Europe After the Fall of Rome

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Europe After the Fall of Rome
Early Medieval Art in the West
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Map of Early Medieval Europe
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Viking Routes
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Ship Burials

• Then Scyld departed at the destined hour,
  that powerful man sought the Lord's protection.
  His own close companions carried him down to the
  sea, as he, Lord of the Danes, had asked while he
  could still speak.
• That well-loved man had ruled his land for
  many years. There in the harbour stood the
  ring-prowed ship, the prince's vessel, shrouded
  in ice and eager to sail and then they laid
  their dear lord, the giver of rings, deep within
  the ship by the mast in majesty many treasures
  and adornments from far and wide were gathered
  there.
• I have never heard of a ship equipped more
  handsomely with weapons and war-gear, swords, and
  corselets, on his breast lay countless treasures
  that were to travel far with him into waves'
  domain.
• They gave him great ornaments, gifts no less
  magnificent than those men had given him long
  before, when they sent him alone, child as he
  was, across the stretch of the seas.
• Then high above his head they placed a
  golden banner and let the waves bear him,
  bequeathed him to the sea, their hearts were
  grieving, their minds mourning. Mighty Men
  beneath the heavens, rulers in the hall, cannot
  say who received that cargo.
• Beowulf

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16-1 Frankish looped fibula

• Sixth to 7th centuries CE 10cm long.
• Silver gilt worked in filigree
• Inlays of garnets and otherstones
• Similar fibulae may be seen inthe Emperor
  Justinians imagefrom San Vitale
  (Gardner,12-10) and other contemporaryportraits.
  

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16-2 Purse Cover from Sutton Hoo

• Purse cover from the Sutton Hoo ship burial in
  Suffolk, England.
• Gold, glass, and enamel cloisonné with garnets
  and emeralds. 18 cmlong, British Museum, London.

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16-3 Oseberg Ship Burial (c. 825 CE)
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16-4 Portal, Stave Church, Urnes, Norway

• Wood carved entry tothe Stave Church atUrnes,
  Norway, c.1050-1070.
• These images drawnfrom nature representthe
  pinnacle of Vikingart.
• Note the use ofintertwined and animalforms.

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16-5 St. Matthew from Book of Durrow

• Man (symbol of St. Matthew),folio 21 verso of
  the Book ofDurrow, possibly from IonaScotland,
  c. 660-680 CE.
• Carpet page, ink andtempera on parchment,
  TrinityCollege, Dublin.
• Note resemblance tocloisonné jewelry.

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16.6 Cross and Carpet Page

• Cross and carpet page,folio 26 verso of
  theLindisfarne Gospels,from Northumbria,England
  , c. 698-721 CE.
• Tempera on vellum,British Library, London.
• Note resemblance toPersian and otherornamental
  carpets

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The Book of Kells

• Cross and carpet pagefrom the Book of
  Kells,probably from Iona,Scotland, late
  8th,early 9th century.
• The cross is the crossof the Patriarchs,
  aByzantine design.

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16-7 Chi-rho-iota page, Book of Kells

• Chi-rho-iota page folio34 recto, Book of
  Kells,probably from Iona,Scotland, late
  8th,early 9th century.
• Tempera on vellum,Trinity College,Dublin.
• Elaborate example ofan illuminated capital.

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16-8 Saint Matthew, Lindisfarne Gospels

• Image of St. Matthew,folio 25 versoLindisfarne
  Gospels,from Northumbria,England, c. 698-721
  CE.
• Tempera on vellum,British Library, London.
• Note resemblance toByzantine icons it
  wasprobably copied from anItalian manuscript.

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Saint Mark, Lindisfarne Gospels

• Image of St. Mark,Lindisfarne Gospels,from
  Northumbria,England, c. 698-721CE.
• Tempera on vellum,British Library,London.
• Note resemblance toByzantine icons

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16-9 The Scribe Ezra

• The Scribe Ezra,folio 5 recto of theCodex
  Amiatinus,from Jarrow,England, c. 689-716.
• Tempera on vellum.Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana
  ,Florence, Italy.

