Early Medieval Art

EARLY MEDIEVAL ART

Theme: “Illumination”

In a deeply Christian society, Western Europe searched for illumination through reading the Biblical text. Artists illuminated the pages with vibrant colors to lend importance to Biblical manuscripts.

Historical Points (500-1050 CE)

• Migrations of Germanic peoples into the territory north of the Roman Empire was pushed westward by the Huns.
• Feudalism was the relationship between lord and vassal.
• Church was the only major institution to survive the collapse of West Rome.
• Christianization of the Germanic tribes.
• Merovingians or Franks ruled France and Germany from 5^th – 8^th
• Hiberno-Saxons 6^th-11^th centuries were in the British Isles.
• Carolingians (800-876: France and Germany)
  • Group of Franks, led by Charlemagne (King of Franks: 768-800; Holy Roman Emperor: 800-814)
  • Charlemagne unifies feudal kingdoms together in Western Europe to be the Carolingian Empire, with the capital in Aachen, Germany
• Ottonian Period (919-1024: Germany)

Artistic Innovations

The earliest of medieval artworks were mostly portable, given migratory patterns of the people. As for patronage, monasteries had monks who are literate and could dry. Monks copied works from old texts, like the bible, instead of contemporary tales.

Paintings appeared in manuscripts on either parchment or vellum. The pages were covered in wood or leather to create books.

As for architecture, churches, and chapels, to accommodate church goers were inspired by Rome.

Early Medieval Sites in Europe

Merovingian Art

This art was created by the Frankish dynasty who ruled France, Germany, northern Italy, Switzerland, or the area known as ancient Gaul. It was a Christian empire. The rulers used Christianity to their advantage to craft alliances. The art inspired by pagan and barbarian art forms originating during the Roman period.

(3) 53. Merovingian looped fibulae

Early medieval Europe. Mid-6^th century.

Learning Objective: Early Medieval jewelry

Themes:

Animals
Utilitarian
Status
Decorative arts
Cross-cultural
Biblical
Funerary

Museum: Musee des Antiquities Nationales in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France

Merovingian looped fibulae are a beautiful example of decorative arts in early medieval Europe. This piece is comprised of silver gilt worked in filigree with inlays of garnets and other stones. These are a pair of broaches (fibula would be the singular) that are each 4 inches long.

What is Decorative Art?

Decorative arts fall under the category of Fine Arts— includes sculpture, painting, and architecture. Decorative arts are beautiful utilitarian objects. Think clocks, jewelry, vases, tea pots, and furniture.

Methods Used to Create this Jewelry  

• Chase metal or shape it by hammering. Other examples of chasing include indenting to ornament metal.
• Filigree metal into delicate shapes.
• Gild the work with silver or cover the metal with silver. This is an example of silver gilt, but pieces can also be done in gold.
• Cloisonné work using small wires to make little cups. Cloisonné was a popular technique in early Medieval art. The term means “partitioned” in French. Artists would attach wires onto a metal base to create various shapes. Then stones were placed in these shapes
• Finish cloisonné by inlaying the garnets and other stones.
• Attach pin on the back.

Made Popular by Roman Soldiers

These pieces of decorative art jewelry have a utilitarian purpose. Before buttons existed, they were used  to fasten garments, such as cloaks and capes.  Wearing A fibula (fib-you-luh) or fibulae(fib-you-lay) was a status symbol. Later pieces were used as a sign of the Christian faith.

Examining the Jewelry Up Close

This style of fibulae was called a crossbow because it resembled the weapon.

The side of an eagle’s head appears on these pieces. Eagles were originally a Greek/Roman symbol of Zeus/Jupiter. Later these birds were used to reference Saint John. Garnets, red semi precious stones makeup the eyes of the eagles.

The fish are in reference to Christ’s miracle of loaves and fishes, when he created enough to feed hundreds.

These fibulae had another use. At the bottom of each is a small loop, so the jewelry could also be worn as pendants.

Who were the Merovingians?

The Merovingians were a barbarian group who ruled a large part of France and northern Spain.

Part of the Art of the Migration period that was produced by Barbarians from 300-900 CE, this art became increasingly more Christian as barbarians adopted the religion.

Fibulae were originally pins used by Roman military members. Barbarians later followed this example. These pieces of jewelry were commonly found in barbarian grave sites.  The Merovingian looped fibulae were found in the grave of a wealthy Merovingian woman in Spain.

Little documentation exists about Barbarians, so these works provide some of the only concrete evidence. It reveals proficiency and skill of barbarian metal workers.

