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Re: Miranda
Very interesting post! It’s interesting to see what wealthy people use to flaunt/cement their status in society. It also removes them from the very public, almost common, act of going to church. Perhaps this was one more reason why they did things such as building their own private worship areas.Re: Lacey
It is interesting how many characteristics of the Gothic period came simply in order to accommodate for the stained glass. Flying buttresses, for example, became popular during the period mainly because they allowed the walls to be able to support the stained glass. It did created a very beautiful and unique design, though! It makes me wonder how the period might have evolved if stained glass had not become so popular.Abbot Suger truly revolutionized the design of churches when he implemented stained glass in the Abbey Church of St. Denis. This was a burial place for the royal family, and thus Suger felt that it should be designed accordingly in a manner that would best honor them. The stained glass allows light to flow into the church, creating a heavenly feeling that transports the visitors. In some of Suger’s reading on philosophy, he found writings about the connection between light and divinity. It was this that sparked his interest in bringing this element into the church. This style was quite different from the Romanesque period, in which windows were small and did not let in much light. The general structure of churches also had to change in order to accommodate this new wall design. Pointed arches became popular because they were able to support the structure without relying on thick walls. This alteration enabled stained glass to gain popularity and was seen in many churches throughout the period, such as in Chartres Cathedral and Sainte-Chapelle Cathedral of Paris.
The moralized bibles, such as Bible moralisée and the Saint Louis Bible, were essentially illustrated bibles that gained popularity during the Gothic period, but were not accessible to most due to the high cost required to make them. Typically, royal family members were the only ones who could afford to buy them.
Numerous books also began being published during this time period. For the common folk, many of whom were illiterate, reading these books wouldn’t have been possible. This provides yet another means with which the upper class was able to attain additional religious objects for themselves alone.
Perhaps it was the increasing ornateness and impersonal nature of the churches of the time that drove wealthy nobles to seek out additional devotional objects and personal spaces for praying/studying the bible. It became a matter of status and exclusivity for those who could afford those rare and difficult to attain religious objects.The art of this period served as a means for illiterate people to learn the stories of the Bible and grow closer to their religion without having to actually read the Bible. The Bayeux Tapestry, for instance, clearly depicts stories of the time without using the written word. Art such as this and the artifacts seen by pilgrims were all sources of religious and political power used to influence both the literate and illiterate alike.
Re: Raven
Great post! I really enjoyed your analogy of the pilgrimage to yoga. They are indeed both more corporeal ways to express religious devotion. It is interesting to learn that it was this movement that created the rather popular design of wide sides and a centered Mass for churches in Europe.The pilgrimage was a journey to a sacred place, completed by devotees either as a display of devotion, a way to repent, or simply as a means to travel. The practice gained popularity in the Romanesque period, perhaps due to the fear of the apocalypse. The pilgrimage turned into a way for people to express their gratitude that the end of days had not come after all, in addition to serving as a way for the common folk to travel and see new lands/cultures. The Santiago de Compostela in Spain enabled Europeans to complete a pilgrimage without having to go all the way to Jerusalem. The churches of this time were then altered accordingly in order to accommodate the numerous pilgrims. They were designed with wide, open sides so that large quantities of people could get in and out to see the artifacts without disturbing the Mass in the center of the church.
Very interesting post! The pictures you included were hilarious. I hadn’t seen them before, but they gain a new level of hilarity after studying the original work. Thanks for sharing!
Re: Lacey
I agree that the Byzantine style can definitely be seen in the art of this time period, but there were some major alterations in style and overall design.Re: Miranda
Great points! I love your last line. It’s so true that labels can sometimes influence perception just as much as reality can, if not more.The earrings in the jewelry of Queen Arnegunde were similar to popular Byzantine styles, indicating that they may have been imported. Many of the gospel books of the time also contained Roman, Classical, or Byzantine influences. The Book of Kells, for instance, contained rather elaborate drawings that were not (for the most part) directly related to religion. This is perhaps in an attempt to avoid the creation of graven images. Earlier periods were prolific in expressing religious imagery through depictions of the Virgin Mary and other saints, but the Medieval period begins to stray away from this. Byzantine art also contributed to the more flat features present in how humans were drawn in Medieval artwork, such as in the Gospel Book of Durrow.
The Medieval period was a time of great artistic and religious creation, despite its name as the ‘Dark Ages.’ There were many negatives during this period, but it cannot be said that there was no cultural innovation. The distinct animal style present in renowned pieces of art such as The Book of Kells and the hinged clasp from the Sutton Hoo Burial represent a unique style of art that was not previously used. Just like other periods, art evolved and developed further.
Re: Kaitlyn
You make a great point about art during this time being used as a communication device, rather than art for art’s sake. The increased importance placed on religion during this time period certainly turned art into a sort of conversion device/way to express to the general public the power and grandeur of religion in their culture.Artistic styles have shifted and evolved often throughout the history of art, and the art of the Byzantine Empire is no exception. Virgin and Child With Saints And Angels Icon, for instance, displays the Virgin Mary’s face and body in a rather realistic manner (perhaps because she sits in the middle of the piece), but the figures behind her and the “rest of the space is flattened in accordance with Byzantine spacial ambiguity.’ Figures during this time period often had golden circles painted around their heads to indicate holiness, and were portrayed with thin, relatively undefined bodies. This shift away from realism makes Byzantine art easy to define as a unique period in history.
Constantine became the first Christian Roman Emperor in 312 AD, shortly before the beginning of the Byzantine Empire in 330 AD. The emperors during this period also held rather expansive goals. Justinian sought to conquer large areas of lost territory. These large changes during the time period likely made religion an important part of life for both the elite and the common classes.Re: Lucas
You make great points! Like you say, it’s hard to nail down just exactly what qualifies as a graven image. The many depictions of the Virgin Mary certainly seemed like borderline examples of graven images to me, as well. However, I can see why they are viewed as simply means to grow closer to God, rather than overshadowing God.
