11/13/10 Art History I

Today's Class- Today we finished our look at Early Medieval art, specifically manuscripts, then moved on to the Romanesque period, which takes place in Western Europe in the 11th and early 12th centuries. In the architecture particularly, there is strong influence of Ancient Roman styles, more than Byzantine or Islamic. Close relationships between the church and nobility (lords, dukes, etc) prove to be mutually beneficial. Pilgrimages and Crusades cause people to travel great distances, exposing them to a wider variety of art and material goods, encouraging trade and the spread of innovations. Engineers of the era push the limits of stone construction to create bigger and bigger cathedrals. Sculpture and painting still retain a lot of Byzantine and occasionally Islamic influence, but start to make a turn toward naturalism. During the last part of class I gave an overview of the subsequent Gothic period, but that summary will be posted next week, along with the important terms and artworks.

Important terms- arcade, capital (historiated), chevron, cloister, colonnade, lantern (dome), portal, relic, reliquary, rib vault, spolia, tapestry, trumeau

Important artworks- Cathedral of St James (Santiago), Reliquary of Sainte Foy, Abbey of Notre Dame (Fontenay), Cathedral Complex of Pisa, South Portal (Priory Church of Saint-Pierre at Moissac), Last Judgment Tympanum (Sainte-Lazare), Christ in Majesty, Bayeux Embroidery

Homework- The next current arts event article is due next week. It is recommended that everyone read chapter 16 (Gothic) to familiarize yourself with the material.

For next class 11/20/10- We will look at the art and architecture of the Gothic period, and review for the 2nd midterm exam that covers Book 2.