Ottonian Art St. Michael's Church, Hildesheim (1001-1031) Victoria Valdes

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Ottonian Art St. Michael's Church, Hildesheim (1001-1031) Victoria Valdes Ottonian Art St. Michael's Church, Hildesheim (1001-1031) Victoria Valdes After Charlemagne’s legacy had begun to die out, the warlike tribes in what is now Germany (then Saxony) banded together to elect a king from among their nobility. In 919 C.E., they chose Henry the Liudolfing, the son of a high-ranking duke, a brilliant military strategist and a well-respected leader. Henry, dubbed “the Fowler” because of his hobby of bird hunting, led the Saxon armies to a number of decisive victories against the Magyars and the Danes. These newly secured borders ushered in a period of immense prosperity and artistic productivity for the Saxon empire. Henry’s son Otto I (who became emperor in 962) lends his name to the “Ottonian” period. He forged an important alliance with the Pope, which allowed him to be crowned the first official Holy Roman Emperor since 924. This contact with Rome was extremely important to Ottonian artistic development, since each Ottonian king was determined to define himself as a Roman Emperor in the style of Constantine and Charlemagne. This meant perpetuating a highly intellectual court and creating an extensive artistic legacy. Ottonian art takes a number of traditional medieval forms, including elegantly illuminated manuscripts, lavish metalwork, intricate carving, and Romanesque churches and cathedrals. Perhaps the most famous of the Ottonian artistic innovations is the Saxon Romanesque architecture style, which is marked by a careful attention to balance and mathematical harmony. This focus on geometry is based on the texts de Arithmatica and Ars Geometriae by the 6th century philosopher Boethius. The Ottonians held mathematical sciences in high regard and this is reflected in many of their artistic productions. The illuminated manuscripts produced by Ottonian “scriptoria,” or monastery painting and writing schools, provide documentation of both Ottonian religious and political customs and the stylistic preferences of the period. Manuscripts were most often produced of religious texts, and usually included a dedication portrait commemorating the book’s creation. The royal or religious donor is usually shown presenting the book to the saint of his or her choice. Source URL: http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/ottonian.html Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/asth110/#5.4.3 Attributed to: SmartHistory www.saylor.org Page 1 of 3 Uta Codex (Uta Presents the Codex to Mary), c. 1020, Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm. 13601, folio 2, recto Here we see a powerful abbess, Uta, presenting her codex to St. Mary. Many manuscripts also included a page depicting the artist or scribe of the work, acknowledging that the production of a book required not only money but also artistic labor. Hillinus Codex (Hillinus Presents the Codex to St. Peter), c.1020, Cologne Dombibliothek, folio 16, verso, manuscript 12 In the Hillinus Codex, a monk presents the codex that he has written or painted (or both!) to St. Peter. The work of the artist and scribe were often one and the same, as can be seen in many of the fantastic decorated initials that begin books or chapters in Ottonian Manuscripts. As you can see from the dedication pictures, the manuscripts in question are often depicted as they were frequently displayed, that is with the text securely enclosed between lavish metal covers. Source URL: http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/ottonian.html Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/asth110/#5.4.3 Attributed to: SmartHistory www.saylor.org Page 2 of 3 Cover, "Dormition of the Virgin," Gospels of Otto III, c. 998- 1001, Munich, Staatsbibliothek, Clm. 4453 Ottonian metalwork took many forms, but one of the most common productions was bejeweled book covers for their precious manuscripts. This cover is one of the most expensive that survives; it includes not only numerous jewels, but an ivory carving of the death of the Virgin Mary. On a larger scale, clerics like Bernward of Hildesheim, who designed the church we saw earlier, cast his 15' doors depicting the fall and redemption of mankind out of single pieces of metal. This was an enormous undertaking, and the process was so complex that it would not be replicated until the Renaissance. Doors of the Hildesheim Church, c. 1015 For a modern viewer, Ottonian art can be a little difficult to understand. The depictions of people and places don’t conform to a naturalistic style, and the symbolism is often obscure. When you look at Ottonian art, keep in mind that the aim for these artists was not to create something that looked “realistic,” but rather to convey abstract concepts, many of which are deeply philosophical in nature. The focus on symbolism can also be one of the most fascinating aspects of studying Ottonian art, since you can depend on each part of the compositions to mean something specific. The more time you spend on each composition, the more rewarding discoveries emerge. Source URL: http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/ottonian.html Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/asth110/#5.4.3 Attributed to: SmartHistory www.saylor.org Page 3 of 3 .
