Medieval

Medieval: 400AD-1600s

Medieval art was said to have originated at the beginning of the 5^th century in Western Europe. However, the period covers over 1000 years of art history, incorporating many major art movements and spanning from Europe to the Middle East and North Africa. Most of the art from the medieval period was religious since it was often funded by the Church or influential ecclesiasts. For this reason, many crafted objects had liturgical purposes such as processional crosses and altarpieces, whilst iconographic paintings depicted scenes from the Bible.

With the fall of Rome, many believe an essential knowledge of perspective in art and a comprehension of the human figure were lost. The result is a style that is deficient in realism. However, since the aim of the artists was to demonstrate a religious message, precision and perfectly proportioned figures were overshadowed by the desire to illustrate visible iconic images.

The European Medieval artists gained their influence from the heritage of the Roman Empire and the early Christian Church. This was combined with the ‘Barbarian’ artistic culture of Northern Europe to produce a history of art demonstrating the varied elements of Classical, early Christian and pagan art.

Due to the vast array of styles and artistic genres during the Medieval period, art historians have narrowed it down to the below principle movements:

Early Christian art: from about 400AD-late 7^th or early 8^thcentury, when Arab conquests and Byzantine iconoclasm stopped Eastern art production. During this time Christian artists assumed the Roman crafts of metalwork, mosaic, painting and carving.

Byzantine art: 843AD-1435, concentrated in Constantinople and often acknowledged as the most skilfully crafted art of the Middle Ages, although most frescos and mosaics inside the domed churches of the time have not survived.

Celtic art: 400AD-1100, formed in Ireland and Britain by native Celts. Early styles were seen as a continuation of the Iron Age La Tene art, with Roman influence, whilst the later period incorporated Germanic modifications through contact with the Anglo-Saxons to produce the Hiberno-Saxon style. Viking elements were later added in Ireland.

Migration period art: 300-900AD, following the Germanic Migration Period, and incorporating the Hiberno-Saxon movement in Britain and Ireland. It revealed influences with Christian art, and demonstrated characteristics of Polychrome and Animal style.

Pre-Romanesque art: 800AD-1100, spanning France, Spain and Italy, whilst also incorporating Anglo-Saxon art in England, and Carolingian and Ottonian art from Germany. Roman classical influences were featured during this period and with Carolingian art, led to the Romanesque and Gothic art periods.

Romanesque art: prevailed in Europe from the 10^th to mid-12^th century, although its evidence remained in existence for much longer in some areas. It took the Roman Empire as its influence and was principally characterised by sculpture and fresco painting.

Gothic art: Gothic architecture was introduced in 1140, with Gothic sculpture appearing slightly later around 1150. Gothic painting wasn’t developed until around 1200 when it had departed from the Romanesque influence, whereupon it was eventually to replace the former movement as an international style up until 1430.

Islamic art: early development stages of 600-900AD, with later regional styling taking place around 900AD-1500. Islamic art was established across a variety of crafts, from textiles and glassware to illustrated manuscripts and metalwork.

Our Art on Demand gallery contains the following medieval prints, posters and canvases: