Art  108:    Ancient  to  Medieval  Westchester  Community  College  Fall  2012  

The  Carolingian  Renaissance  

Carolingian Empire Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768-814

His reign is referred to as the Carolingian period

Carolingian Empire

The Franks expanded their territory in the 6th-7th centuries

In 732 Charles Martel stopped the advance of Muslim armies

Tomb of Charles Martel, Saint Denis Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Martel_Saint_Denis.jpg

The Carolingian Renaissance His son Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope in Rome in 800 CE

Coronation of Charlemagne (742-814) by the Pope Leo III at Rome on December 25, 800: 14th century manuscript illumination "Les Grandes Chroniques de France"

Carolingian Empire A descendant of one of the barbarian hordes, Charlemagne was now Holy Roman Emperor

A Frankish Warrior, illustration from James Harvey Robinson, An Introduction to the History of Western Europe, 1902 Image source: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/26042/26042-h/26042-h.htm#Page_8

Carolingian Empire No Roman Emperor is complete without an equestrian portrait

Equestrian Statue of Charlemagne, Bronze, 21 cm Louvre

Carolingian Empire So Charlemagne was a Roman Emperor wannabe

Equestrian Statue of Charlemagne, Bronze, 21 cm Louvre

Only Charlemagne’s statue is only 9 1/2 inches tall, while the statue of Marcus Aurelius is 11 feet tall!

Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, c. 175 CE

The Palatine Chapel Every Emperor needs a capital, and Charlemagne established his at Aachen, in Germany

He built a palace and a chapel

The creation of a "New Rome" was Charlemagne's guiding vision when he began the construction of the Palace Chapel in the former Roman spa resort Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) in ca. 786 - laying the foundation stone for one of Europe's oldest Northern stone buildings. Image source: http://faculty.cua.edu/pennington/churchhistory220/lecturetwo/palacechapelhistory.htm

The Palatine Chapel The Chapel was designed by the architect Odo of Metz

It is in the shape of an octagon topped by a dome

The Palatine Chapel It was modeled on San Vitale

The Palatine Chapel With its massive arches and dome, the chapel represented a revival of the monumental grandeur of Roman Imperial architecture

The Palatine Chapel of Charlemagne, Aachen, Germany, 792-805

Revival of Learning Charlemagne was a great supporter of literacy and learning

In this image we see him giving counsel to his son while a scribe records his “pearls of wisdom”

Charlemagne giving counsel to his son Pippin the hunchback; 10thc. copy of an original dating to c. 829-836 Wikimedia

Revival of Learning He invited Alcuin of York to reform education at monasteries and to standardize the bible text

Robin Maur and the scholar Alcuin of York with the Archbishop of Mainz, from a Carolingean manuscript, c. 831-840 Image source: http://www.historyofscience.com/G2I/timeline/index.php?era=700

Standardized Bible Text For centuries the bible had been hand-copied by scribes

Eadwine the Scribe, from the Eadwine Pslater, c. 1160-1170

Carolingian Miniscule Latin script is very hard to interpret -- it is all capitals, and there are no spaces

Folio 14 recto of the Vergilius Romanus contains an author portrait of Vergil Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vergilius_Romanus

Carolingian Miniscule Carolingian scribes invented a new style of writing called Carolingian miniscule -- the basis of our modern style of writing today

Page of text (folio 160v) from a Carolingian Gospel Book (British Library, MS Add. 11848), written in Carolingian minuscule Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_minuscule

Manuscript Illumination Charlemagne also provided his scribes with examples of Greek and Roman art

St. John, Coronation Gospels (Gospel Book of Charlemagne) 800-810 CE Wikimedia Commons

Manuscript Illumination This is an “author page” introducing the Gospel of Saint Matthew in the Coronation Gospels

St. Matthew, Coronation Gospels (Gospel Book of Charlemagne) 800-810 CE

Manuscript Illumination The naturalistic style derives from Roman art, rather than local traditions