Recommended publications
  • Questions of Fashion
    http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/677870 . Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The University of Chicago Press and Bard Graduate Center are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to West 86th. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 185.16.163.10 on Tue, 23 Jun 2015 06:24:53 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Questions of Fashion Lilly Reich Introduction by Robin Schuldenfrei Translated by Annika Fisher This article, titled “Modefragen,” was originally published in Die Form: Monatsschrift für gestaltende Arbeit, 1922. 102 West 86th V 21 N 1 This content downloaded from 185.16.163.10 on Tue, 23 Jun 2015 06:24:53 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Introduction In “Questions of Fashion,” Lilly Reich (1885–1947) introduces readers of the journal Die Form to recent developments in the design of clothing with respect to problems of the age.1 Reich, who had her own long-established atelier in Berlin, succinctly contextualizes issues that were already mainstays for the Werkbund, the prominent alliance of designers, businessmen, and government figures committed to raising design standards in Germany, of which she was a member.
    [Show full text]
  • Core Knowledge Art History Syllabus
    Core Knowledge Art History Syllabus This syllabus runs 13 weeks, with 2 sessions per week. The midterm is scheduled for the end of the seventh week. The final exam is slated for last class meeting but might be shifted to an exam period to give the instructor one more class period. Goals: • understanding of the basic terms, facts, and concepts in art history • comprehension of the progress of art as fluid development of a series of styles and trends that overlap and react to each other as well as to historical events • recognition of the basic concepts inherent in each style, and the outstanding exemplars of each Lecture Notes: For each lecture a number of exemplary works of art are listed. In some cases instructors may wish to discuss all of these works; in other cases they may wish to focus on only some of them. Textbooks: It should be possible to teach this course using any one of the five texts listed below as a primary textbook. Cole et al., Art of the Western World Gardner, Art Through the Ages Janson, History of Art, 2 vols. Schneider Adams, Laurie, A History of Western Art Stokstad, Art History, 2 vols. Writing Assignments: A short, descriptive paper on a single work of art or topic would be in order. Syllabus created by the Core Knowledge Foundation 1 https://www.coreknowledge.org/ Use of this Syllabus: This syllabus was created by Bruce Cole, Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts, Indiana University, as part of What Elementary Teachers Need to Know, a teacher education initiative developed by the Core Knowledge Foundation.
    [Show full text]
  • “Forms Assembled in the Light” Week One: Early Medieval Art
    ART HISTORY Journey Through a Thousand Years “Forms Assembled in the Light” Week One: Early Medieval Art The Craftsmen Who Saved Civilisation - The Civilisation that Survived – Controversy Over Images – Decoding Anglo-Saxon Art - Basilicas - Illuminated Manuscripts – In Search of Three Dimensions – From the Vaults: The Lindau Gospels – Ottonian Art – The Bernward Doors - An Introduction to the Bestiary, Book of Beasts in the Medieval World - The painted crypt of San Isidoro at León, Spain By Megginede - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45924271 “Great nations write their autobiographies in three manuscripts[;] the book of their deeds, the book of their words, and the book of their art. Not one of these works can be understood unless we read the two others, but of the three the only trustworthy one is the last.” – Ruskin Kenneth Clark: “The Craftsmen Who Saved Civilization” From Civilisation: A Personal View (1969) People sometimes tell me they prefer barbarism to civilization. I doubt if they have given it a long enough trial. Like the people of Alexandria they are bored by civilisation; but all the evidence suggests that the boredom of barbarism is infinitely greater. Quite apart from discomforts and privations, there was no escape from it. Very restricted company, no books, no light after dark, no hope. On one side of the sea battering away, on the other the infinite stretches of the bog and the forest. A most melancholy existence, and the Anglo- Saxon poets had no illusions about it: A wise man may grasp how ghastly it shall be When all this world’s wealth standeth waste Even as now, in many places over the earth, Walls stand windbeaten, Heavy with hoar frost; ruined habitations… The maker of men has so marred this dwelling That human laughter is not heard about it, And idle stand these old giant works.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Medieval Art After the Collap
    AP ART HISTORY STUDY SHEET Name: Date: Period: Gardener’s Notes Unit 10 - Chapter 16: Early Medieval Art After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Western Europe entered what is known as the Dark Ages. Power became decentralized, dispersed among various nomadic tribes. Trade among towns and outposts collapsed because the Roman legions were no longer present to maintain order. When comparing the art produced during early medieval times with the many achievements of the Roman Empire, it is obvious why historians first labeled the period the Dark Ages. However, recent discoveries and scholarship have uncovered works of art and architecture that reveal the presence of rich cultures between the years 500 and 1000 CE. For the AP Art History exam, the early Middle Ages includes four stages: (1) Art of the Warrior Lords, (2) Hiberno-Saxon Art, (2) Carolingian Art, and (4) Ottonian Art. The 2004 exam contained a slide-based short essay comparing a picture of a purse cover from Sutton Hoo, a site during the Warrior Lord Period, to ta carpet page from the Lindisfarne Gospels , a Hiberno-Saxon illuminated manuscript. Past tests also required students to discuss the characteristics of Carolingian illuminated manuscript. Multiple-choice questions have tested student’s recognition of a famous Ottonian church and its bronze doors. Early Medieval art is groups with Early Christian and Byzantine Art as 5 percent to 10 percent of the points on the AP Art History exam, which is a small percentage of the total points. Nonetheless, this chapter provides you with the necessary knowledge about the early Medieval period to prepare you for possible test questions.