Hiberno-Saxon Art

This was the art of the British Isles in the Early Medieval period. Hibernia is an ancient name for Ireland. Saxon was the Germanic tribes in Great Britain. Hiberno-Saxon art flourished in monasteries through illuminated manuscripts. Prevalent were interlacing patterns, stylized animal, and horror vacui, or using every space on the page.

In 432, St. Patrick established a church in Ireland.  He began the Christianization of the Celts on the remote island that had never known Roman rule.

Other Medieval Jewelry

You may also enjoy reading about other jewelry from the time such as :

Jewish Marriage Rings

Unveiling the World of Byzantine Brides

 

(3) 55. Lindisfarne Gospels

Early medieval (Hiberno Saxon) Europe. 700 CE.

Learning Objective: Early Medieval illuminated manuscript

Themes:

Text and image
Biblical
Religion
Animals in art

Museum: British Library

Lindisfarne Gospels, is a codex or bound book, illuminated manuscript, measuring 13 inches tall. The book is made from vellum, meaning calf skins. This was used for 130 pages in total. Ink , as well as various pigments and gold were used. 

The book is written in Latin.  A monk used a goose quill, dipped in black ink to write with. The work was completed in a scriptorium or the rooms in monasteries where monks worked on books.  Gold leaf, applied in flakes, is reflective.

This book created in Lindisfarne, a small island off the coast of Scotland, is considered a masterpiece of Insular culture which refers to the islands of Britain and Ireland. It blends components from Celtic Germanic and Mediterranean cultures, through text, calligraphy, and art.

Horror vacui translated into Greek is “fear of empty space”. In art terms, this means the artist filled up every space with detail.

Styling the Manuscript

 Various styles were used throughout the manuscript. On the pages on St. Matthew the viewer finds:

• Animal style: art form in which animals are depicted in a stylized and complicated form and pattern.
• Zoomorphic: based on animal shapes and specifically in this case snakes.
• Interlacing: complex and repetitive knots, spirals, and tightly twisted lines

Why this Manuscript was Made

Monks made Bibles as an exercise in patience and devotion, as well as to honor God. Once completed, it was used to aid in devotion and prayer. Interlacing and vibrant colors are meant to incite meditation and contemplation.

Lindisfarne Gospels was made to honor the relics of St. Cuthbert, the saint whose bones were on site.

Examining the Gospels

The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament written by Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Each one of the Gospels has three parts:

• Portrait page
• Cross-carpet page
• Gospel text (starting with incipit page)

 SUB-IMAGE 1: St. Matthew Cross-carpet page

 

 On this page the you will find:  

• Carpet page: when flat geometric decorative design covers the whole page
• Cross-carpet page: design is in shape of a cross
• Stylized cross against background of intricate knots
• Many of the knots are snakes that are clamping down on themselves or others

SUB-IMAGE 2 : St. Luke portrait page

Here, curly-haired St. Luke sits on a red-cushioned stool, against an unornamented background. His divinity is represented by a gold halo. Holding a quill in his right hand, about to write on a scroll, he is relaxed with his legs and feet stretched out.  A blue-winged ox clasps the Bible. This creature is a symbol of Luke.

In the St. Luke Portrait,  the figure is greatly simplified. At this point, the knowledge of Greco-Roman naturalism and idealism is lost. There is no understanding of perspective, foreshortening or recession. There is an undefined space and unclear weight of figures.

SUB-IMAGE 3: St. Luke incipit page

The word “incipit” translates into “it begins”. Snakes move within the letter.

A Large Q begins the text that reads “Quoniam quidem multi conati sunt ordinare narrtionem.” This means,  “As many have taken it in hand to set forth in order…”

The border on the righthand side terminates in a cat shape. Birds and snakes are present.

Art and Hiberno Saxon Culture

Lindisfarne Gospels is an Early Medieval (Hiberno Saxon) hand made manuscript.

Hibernia is Ireland.

Saxon means Germanic tribes in Great Britain.

Hiberno-Saxon means Irish and Germanic culture in Great Britain.

Hiberno Saxon art flourished in monasteries. These communities were deeply Christian. Monasticism was extremely popular and an increasingly growing Christian practice. It involved the removal of oneself from daily life and distractions and pleasures. It was thought that it was better to live a difficult life so you could understand how good life was.

Historically, we know a lot about this oldest surviving Bible in English, because of the colophon or statement at the end of the book describes the author. It was made by a monk Eadfrith. He  eventually became the Bishop.

Usually, a team of monks would work on a book, but Eadfrith completed this himself. He died before completing it, which is why some of the book remains unfinished.