Medieval art
The Middle Ages, also called the Dark Ages, were a time of violence and disease leading up to the great renaissance. Medieval art often portrayed just that. I love medieval art because of how violent and emotional it is. This was the time that the bubonic plague hit Europe. Many artists took the bubonic plague as inspiration which created some beautiful, dark paintings.
The Middle Ages were a time when Christianity flourished. During this time Christianity brought new views of life that were quickly ingrained into almost every aspect of life, especially into art.(citing Khan) The rich commissioned many painters, actors, and sculptors during this time, however few names of the actual artists survived. (citing Khan) The story of Jesus Christ was very popular to transform into visual art.
All Middle Age paintings had a 2-dimensional style with really no perspective. The art was not very realistic and was made to visualize a story, like the bible. Bright colours and gold paint or accents were often used, especially with religious deities. Paintings often featured gruesome acts of violence like battles or Jesus’s crucifixion.
The Middle Ages were a time when Christianity flourished. During this time Christianity brought new views of life that were quickly ingrained into almost every aspect of life, especially into art.(citing Khan) The rich commissioned many painters, actors, and sculptors during this time, however few names of the actual artists survived. (citing Khan) The story of Jesus Christ was very popular to transform into visual art.
All Middle Age paintings had a 2-dimensional style with really no perspective. The art was not very realistic and was made to visualize a story, like the bible. Bright colours and gold paint or accents were often used, especially with religious deities. Paintings often featured gruesome acts of violence like battles or Jesus’s crucifixion.
Stained glass windows are one of the most memorable artforms that arose in popularity during this time. They were most commonly made for cathedrals. Colourful glass was melted and poured into specific shapes for the intended designs. Shadows were later painted onto cooled glass with black pigments. (citing stained) Many cathedrals up to this day continue to have colourful windows with different scenes and characters from the bible.
The most well known event in the Middle Ages was definitely the Black Plague. Medical science was nowhere as good as it is now so the disease was truly devastating. That didn’t stop artists though. Many large, detailed paintings were made that depicted the true horrors of the epidemic. Scenes of streets filled with sick and dead were common. Rooms full of infected people were also popular. In these newer paintings there was more perspective and realism that truly elevated the value of the paintings. The most detailed descriptions of the plague were provided by authors like Giovanni Boccaccio. He wrote “The Decameron” a book all about how he saw the plague. The book gives a horrifying description of how fast the disease spread out of control, and how fast dead were piling up and being buried. (citing artanddeath) The Middle Ages were truly a dark time with devastating art that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Sources
“Art and Death in the Middle Ages.” The Met. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, February 2010. Web. 17 April,2020. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/deth/hd_deth.htm
Ross, Nancy. “Introduction To The Dark Ages.” Khan Academy. Khan Academy. Web. 17 April, 2020. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/medieval-europe-islamic-world/a/introduction-to-the-middle-ages
“Stained Glass in Medieval Europe.” The Met. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. Web. 17 April, 2020. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/glas/hd_glas.htm
Ross, Nancy. “Introduction To The Dark Ages.” Khan Academy. Khan Academy. Web. 17 April, 2020. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/medieval-europe-islamic-world/a/introduction-to-the-middle-ages
“Stained Glass in Medieval Europe.” The Met. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. Web. 17 April, 2020. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/glas/hd_glas.htm