    [Show full text]
  • Establishing a Connection to Illuminated Manuscripts Made at Echternach in the Eighth and Eleventh Centuries and Issues of Patronage, Monastic Reform and Splendor
    Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture Volume 3 Issue 1 Special Ottonian Issue 49-82 2011 Establishing a Connection to Illuminated Manuscripts made at Echternach in the Eighth and Eleventh Centuries and Issues of Patronage, Monastic Reform and Splendor Stephen Wagner Savannah College of Art and Design Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.kenyon.edu/perejournal Part of the Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture Commons Recommended Citation Wagner, Stephen. "Establishing a Connection to Illuminated Manuscripts made at Echternach in the Eighth and Eleventh Centuries and Issues of Patronage, Monastic Reform and Splendor." Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture 3, 1 (2010): 49-82. https://digital.kenyon.edu/perejournal/vol3/iss1/3 This Feature Article is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Kenyon: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture by an authorized editor of Digital Kenyon: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Wagner Establishing a Connection to Illuminated Manuscripts made at Echternach in the Eighth and Eleventh Centuries and Issues of Patronage, Monastic Reform and Splendor By Stephen Wagner, Savannah College of Art and Design Introduction The monastery of Echternach made great contributions to the art of luxury manuscript production at two distinctive points in its long history.1 The first works appeared shortly after St. Willibrord established the foundation at the end of the seventh century, while the second wave of illustrated books, some of which were written in gold, occurred in the eleventh century.2 Scholarship on these manuscripts from both periods has contributed greatly to our understanding of this important art form in the Early Middle Ages, but it has treated the early examples separately from the later ones.
    [Show full text]
  • Manuscript Cultures Manuscript Cultures Manuscript
    mc NO 10 2017 mc NO 10 2017 manuscript cultures manuscript Hamburg | Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures ISSN 1867–9617 cultures ISSN 1867–9617 © SFB 950 “Manuskriptkulturen in Asien, Afrika und Europa” Universität Hamburg Warburgstraße 26 www.manuscript-cultures.uni-hamburg.de D-20354 Hamburg N O 10 PUBLISHING INFORMATION | MANUSCRIPT CULTURES Publishing Information Forthcoming 10 - Dividing Texts: Visual Text-Organization in North Indian and Nepalese Manuscripts by Bidur Bhattarai The number of manuscripts produced in the Indian sub- Editors Editorial Office continent is astounding and is the result of a massive Prof Dr Michael Friedrich Dr Irina Wandrey enterprise that was carried out over a vast geographical area Universität Hamburg Universität Hamburg and over a vast stretch of time. Focusing on areas of Northern Asien-Afrika-Institut Sonderforschungsbereich 950 India and Nepal between 800 to 1300 ce and on manuscripts Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1/ Flügel Ost ‘Manuskriptkulturen in Asien, Afrika und Europa’ containing Sanskrit texts, the present study investigates a D-20146 Hamburg Warburgstraße 26 fundamental and so far rarely studied aspect of manuscript Tel. No.: +49 (0)40 42838 7127 D-20354 Hamburg production: visual organization. Scribes adopted a variety Fax No.: +49 (0)40 42838 4899 Tel. No.: +49 (0)40 42838 9420 of visual strategies to distinguish one text from another [email protected] Fax No.: +49 (0)40 42838 4899 and to differentiate the various sections within a single [email protected] text (chapters, sub-chapters, etc.). Their repertoire includes Prof Dr Jörg Quenzer the use of space(s) on the folio, the adoption of different Universität Hamburg Layout writing styles, the inclusion of symbols of various kind, Asien-Afrika-Institut Astrid Kajsa Nylander the application of colors (rubrication), or a combination of Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1/ Flügel Ost all these.
