art history

Bayeux Tapestry. Romanesque Europe (English or Norman). c. 1066–1080 C.E. Embroidery on linen. THE MOST FAMOUS WORK OF ENGLISH ROMANESQUE ART; UNIQUE IN MEDIEVAL ART BECAUSE IT ISN’T A BOOK OR CHRISTIAN IN SUBJECT; EMBROIDERED FABRIC, WOOL SEWN ON LINEN; LATIN TEXT ACCOMPANIES MANY OF THE PICTURES CONTINUOUS, FRIEZELIKE PICTORAL NARRATIVE; 20 INCHES HIGH AND 230 FEET LONG; CRUCIAL MOMENT IN ENGLAND’S HISTORY; NORMAN DEFEAT OF ANGLO SAXONS AT HASTINGS IN 1066; FRANCE AND ENGLAND UNITED  DEPICTS AN EVENT IN FULL DETAIL; CONQUERER’S VERSION OF HISTORY; PROCLAMATION OF NATIONAL PRIDE; THE MOST ROMAN-ESQUE WORK OF ROMANESQUE ART  Measuring twenty inches high and almost 230 feet in length, the Bayeux Tapestry commemorates a struggle for the throne of England between William, the Duke of Normandy, and Harold, the Earl of Wessex (Normandy is a region in northern France). The year was 1066—William invaded and successfully conquered England, becoming the first Norman King of En...

Time Period: 1050-1150  Derivative of ancient Roman art Very dif. from its namesake Europe began to settle down from the great migration that characterised the previous period  Islamic incursions from Spain and North Africa neutralized Europeans began a counterinvasion of Muslim lands called the Crusades  Stability; trade and art flourished; cities finally expanded Religious pilgrimages; shrines established key points along the road Medieval society focused on feudalism; artists middle class Women confined to ceramics, weaving, etc.; wealthy women were active patrons, commissioning manuscripts  Christian works dominated; secular was just as important; take themes from the other  Medieval architecture focused on the construction of castles, manors, monasteries, and churches Artists and builders worked side by side Architecture Cathedrals took hundreds of years to build, expensive Entirely in stone; reason for name "Romanesque"  Dark; st...

Church of Sainte-Foy. Conques, France. Romanesque Europe. Church: c. 1050– 1130 C.E. IMPORTANT PILGRIMAGE CHURCH; PART OF A MONASTERY WHERE MONKS LIVED, PRAYED AND WORKED; ROMANESQUE; CRUCIFORM SHAPE HELPED REGULATE THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC THROUGHOUT THE CHURCH Located in Conques, the Church of Saint-Foy (Saint Faith) is an important pilgrimage church on the route to Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain monks lived, prayed and worked.   As a Romanesque church, it has a barrel-vaulted nave lined with arches on the interior. This scene would have served as a reminder to those entering the Church of Saint-Foy about the joys of heaven and torments of hell.  It is a chaotic, disorderly scene—notice how different it looks from the right-hand side of the tympanum. There is also a small pediment in the lower register of Hell, where the Devil, just opposite to Abraham, reigns over his terrifying kingdom. Each of these sinners represents a type of sin to avoid, from ad...