Question

Art 100

Second, trace the subsequent development of art in the East and the West from the Early through the High and Late Middle Ages by citing specific works of art or architecture and describing characteristic features these works exemplify. Be sure to include the each of the following terms in your discussion:

animal style

Carolingian

Romanesque

Gothic

Answer 1

In Europe, Early medieval art is the blend of the artistic legacy of the early Christian Church, the Roman Empire, and the “barbarian” artistic culture of Northern Europe. Narratives and symbols became the most important form to convey messages during the middle ages.

Most important work of Middle ages includes sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, stained glass, metalwork, and mosaics, which is more magnificent than fresco wall-paintings and precious metals.

The most important development art and architecture forms with is the blend of different styles that glorify Middle ages are as follows;

1. Animal art

The animal style art form is the most important theme of the Middle Ages. Artists often used the technique of animal motifs, foliate designs which makes the beautiful part of the decorative vocabulary. Animal style art is an approach to a modern art form which started in China and later on adopted by the artist of the Northern Europe during the early Iron Age. However barbarian art is also characterized by its emphasis on animal motifs.

2. Romanesque art and architecture

It knows the preceding period before as the Pre-Romanesque period. Romanesque art is European art from 1000 AD to later evolved into the Gothic style of art. The Romanesque architecture consists of many basic features of Roman architectural style such as round-headed arches, apses, and acanthus-leaf decoration laid great emphasis. There was architectural continuity during Late Antiquity in Spain, Italy, and Southern France. However, a Romanesque style was the first style which spread across the whole of Catholic Europe. Byzantine art had the great influence on Romanesque art in paintings.
These elements of Romanesque art developed an innovative and coherent style during the middle ages.

3 Carolingian art and architecture

In the late 8th and 9th centuries, Carolingian architecture developed in Northern Europe and also belong to the period of the Carolingian Renaissance. They borrowed the Carolingian Renaissance from Early Christian and Carolingian art which is adapted from the Frankish Empire. The Carolingian art such barrel and groin vaults was produced for the group of important monasteries and also important for the court under Imperial patronage.

4 Gothic Art

Gothic art and architecture spread to most part of Western Europe and much of Southern and Central Europe. This helps in the transformation into the more classical style in Italy. However Gothic art and architecture which was developed into the sophisticated court style art continued well into the 16th century before being subsumed into Renaissance art. The most important elements of Gothic period in the Middle Ages includes panel painting, stained glass, sculpture, fresco and illuminated manuscripts. However shifts in architecture style from Romanesque to Gothic, and Gothic to Renaissance styles, define the classification of periods.