MEDIEVAL AND GOTHIC PERIOD

• Early Christian art


  • Subject matters were symbols like the crucifix, and human figure, Christ
  • Painting was characterized by a strong linear emphasis and the use of rigid artistic stereotypes with colors ranging from light to dark
  • Central concern was the awe-inspiring presentation of holy figures in stylized postures, serene of expression, and often halo-crowned, with a flatness and single plane especially striking in robes with complex folds
• Byzantine art


  • Characterized by a strong linear emphasis and the use of rigid artistic stereotypes with colors ranging from light to dark
  • Famous in manuscript and icon painting
  • Central concern was the awe-inspiring presentation of holy figures in stylized postures, serene of expression, and often halo-crowned, with a flatness and single plane especially striking in robes with complex folds
• Romanesque art


  • Combination of the classic, the Byzantine, and the Eastern Art characteristics
  • Distinctive feature was the abundance of saturated colors
  • One of the most important works was the Winchester Bible
• Sculpture played a secondary role in Early Christian art due to the biblical prohibition of graven images, developing in an anti-monumental direction away from the spatial depth and massive scale of Graeco-Roman sculpture
• The earliest works of Christian sculpture were marble sarcophagi, evolving from pagan sarcophagi that replaced cinerary urns, with decoration drawn from classical mythology and later biographical and historical scenes

  
• During the Byzantine period, large-scale statuary died out and stone carving was confined almost entirely to architectural ornament, with small-scale reliefs in ivory and metal continuing to be produced
• The revival of monumental stone sculpture in the Romanesque era was astonishing, with free-standing statues and stone relief reappearing after nearly disappearing from Western art for centuries
• Early Christian architecture


  • Modeled on Roman basilicas, with uniform height columns, heavy and small-windowed upper stories, round arches, and flat timber roofs decorated with mosaics
• Byzantine architecture


  • Characterized by great domes supported by pendentives, used in Russian churches, Mohammedan mosques, Jewish synagogues, and Istanbul structures
  • Typically featured an iconostasis and a Greek cross floor plan
• Romanesque architecture


  • Derived from the Roman basilica, with a tentative use of new constructive principles and a deliberate articulation of structure
  • Characterized by crude, powerful stonework, heavy walls, and small window openings
  • Introduced the ribbed vault, facilitating height and width and paving the way for Gothic
• Gothic painting

  • A combination of the religious and the grotesque, with a Germanic influence
  • Examples include the Madonna and the Gargoyles, and Simon Martini's Annunciation
• Gothic painting developed at a slow pace in its early stages, with Romanesque styles persisting in stained glass and other media
• Italy at the end of the 13th century had produced an explosion of creative energy in Gothic architecture and sculpture, as seen in Giotto's Lamentation
• Gothic architecture


  • Developed in France between 12th to 16th centuries, used in religious buildings
  • Characterized by the use of ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, pointed arches, and steep roofs, with an emphasis on the vertical and extensive use of glass
  • Usually had two towers