Reply To: The Dark Ages

[Miranda Jackovich]

The reference ‘Dark Ages’ was given to the Medieval period by the Romans with a different perspective of culture. What we learned about the Romans previously was how they were heavily influenced by the Greeks who shared the practice of realism in art. ‘The Symbol of the Evangelist Matthew, The Gospel Book of Durrow’ contrasts from how the Greco-Romans depicted the human physique. Unlike their southern neighbors ‘The Book of Kells’ from Chi Rho Iota, Scotland holds more details in the design through shapes and color. These designs that were created gave the capability to incorporate hidden images and references. There is no denying how much cultures influence each other in art, but we can recognize how language impacts our perspective. Labels such as ‘Dark Ages’ and ‘barbarian’ are just as influential as art can be to a culture.