    [Show full text]
  • Education 608 Spring 2001
    Art History I ART 305-01 CRN Mon/Wed 3-4:15 P.M. Armstrong Slater 205A Anne Pierce, Ph.D., Associate Professor Office Hours: MWF 12-2pm in Armstrong 320, Tuesday 1-4pm in Armstrong Slater 203H or by Appointment: [email protected] Textbook - Adams, Laurie. Art Across Time. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2007. 3rd ed. Compiled Bibliography – Before each class meeting, each student will upload to our Blackboard site a recent article (last 5 years) from A PROFESSIONAL RESOURCE (journal, website, etc.) which can be used to stimulate discussion on the topic under consideration with appropriate attribution (Chicago - also called Turabian style). Course Description – The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the links between art and history; and art as history. Through collaborative projects, short papers, visits to museums and reading assignments, students will begin to explore primarily Western art (prehistory – 16th century). Students will sharpen their observation skills and develop as critics. Analysis of art objects will emphasize a visual vocabulary including technique, style or period, content, as well as artist’s influences. Course Objectives – Successful completion of this course requires students to: 1) Demonstrate instructional technology in classroom presentations. 2) Identify works of art and artifacts from specific artists and periods from Prehistory to the Renaissance. 3) Increase their awareness of the achievements and contributions of culture and historical events to the production of the artists’ work. 4) Analyze the use of art elements, composition and techniques to make qualitative assessments. 5) Compare characteristic techniques, styles or periods, purposes and iconography. Course Competencies 1) Compare text and subtext of art, artists, and society.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Medieval Europe Overview
    Early Medieval Europe Overview ● 410-768 Merovingian and Anglo Saxon ● 919-1024 Ottonian ○ After the fall of Rome, Merovingian and Anglo Saxon ○ Ottonian painters and sculptors produce illuminated artists produce costly portable items of personal manuscripts and ivory reliefs inspired by late antique and adornment featuring cloisonne ornamentation and byzantine sources intertwined animal and interlace patterns. ○ Bishop Bernward adorns his church at Hildesheim with ○ Anglo Saxon kings are laid to rest in treasure laden ship bronze doors and a freestanding bronze column covered burials, a tradition reflected in the Beowulf saga with figural reliefs ● 768-919 Hiberno Saxon and Carolingian ○ Ottonian architecture introduce the alternate support ○ Christian missionaries commissioned sumptuous system and galleries into the naves of churches. illuminated manuscripts featuring full pages devoted to embellishing the word of God ○ Charlemagne and his Carolingian successors initiate a conscious revival of the art and culture of early christian rome ○ Carolingian architects introduce the twin tower westwork and modular plans for basilican churches Merovingian Dynasty Merovingians ruled the Franks for 300 years ● As rome’s power collapsed, armed conflict by factions for political authority became heated. Huns, Vandals, Merovingians, Franks, Goths vied for rule in smaller regions once ruled by the roman empire. ● This period of time was characterized as based around a system of localized rulers that could provide better protection than than large scale governmental structures like the Roman Empire. ● Art historian do not know the full range of cultural artifacts produced during this time period. What survived is not fully representative and consist of small scale status symbols of wealth.
