Medieval Art

The Virgin Adoring the Child with Saint Joseph - Fra Bartolommeo

History and Definition of Medieval Art

Medieval Art is the term applied to art that was made between the 5th and the 15th century. The 5th century denotes the end of the Roman Empire and the 15th century is the beginning of the modern world. Italian scholars in the late 15th century coined the term ‘medieval’ to label all the changes that had taken place in the previous years. The Medeval Age is also known as the Dark Ages as much of its history is unavailable due to lack of or inaccurate documents. Society was also suspicious of science and the pursuit of factual evidence, therefore much of medical history is based in myth and legend.

The Crusades took place during this time and those who travelled in Europe began to adopt foreign art styles and culture. These adoptions of culture can be seen in Medieval Art all over Europe. Medieval art spans a 1000 year period.

The periods of Medieval Art can be divided into:

- Early Christian Art - 100- 500 CE
- Migration Period Art - 300-900 CE
- Byzantine Art-400 CE - 1453 CE
- Insular Art-600-900 CE
- Pre-Romanesque Art - 800-1100 CE
- Romanesque Art-1000 - 1300 CE
- Gothic Art-14th – 15th century

Famous Medieval Artists

- Hildegard of Bingen 1098-1179-Abbess and Illustrator- women medieval artists are few and far between.
- Matthias Grunewald -1480-1528
- Fra Bartolommeo-1472-1515
- Jean Poyet-1483-1497
- Tino di Camaino, - 1285 – 1337
- Giotto- 1267-1337

Famous Paintings and Art from the Medieval Period

- Matthias Grunewald - The Small Crucifixion, c. 1511/1520
- Albrecht Dürer - A Pastoral Landscape with Shepherds Playing a Viola and Panpipes
- Fra Bartolommeo - Head of a Child- 1490
- The Angel of the Annunciation-1500-1504
- Jean Poyet-The Coronation of King Solomon by the Spring of Gihon c. 1500
- Tino di Camaino - Sulla cuspide un profeta con cartiglio, 1320-1323
- Giotto- Decoration of the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua

Museums, Galleries or Exhibitions that show Medieval Art

The National Gallery:http://www.nga.gov
The Metropolitan Museum of Art- www.metmuseum.org
The Tate- http://www.tate.org.uk/
The Castle St. Angelo http://www.castelsantangelo.com/index.asp

By Melissa Montgomery