History of Art: Byzantine & Medieval Art C 500 CE

You must have seen stained glass windows and frescoes in Europe. They belong to the category of mediaeval art. It had diverse styles as they were done on many things such as stained glass, metal work, and mosaics, sculptures, illuminated manuscripts and many other things. Mediaeval art belonged to the most influential periods of all time and was one of the most magnificent times in the world such as the Middle Ages. It covered 1000 years of History with many innovations and artefacts with artistic influence reaching Western Africa and Northern Africa.

Divisions of Early Medieval Art

With the development of Mediaeval art began to develop, religion and spirituality became major influences. Historical artworks had holy and spiritual references and the subject matter tended to portray biblical references.  There were main areas, but the main country of Medieval Art was Italy.

Byzantine Period

This art developed in Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Period at the time became the centre of Byzantine Art.  Byzantine Art was considered in art historiography to be a dark period. Art lacked realism and reflected symbolism. The historical paintings in this period were flat and produced no shadows. Architecture during this period was grandiose and dazzling. Recommended books for the Byzantine Period are Aural Architecture in Byzantium: Music, Acoustic and Ritual, Heaven on the Earth and more.

Romanesque Period

This period developed around 1000 AD and was influenced by both Roman and Byzantine Art.  This art placed its focus on religion and Christianity. Art of the Romanesque period included stained glass buildings, murals on walls and domed ceilings, manuscripts and cultures.  Some recommended books on the Romanesque period include:  Studies in Romanesque and Pre- Romanesque architecture, Volume II,  Romanesque Sculpture: An Ecstatic Art.

Gothic Period

The last period of the history of art includes the Gothic Period which began developing in the 12th century.  This period grew out of Romanesque art and focused on using shadows and experimented with broad and new matters.  Religion became less important in art and paintings became more lifelike. Some recommended books on Gothic Art are:  Architecture: Gothic and Renaissance, the Substance of Gothic.

Books on History of Art

 Here are some recommended books on the history of art for curious readers:

1. The Story of Art by Leonie Gombrich:The Story of Art was one of the most famous and popular books in art and has been a world bestseller for four decades.  The writing is simple and clear and has attracted readers from around the world. For the first time, the book has been fully redesigned.  The colour illustrations have been improved and originated, including six foldouts. The text has been revised and updated accordingly and new artists have been added to this book.  The bibliographies included in this group have been revised and updated.  This book has been admired for multifarious reasons, it has been a pleasure to read and handle.
2. Image on the Edge:  The Margins of Medieval Art:  Michael Camille’s Image on the Art explores the riotous realm of Mediaeval art.  According to the book, mediaeval image makers focused on the underside of the society: the excluded sections of society which included the peasants, prostitutes and beggars, along with knights and clerics engaged in antics in the margins of prayer books, as on gargoyles on the exterior of churches.
3. Byzantine Art by Robin Cormack:  The opulence of Byzantine Art with its immense use of gold and silver is known. Skilled artists created powerful reflections reflecting the society and its values in icons.  It included illuminated manuscripts, mosaics and paintings on walls placed in domed churches and walled buildings.  The complete introduction to the range of Byzantine art combines breath and historical detail.  Robin Cormack has shown the rise and fall of Byzantine art in this book through many social upheavals which have produced new design styles.
4. Medieval Renaissance Treatises on the Arts of Painting:  Mrs Merrifield’s work on the technology of mediaeval Renaissance oil painting has been one of the few reference books dealing with the subject.  The manuscripts have described oil painting practices in many Italian cities and in France and Brussels. These reveal the artists using various pigments, of preparing wood and cloth for painting, making inks, dyes, glues and more. The treatises also cover the art of making miniature paintings, mosaics, paintings on glass and those who were involved in the art of crafts of gliding, grazing precious stones and others.
5. Objects of Translation by Finbar Flood, Finbar Barry Flood: Objects of translation provides a nuanced approach to the entanglement of mediaeval elites in the regions comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan and North India.  This book tracing the time period from eighth to the early thirteenth centuries challenges existing narratives of conflict that depend on pre modern texts for the understanding of the Byzantine Era. The book explores modes of circulation, among them, gifting and trade through which artisans and artefacts travelled remapping cultural boundaries.

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