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Medieval Art

                     

                     Medieval ages spanned a long period of time, and new art genres were created. Middle East and African art traditions were morphed together, and artistic movements included Byzantine, Islamic, Viking, Romanesque, and Gothic among others. Older pagan ways of life were rejected due to widespread Christianity. Medieval art reflected this, and it saw the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Due to the Bible’s rule against idolatry, artists were careful to make sure their art wasn’t 3-dimensional, keeping it one and two-dimensional, unlike the previously popular Roman busts. Churches featured mosaics and frescoes.  Islamic art reflected the Muslim’s ideas of Heaven as a natural paradise, with many depictions of floral patterns, tessellations, and geometric forms. The Vikings specialized in woodwork and metalwork, with animal pictures, and their art was portable due to their migratory style of living. Their golden brooches were famous, the most famous being a golden eagle in abstract style made up of gold and jewels. Charlemagne had many golden crosses made, and he had pictures of human forms made, which sort of challenged the idea of idolatry and art. Illuminated manuscripts were very popular with monks. Their covers were covered in jewels and made of precious metals, and elaborately illustrated. Celtic artists made the best illuminated manuscripts, and rich families owned their own illuminated manuscripts. Celtic style was influenced by geometrically patterned art from Egypt.  Cathedrals were made bigger than they had ever been before, as well as the relief work inside of them. Artists experimented and sought to separate themselves from the old Byzantine style, and from this, the Renaissance was born.

 Gothic Art

                    

                     Cathedrals and stained glass windows were the first Gothic characteristics of medieval art. Gothic art emerged out of France and was referred to as the “new fashion.” Some had opinions on Gothic art being inferior to the more classic art of earlier styles, but despite these criticisms, Gothic architecture spread. It was mainly based around Romanesque architecture. The main difference between the two is that Romanesque architecture was wider and lower, as well as having separate, low-lighted areas. Gothic architecture mainly featured very tall structures, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses. Architecture grew taller and taller as time went on, as artists and sculptors sought to outdo past cathedrals. In 1284, the Beauvais Cathedral actually collapsed from being so tall, but it was reconstructed to the same dimensions, with more flying buttresses added to provide more support. A French cathedral called Saint Denis served as a burial place for kings from the 10^th to the 18^th century. The Cathedral of Notre Dame, which took more than a hundred years, has two spires and hundreds of sculpted figures standing on ledges. The pillars were transformed into saintly figures. Frescoes in churches gave hints to what paintings were like, but illuminated manuscripts give the most information. Almost all of these were religious, and they were extremely costly. However, after the discovery of cheaper printing methods, illuminated manuscripts became more lightweight and accessible. The Book of Hours was an important book, with religious illustrations and historical imagery. It also had features of Gothic illuminated manuscripts. Gothic art was also highly symbolic; Christ was mostly metaphorically depicted as a lamb.

Renaissance Art

                     Art was reborn in the Renaissance period and it religiously expanded. There were many innovative thinkers and artists that continue to influence the world today. It was a change from the medieval ideas of obedience and authority, focusing on innovation and knowledge. Although it was mostly based in Italy, it drew from many cultural influences from around the world. Linear perspective, realistic scenery, and depth were highly focused on, with the mix of art, math, and science together, which helped with the perfecting of perspective in art. The Medici helped the Renaissance spread even faster than it already was. Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous painting is the Last Supper, which portrays Jesus’ last meal on earth with his disciples. Michelangelo was like Leonardo, but he focused on the arts, designing exquisite architecture and making one of the most famous paintings of all time. The Sistine Chapel took Michelangelo four years to finish. His painting is featured on the ceiling, with “The Creation” in the center point of the chapel ceiling. Raphael, Michelangelo’s rival painter, decorated walls in the Catholic pope’s library, and a painting on the wall, the “School of Athens,” showed Raphael’s specialty in linear perspective, with realistic depictions of philosophers and buildings, as well as statues. The Renaissance radically changed the world with its arts and philosophies, exploring styles and virtuosity. 

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                Mesoamerica was the area where the Olmecs, the Mayans, and the Aztecs lived, which is present day Mexico and Central America. Mesoamerica’s varying topography meant different, independently developed cultures, as well as different resources in the highlands, which had obsidian, which could be used for trade, and the coast, which had sea shells and feathers which were also used for trade. Mountains forced tribes to migrate from the north to the south. Goods, however, were difficult to move in Mesoamerica due to the fact that there are no navigable rivers.

                The Olmecs are credited with impressive monumental sculptures, ceremonial complexes, the first pyramids, which were central areas of ceremony, and influential sports, most notably ball games. The Olmec calendar system was also significant. There were two main calendars: the solar calendar, which included 365 days; and the lunar calendar, which included 260 days. These two coincided ever 53 years.

                The Mayan pyramids differed from the Olmec pyramids in that the Mayan pyramids were very steep and narrow. Significant amounts of Mayan history were lost because the writing was undecipherable and the ruins were overgrown with plant life.

                Aztecs were unique from other Mesoamericans in that they were the most successful expansionists, and they collected tribute from conquered people. This tribute system was used to get food and other resources from the conquered people to strengthen the capital. The Aztecs also practiced bloodletting. The Aztecs believed that the world had been created and destroyed four times before their existence. They believed that in the dark world, a god jumped into fire to create the world. However, he required sacrifice before he would make the sun and moon rise. Sacrifice of women differed from sacrifice of men. Women were not taken to the pyramid; rather, they danced at the bottom and were then beheaded. Men were taken to the pyramid and killed, with lots of blood and gory stuffzzzzzz.