978-0205677207 Chapter 18

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Chapter Eighteen: The Age of Faith

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

• Early Christian and Byzantine Art

• The Rise of Islam

• Christian Art in Northern Europe

• Romanesque Art

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

This Chapter Will:

• outline the traditional forms and styles of art in the Christian era

• survey Early Christian and Islamic cultures to gain an appreciation of the

values and behaviors related to art and architecture from the period

KEY TERMS

mosaics flying buttresses Romanesque tympanum

basilica Gothic animal style BCE

tesserae pendentive qibla wall CE

Carolingian art mihrab minaret li

MyArtsLab RESOURCES

Closer Look: Sant ‘Apollinaire, Nuovo

Closer Look: Guo Xi, Early Spring

Closer Look: Brunelleschi’s Dome

Podcast: Interview with Marilyn Stokstad on Medieval Art

Podcast: Interview with Jonathan Bloom on Islamic Art

Primary Source Document: Hariulf (ca.1060–1143)

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Primary Source Document: St. Angilbert (ca. 750–814)

Primary Source Document: St. Benedict of Nursia (ca. 480–ca. 553)

Primary Source Document: Description of Cluny

Primary Source Document: From Pilgrim’s Guide to Santiago de Compostela (Part I)

Primary Source Document: From Pilgrim’s Guide to Santiago de Compostela, (Part II)

LECTURE AND DISCUSSION TOPICS

1. Dating Art

Discuss the dating abbreviations B.C.E. and C.E. instead of B.C. and A.D. C.E. means

“Common Era” and refers to the same dates as “A.D.” or “Anno Domini” does (except

that “A.D.” precedes the year number and “C.E.” follows it: e.g., “A.D. 2002” is the same

year as “2002 C.E.” A.D. (Anno Domini) is Latin for “in the year of Our Lord,” referring

to Jesus Christ. That is, “A.D. 2002” literally means “in the 2002nd year since the birth

2. Early Christian and Byzantine Art

The Edict of Milan in 313 made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire

and resulted in a new kind of religious imagery. Review previous religious art, such as

the Roman Pantheon and the Greek Parthenon, to explain the differences. Ancient

temples, for example, were erected as temples to gods and goddesses and did not require

large interior spaces to accommodate worshippers. The design of Santa Constanza,

have a circular, polygonal, square, or Greek-cross plan. The interior of these churches,

3. The Rise of Islam

Islam grew quickly after the death of the prophet Muhammad, and by 640, his successors

had already conquered much of the Middle East. Two centuries later, Islam had spread

as far east as the Indus River Valley and across north Africa and well up into the Iberian

Peninsula. With it, distinctive Islamic art and architecture also spread. Muslim mosques

differ somewhat depending on the region, but many feature hypostyle halls that are

4. Celtic Art

Celtic art has its origins in the sculpture, carving, and metalwork of the ancient Celtic

peoples who dominated Continental Europe and the British Isles from about 1000 B.C.E.

of the animal style. The abstract tracery of interlace and the representation of animals has

made its way into popular culture as many tattoo parlors have a repertoire of ancient

Celtic designs as part of their catalogue of tattoo designs.

4. The Age of Cathedrals

Discuss the Romanesque and Gothic styles and the reasons that Gothic style of

architecture was favored over the Romanesque. Show examples from Italy, France,

Germany, and Spain to explain how regional differences affected the visual attributes of

6. Hinduism and Art

Hinduism rose to prominence in the 6th and 7th centuries. There are many Hindu gods

including Shiva, Lord of Lords and god of creation and destruction, which in Hindu

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philosophy are considered as one. Kandariya Mahadeva Temple (fig. 607) exemplifies

Hindu ideology with its intricate reliefs representing gods, stories from Hindu tradition,

7. The Cultures of Africa

Many African cultures hit “high points” during the Middle Ages in Europe. There are

accounts of the city of Benin as surpassing, in beauty and cleanliness, any city in Europe

at this time. In present-day Nigeria, the Yoruban-speaking peoples of Ife produced brass

sculptures and plaques that represented the power and wealth of their leaders, called Obas

or Onis. Figure 612 is an example of this. Usually these figures and plaques were

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

1. Hagia Sophia

Have students write a report summarizing the history of Hagia Sophia and the variety of

functions this present-day museum has served.

HANDS-ON PROJECTS

For additional project ideas, remember to investigate the Hands-On Projects found on

1. A Religious Experience

Have students create a video architectural tour of the religious structures in their region.

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2. Manuscript Cover

Have students review the techniques and subjects of illuminated manuscripts of the

Middle Ages. Have them imagine an illuminated manuscript for the electronic world.

3. Contemporary Mosaic

Other Suggested Websites:

Hagia Sophia images, both exterior and interior, can be viewed at

w4u.eexi.gr/~ippotis/sumagiasen.html

The Sutton Hoo Room is a site that shows pictures of the priceless objects found in the

Sutton Hoo burial ship. http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projs4a/

Lindisfarne Gospels page provides viewers with history, images, and links to book and

video on the 7th-century masterpiece of the Gospels.

www.bl.uk/collections/treasures/lindis.html

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Reims Cathedral history and photographs available at web.kyoto-

inet.or.jp/org/orion/eng/hst/gothic/reims.html

Islamic Art works collected by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York are

available at www.metmuseum.org/collections/department.asp?dep=14