
Germigny
-des-Prés
(c.800)
Jouarre
(670s)
Ingelheim
Centula (790s)
Aachen
(795)
St Denis
Tempio d
Clitunno
Pavia
Lomello
o
e
Canterbury
(after 597)
Seine
Rhine
Ebro
A
A L P S
P
Y
R E N E E S
SAXO
BRETONS
BASQUES
CORSICA
BAVARIA
AQUITAINE
TURIAS
KENT
WEST
WALES
KIN
G
DO
M
OF TH
FRANKISH KINGDOM
WESSEX
714
Saragossa
Toulouse
Poitiers
Turones
London
Sutton Hoo
Hamwih
Paris
Geneva
Milan
Ratisbon
Turin
Verona
Bononia
Florence
Genoa
Venice
Ravenna
Rome
Adrianople
Varna
Constantinople
Spalatum
Lyon
Marseille
Barshilunah (Barcelona)
Cologne
Nijmegen
Dorestad Paderborn
(776)
Hedeby
York
Scone
Winchester
Glastonbury
Cividale
Quintanilla
de las Viñas
Lorsch
(after 764)
St Maurice
d’Agaune
Jarrow (684)
Monkwearmouth (674)
Reculver (669)
Grenoble
Germigny
-des-Prés
(c.800)
Jouarre
(670s)
Ingelheim
Centula (790s)
Aachen
(795)
Escomb
(670s) Hexham
Ripon (670s)
Yeavering
St Denis
Tempio di
Clitunno
San Vincenzo al Volturno
Pavia
Lomello
Canterbury
(after 597)
Seine
Rhine
Ebro
Danube
Elbe
Oder
Vistula
N O R T H
S E A
BA LT I C
S E A
BLACK
SEA
A
D
R
I A
T I C
S
A L P S
P
Y
R E N E E S
BALTIC
PEO
P
LES
S L A
V
S
S
L
A
V
S
NO
RTHM
E N
(SCA
NDINAV I A N S )
SAXO N S
F R I S I A N
S
BRETONS
BASQUES
CORSICA
BAVARIA
AQUITAINE
RIAS
KINGDOM OF
THE PICTS
SCOTTISH
KINGDOMS
H
OMS
STRATH-
CLYDE
EAST
ANGLIA
KENT
WELSH
STATES
WEST
WALES
NORTHUMBRIA
MERCIA
AVAR
EMPIRE
BULGARIA
KIN
G
DO
M
OF THE
FRANKISH KINGDOM
WESSEX
s
Centres and Distribution
of Luxury Goods c.730
Muslim Umayyad Caliphate
date of Muslim conquest
Byzantine Empire
Frankish Kingdom
Kingdom of the Lombards
mints represented in the
Sutton Hoo burial (c.630)
provenance of objects found in
the Sutton Hoo burial (c.630)
distribution of marble sarcophagi
and capitals quarried/carved
in Toulouse region, 6th-7th C
ecclesiastical structures of which
significant remains survive
secular (mostly royal) sites with
substantial surviving fragments
or known from literary sources
trade route
670
1

View Slide

View Slide

2 Art and Trade
border of Holy Roman
Empire, c.1095
sources of:
silver
copper
iron
lead
tin
trade centre for Viking
sculpture (wood/stone/bone)
and metalwork
centres of metalwork
centres of alabaster
centres of ivory-working
export of alabaster
trade route
Cu
Pb
109
0˚ 10˚ 20˚ 30˚ 40˚ 50˚ 60˚
60˚
50˚
40˚
10˚
20˚
30˚
Pb
Pb
Cu
Cu
Cu
Limerick
Cork
Dublin
Wexford
York
Durham
Cammin (Kamien)
Gdansk
´
´
Lund
Vejrum
Lade
Urnes
Borbjerg
Trondheim
Lincoln
Norwich
King’s
Lynn
Hull
London
Paderborn
Utrecht Hamburg
Bruges
Paris
Tours Vienna
Florence
Venice
Barcelona
Perpignan
Gerona
Valencia
Palma
Toledo
Seville
Lisbon
Cartagena
Zurich
Naples
Rome
Basle
Milan
Pavia
Genoa
Siena
Pisa
Avignon
Limoges
Bordeaux
Fuenterrabia
Aviles
Morella
Nantes
Ecaquelon
Kermaria
Chatelaudren
Roscoff
Cologne
Toulouse
Montpellier
Santiago de
Compostela
Burgos
Zamora
Silos
Palermo Messina
Catania
Otok
Prague
Buda
Kiev
Novgorod
Waterford
Winchester
Tutbury
Dartmouth
Bristol
St Albans
Poole
Evreux
Southampton
Wolin
Zuchau
Gross-Grönau
Ribe
Kaupang
Oseberg
Flatalunga
Dorestad
Sigtuna
Po
Danube
Dnieper
Dvina
Volga
Rhône
Loire
Sein
e
E
lbe
Od
er
Rhine
A T L A N T I C
O C E A N
N O R T H
S E A
BAY O F
B I S C AY
BALT
IC
SEA
B L A C K S E A
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
PYRENEES
A L P S
HARZ
MTS
SICILY
CORSICA
SARDINIA
NORWAY
ICELAND
SWEDEN
POLAND
ENGLAND
FRANCE
NORMANDY
SCOTLAND
IRISH
KINGDOMS
WELSH
PRINCIPALITIES
HUNGARY
KINGDOM
OF ITALY
BYZANTINE
EMPIRE
KINGDOM
OF ITALY
KINGDOM
OF
GERMANY
DENMARK
S E L J U K
E M P I R E S
FIN
N
O
-U
G
RIA
N
S
T
U
R
K
I C
P
E
O
P
L E S
carved wood
carved
wood
N
0
0
250 miles
350 kms
2 THE SUPPLY OF MATERIALS was
essential for art production. In
Germany and in England, local
stone was in good supply and
was a perfect source for
buildings and sculpture, while
in Scandinavia patrons and
artists exploited the rich
timber resources. Rare
materials like alabaster and
metal were exploited at
source and then exported to
other regions. Trade, a crucial
factor in the growing
European economy, fuelled
the arts. In turn, trade routes
contributed to the dispersal of
craftsmen and their methods.
their newly found positions of power by
patronizing the arts. They constructed castles
cathedrals. The monasteries that dotted the
landscape were also important centres of
much of the intellectual creativity was
concentrated on devotional subjects.