St. Matthew, Coronation Gospels (Gospel Book of Charlemagne) 800-810 CE

Page introducing the Gospel of Mark Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 698-721 British Library

St. Matthew, Coronation Gospels (Gospel Book of Charlemagne) 800-810 CE

Saint Matthew, Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 698-721

St. Matthew, Coronation Gospels (Gospel Book of Charlemagne) 800-810 CE

Portrait of Menander, c. 70 CE, Pompeii

The Ebbo Gospels This page is from a Gospel book made for Bishop Ebbo, Archbishop of Reims

It is an “author page” introducing the Gospel of Saint Matthew

Saint Matthew, from the Ebbo Gospels, c. 816-835

The Ebbo Gospels The artist who made it was probably looking at the same Roman prototype used by the illuminator of Charlemagne’s Gospel

Saint Matthew, from the Ebbo Gospels, c. 816-835

The Ebbo Gospels The artist uses distortion and expressive line to communicate the frenzy of divine inspiration

Saint Matthew, from the Ebbo Gospels, c. 816-835

The Ebbo Gospels The expressive style of Carolingian art is like the cartoons of Dr. Seuss: emphasis on expression, through exaggerated gesture and expression

Utrecht Psalter, fol. 83r, containing the text and illustration of Psalm 149 Image source: http://libraries.slu.edu/archives/digcoll/mssexhibit07/manuscripts/utrecht.html

Psalm 149 1 Praise the LORD . . . 3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp. 6 May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, 7 to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron,

Psalm 150 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, 4 praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.

Ottonian Kingdom Charlemagne’s Empire was divided up amongst his successors

Ottonian Kingdom In the 10th century the Eastern part of the Empire was ruled by a new Saxon line of kings called the Ottonians

Ottonian Kingdom This page is from the Gospel Book of Otto III

It portrays the king seated on a throne with members of the clergy and his knights

Gospel Book of Otto III, 997-1,000 CE

Ottonian Kingdom The image draws upon Justinian’s mosaic in San Vitale

Gospel Book of Otto III, 997-1,000

Image source: http://www.earlham.edu/~vanbma/20th%20century/images/surveydayeightteen.htm

Leaf of a diptych: The Emperor Triumphant (Justinian) 6th c. Louvre

Ottonian Kingdom Like Charlemagne, the Ottonian Kings were great supporters of monasteries

St, Michael’s, Hildesheim, Germany, 1001-1033 Image source: http://www.earlham.edu/~vanbma/20th%20century/images/surveydayeightteen.htm

Ottonian Kingdom Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim was close to the Ottonian kings

Nave, St. Michael’s, Hildesheim Image source: http://www.earlham.edu/~vanbma/20th%20century/images/surveydayeightteen.htm

Ottonian Kingdom He commissioned a massive set of bronze doors for his new church at Hildesheim

Over 16 feet tall, they represent the first appearance of monumental sculpture since the fall of the Roman Empire

Bronze Doors of Bishop Bernward at Hildesheim, 1001-1033 16’ 6” h Image source: http://www.earlham.edu/~vanbma/20th%20century/images/AAGDRVA0.jpg

Ottonian Kingdom The panels depict episodes from the Old and New Testaments

Schematic diagram of the scenes on the doors of Bishop Bernward Image source: http://www.earlham.edu/~vanbma/20th%20century/images/surveydayeightteen.htm

Ottonian Kingdom The style of the reliefs draws upon the expressive style of contemporary manuscript illumination

Bayeux Tapestry The Bayeux Tapestry is another work that exemplifies the development of narrative storytelling

Funeral Procession to Westminster Abbey, and Battle of Hastings, Bayeaux Tapestry, c. 1070-1080

Bayeux Tapestry It is a 228’ long tapestry illustrating the Norman Invasion of England, based on Roman Triumphal columns

Funeral Procession to Westminster Abbey, and Battle of Hastings, Bayeaux Tapestry, c. 1070-1080

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8OPQ_28mdo&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_559561&v=LtGoBZ4D4_E&feature=iv