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16-10 High Cross of Muiredach

• High Cross of Muiredach,Monasterboice, Louth,
  Ireland, 923 CE, about 5 metres high.

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16-1 Charlemagne

• Equestrian portrait ofCharlemagne (?).
• Early 9th century,Metz, Germany,bronze -
  originallygilded.
• Compare to theimage of MarcusAurelius (10-59).

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Charlemagne

• On Christmas Day,800 CE, Pope LeoIII
  crownedCharles the Great(Charlemagne)King of
  the Franks,emperor of Rome.
• He became knownas the Holy RomanEmperor

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16-12 St. Matthew

• St. Matthew, folio 15recto of the
  CoronationGospels (Gospel Book ofCharlemagne),
  c. 800.
• The style of this image isByzantine or
  Italianate,not Frankish.

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16-13 St. Matthew

• St. Matthew, folio 18verso of the EbboGospels
  (Gospel Bookof Archbishop Ebbo ofReims), c.
  820.
• The style of this imageis distinctly
  Frankish,much moreimpassioned andpsychological.

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The Two St. Matthews
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16-14 The Utrecht Psalter
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16-15 Psalter of Charles the Bald, c. 865
(left)16-16 Lindau Gospels, c. 870. (right)
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16-18 Palatine Chapel of Charlemagne

• Designed by Odo of Metzfor Charlemagne.
• Built in Aix-la-chapelle(Aachen) 792-805.
• Design reflects manyelements of San Vitale
  inRavenna, whichCharlemagne oftenvisited, but
  is simpler andmore robust.

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16-19 Torhalle, Lorsch, Germany

• Built in the 9thcentury.
• Gate to LorschMonastery.
• Style reflectsboth thetriumphal archesand the
  citygates built by theRomans.

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16-22 Abbey Church of St. Pantaleon

• Ottonian architecturalstyle built 966-980
  inCologne, Germany.
• The twin tall steeples onthe west wall are
  aFrankish innovation thatwould be later seen
  inGothic churches.
• Note the interplay ofvarious geometric shapesin
  the design.

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16-23 Abbey Church of St. Michaels

• Ottonian architecturalstyle built 1001-1031
  inHildesheim, Germany.
• St Michaels Hildesheimis a basilica-style
  designwith two narrowtransepts.
• Note the differingtreatment of the east andwest
  apses.

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16-23 Abbey Church of St. Michaels
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16-24 Abbey Church of St. Michaels

• Nave of St MichaelsHildesheim.
• This structure is taller inproportion to its
  widththan traditional Romanbasilicas.
• Note the alternating lightand heavy wall
  supports.

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16-25 Abbey Church of St. Michaels

• Bronze doors of St MichaelsHildesheim.
• Cast as a single panel using the lostwax
  technique (cire perdu).
• Detail expulsion of Adam and Eve.

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16-26 Abbey Church of St. Michaels

• Bronze column withreliefs depicting thelife of
  Christ, c.1015-1022.
• Note the similarity tothe spiral narrative
  ofsuch Roman victorycolumns, as Trajanscolumn
  inRome.(right)

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16-27 Crucifix, Cologne Cathedral

• Commissioned byArchbishop Gero forCologne
  Cathedral, c. 970.
• Carved and painted wood(oak), approximately
  twometres tall.
• Similar to Byzantineimages of Christs
  passionbut more emotionallyintense.

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16-28 Annunciation to the Shepherds

• Lectionary of Henry II,Reichenau,
  Germany,1002-1014.
• Tempera on vellum.
• The imagery, similar toByzantine
  icons,emphasises the power andmajesty of
  Godsauthority.
• Expresses strongemotional impact.

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16-29 Otto III Enthroned

• Otto III, the last of theOttonian rulers,
  shownflanked by clergy and thebarons, in the
  Gospel Bookof Otto III, tempera onvellum, c.
  1000.
• As Holy Roman Emperor,he dreamed of a
  revivedChristian Roman Empire.
• He died at 21 and wasburied alongsideCharlemagne
  .