View Slide

0˚ 10˚ 20˚ 30˚ 40˚
10˚
20˚
30˚
Pb
Pb
Cu
Limerick
Cork
Dublin
Wexford
York
Durham
Cammin (Kamien)
Gdansk
´
´
Lund
Vejrum
Lade
Urnes
Borbjerg
Trondheim
Lincoln
Norwich
King’s
Lynn
Hull
London
Paderborn
Utrecht Hamburg
Novgorod
Waterford
Winchester
Tutbury
Bristol
St Albans
Wolin
Zuchau
Gross-Grönau
Ribe
Kaupang
Oseberg
Flatalunga
Dorestad
Sigtuna
Dvina
E
l Od
Rh
N O R T H
S E A
BALT
IC
SEA
NORWAY
ICELAND
SWEDEN
POLAND
ENGLAND
SCOTLAND
IRISH
KINGDOMS
WELSH
CIPALITIES
DENMARK
carved wood
2 Art and Trade
border of Holy Roman
Empire, c.1095
sources of:
silver
copper
iron
lead
tin
trade centre for Viking
sculpture (wood/stone/bone)
and metalwork
centres of metalwork
centres of alabaster
centres of ivory-working
export of alabaster
trade route
Cu
Pb
had to be found for constructi
and gems were needed for the
furnishings. Such materials we
found in the local vicinity but
imported. Iron, copper and tin
were brought from the east to
metalwork, such as Cologne a
The perfection of the material
craftsmanship was a vital facto
production of Christian art cre
honour of God.
ARTISTS AND PATRONS
The European secular elite als
their newly found positions of
patronizing the arts. They con
orthern France,
d in 1066. They
m of government,
nd their
for their religious institutions. The cathedral-
monastery of Canterbury in England, the
cathedral of Lund in Sweden and the
monastery of Hirsau were all important sites.
Between 1100 and 1200 society became
much more stable. New trade links opened up
to the north and south. A thriving agricultural
base brought wealth to many regions. New
towns and universities developed, and roads
allowed safer travel for artists and merchants.
In this flourishing society, visual art and
architecture were increasingly put into the
service of individuals and institutions. Often,
they were intended to convey multiple
50˚
60˚
Lincoln
Oakham
Norwich
Bury St Edmunds
Castle Rising
Ely
Colchester
Orford
Castle Hedingham
Canterbury
London (Westminster)
Rochester
Durham
Richmond
Norham
Minden
Paderborn
Hamburg
Lund
Hildesheim
Brunswick Halberstadt
Magdeburg
Gniezno
Plock
Trzemeszno
Quedlinburg
Goslar
Hersfeld
Wartburg
Stavanger
Bergen
Ringsaker
Gamla
Uppsala
Falun
Hamar
Trondheim
Viborg
Husaby
Visby
Soest
Essen
Corvey
Leyden
Aachen
Liège
Cologne
Deutz
Werden
Bonn
Tournai
Peterborough
Newcastle
Conisbrough
York
eford
St Albans
Rhine
Elbe
Oder
N O R T H
S E A
B A
LT
I C
S E A
S L AV S
F I N N I C P E O P L E S
B
A
L T
I C
P
E
O
P L E S
COTLAND
ENGLAND
DENMARK
NORWAY
SWEDEN
POLAND
POMERANIA
TIES
N
O
V
G
O
R O
D
P O L O T S K
K I E V
N
0
0
250 miles
350 kms
le
vasions, new
laces began to
the recently
a and eastern
he Lion of Saxony
ess pagan
the east
r, bringing with
nd establishing
and imposing architecture. All over Europe
cathedrals, abbeys and parish churches were
built or rebuilt. The churches were filled with
paintings, altarpieces, sculpture and stained
glass. These objects performed a part in the
visual display of the Christian faith and the
rituals of the daily liturgy. The funding was
supplied mainly by donations from the faithful.
Laity and clergy alike invested in the religious
spectacle in order to illustrate their personal
devotion and to attain salvation.
Only the most famous artists and the most
precious metals were suitable for these pious
aspirations: good building stone and timber

View Slide

View Slide

Cri+cal Thinking Ques+ons
1.  How are both classical and northern
tradi+ons present in early Medieval
manuscripts?
2.  Why was the en+re Bible not commonly
reproduced? What types of book were
produced instead?
3.  How is “barbarian” metalwork signiﬁcant to
the history of northern manuscript pain+ng?

View Slide

Early Christian Art in the Medieval West

Early Christian Art in the Medieval West

nichsara

More Decks by nichsara

Featured

Transcript