    [Show full text]
  • Vigentennial Views on Ottonian Art History
    Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture Volume 3 Issue 1 Special Ottonian Issue 1-7 2011 Vigentennial Views on Ottonian Art History Adam S. Cohen University of Toronto Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.kenyon.edu/perejournal Part of the Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture Commons Recommended Citation Cohen, Adam S.. "Vigentennial Views on Ottonian Art History." Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture 3, 1 (2010): 1-7. https://digital.kenyon.edu/perejournal/vol3/iss1/1 This Feature Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Art History at Digital Kenyon: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture by an authorized editor of Digital Kenyon: Research, Scholarship, and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Cohen Vigentennial Views on Ottonian Art History By Adam S. Cohen, University of Toronto When I began my Ph.D. thesis on the Uta Codex in 1989, I was aware of only three dissertations written in the English language on the subject of Ottonian manuscript illumination and only one on Ottonian architecture, metalwork, sculpture, or wall painting.1 In some ways this was surprising, for the study of Ottonian art was central to the study of medieval art from the beginning of the discipline (Ottonian art traditionally has been defined as the art and architecture produced between approximately 950 and 1050 in Central Europe
    [Show full text]
  • A HI-Art History 1
    A HI-Art History 1 A HI 3403 Baroque Art and Architecture in A HI-ART HISTORY Europe:1600-1700 3 Credit Hours Prerequisite: junior standing; Covers art and architecture in Europe in the A HI 1113 The Understanding of Art 3 Credit Hours seventeenth century, during the time period called the Baroque. (Irreg.) Explanation and analysis of the principles underlying the visual arts. [IV-WC]. Consideration of formal, historical and other factors in the valuation and A HI 3440 Mentored Research Experience 3 Credit Hours enjoyment of painting, sculpture, architecture and utilitarian objects. (F, 0 to 3 hours. Prerequisites: ENGL 1113 or equivalent, and permission of Sp, Su) [IV-AF] . instructor. May be repeated; maximum credit 12 hours. For the inquisitive A HI 2014 Introduction to Art History 4 Credit Hours student to apply the scholarly processes of the discipline to a research Students will be introduced to basic concepts in art and art history or creative project under the mentorship of a faculty member. Student through a thematic study of global art. (Irreg.) [IV-AF]. and instructor should complete an Undergraduate Research & Creative A HI 2213 Global Art I 3 Credit Hours Projects (URCP) Mentoring Agreement and file it with the URCP office. The visual arts from the prehistoric through the Renaissance. (F) [IV-AF]. Not for honors credit. (F, Sp, Su) A HI 2223 Global Art II 3 Credit Hours A HI 3603 American Art 3 Credit Hours The visual arts from the Renaissance to the present. (Sp) [IV-AF]. Prerequisite: junior standing. American art from the colonial period to 1950.
    [Show full text]
  • Dr Sally Dormer
    V & A ACADEMY FROM COURT TO CLOISTER: EUROPE 800-1050 V&A ACADEMY ONLINE FROM COURT TO CLOISTER: EUROPE 800 - 1050 On this twelve-week online course, we will explore the visual arts between 800 and 1050, with the V&A’s abundant medieval collections as our inspiration. In 800, Charlemagne, King of the Franks, became Emperor of the Romans. He, and the subsequent dynasty of Carolingian emperors, sought to revive Christian Antiquity, instigating what has been termed a renaissance. Assuming the imperial title in 962 the Saxon Ottonians also revered Antiquity and sought, for political ends, to emulate the aesthetics of the Byzantine Empire. Many Carolingian and Ottonian commissions were linked to imperial court patronage, frequently through the intermediary of monasteries, which became epicentres of craftsmanship and learning. In late 10th to mid-11th century England the visual arts flourished, influenced by Continental developments, with monasteries playing a vital role. By the 960s the influence of Iconoclasm had waned in Western Europe and monumental, three-dimensional sculpture became acceptable again. The year 1000 was greeted with anxiety, and its passing with relief. The new millennium’s confident mood witnessed an emerging, centralized Western church, the most powerful organization of the high Middle Ages, dominated by monastic orders; some well-established, others, like the Cistercians, newly founded. Unprecedented investment was placed in church buildings, many inspired by aspects of surviving Roman monuments. The mighty Romanesque style will be explored, with case studies to highlight regional stylistic variation. V&A ACADEMY ONLINE DR SALLY DORMER Dr Sally Dormer is a specialist medieval art historian, with an MA in Medieval Art History and PhD on Medieval manuscript illumination from the Courtauld Institute.
    [Show full text]
  • The Place of the St* Albans Psalter in Medieval
    The place of the St Albans Psalter in medieval Psalter illustration Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Jester, Linza Sue Bethea, 1950- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 07/10/2021 21:37:34 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/348275 THE PLACE OF THE ST* ALBANS PSALTER IN MEDIEVAL PSALTER ILLUSTRATION by Linza Sue Bethea Jester A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF ART . In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS WITH A MAJOR IN ART HISTORY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1 9 7 7 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduc­ tion of this manuscript in whole, or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author.
    [Show full text]