what is art - text 1

8/14/2019 What is Art - Text 1

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Dates are indispensible pegs on which to hang the tapestry of history, and since

everybody knows the date 1066, that may serve us as a convenient peg. No complete

buildings have survived in England from the Saxon period, and there are very few churches

of the period before that date still existing anywhere in Europe. But the Normans who

landed in England brought with them a developed style of building, which had taken shape

within their generation in Normandy and elsewhere. The bishops and nobles who were thenew feudal lords of England soon began to assert their power by founding abbeys and

minsters. The style in which these buildings were erected is known as the Norman style in

England, and as the Romanesque style on the Continent. It flourished for a hundred years

and more after the Norman invasion.

Today it is not easy to imagine what a church meant to the people of that period. Only

in some old villages in the countryside can we still get a glimpse of its importance. The

church was often the only stone building anywhere in the neighbourhood; it was the only

considerable structure for miles around, and its steeple was a landmark to all that

approached from afar. On Sundays and during services all the inhabitants of the town

might meet there, and the contrast between the lofty building with its paintings and

carvings and the primitive and humble dwellings in which these people spent their lives

must have been overwhelming. Small wonder that the whole community was interested in

the building of these churches and took pride in their decoration. Even from the economic

point of view the building of a minster, which took years, must have transformed a whole

town. The quarrying and transport of stone, the erection of suitable scaffolding, the

employment of itinerant craftsmen, who brought tales from distant lands, all this was a

real event in those far-off days.

in The Story of Artby E.H. Gombrich (1994) pp.125-126

A - Focus on text comprehension and language

1. The author uses an image to define history: the tapestry of history. Explain what he

means. How effective do you think the image is?

2. What was the main purpose behind the construction of churches? assert power(line 6)

3. Explain what is meant by lofty building (line 14) high building /mark the

contrastimposing

4. Outline the second paragraph. To do so you should identify 5 different levels ofimpact

5. Summarize the text in two paragraphs of about 30 words each.

6. Pick out one example of:

Subject Verb inversion. Explain why it happens. For emphasis

Two modal verbs of deduction. Explain their meaning. Different degrees of

possibility (may/might) & certainty (must)

7. List all relative pronouns used in the text. Identify what they refer to.

8. Write equivalents for these words/expressions

It flourished(line 8) thrived/prospered

get a glimpse of(line 11) understand/

the whole community (line 16) all the community

took pride in their decoration (line 17) rejoiced/reveled in

B - Focus on content discussing ideas

1. Besides architecture what impact did the Normans have in England?Language/culture/society

2. Read the following extract from the same book (p. 19). Be ready to discuss it.

5

10

15

20

THE CHURCH MILITANT The twelfth

centurJanuary 2010


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We do not know how art began any more than we know how language started. If we take

art to mean such activities as building temples and houses, making pictures and

sculptures, or weaving patterns, there is no people in all the world without art. If, on the

other hand, we mean by art some kind of beautiful luxury, something to enjoy in museums

and exhibitions () we must realize that this use of the word is a very recent development

and that many of the greatest builders, painters or sculptors of the past never dreamed of.We can best understand this difference if we think of architecture.

Further reading:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/hudson_norman_01.shtml

Question 4 (your answer/ proposed answer)

OUTLINE (TOPIC OUTLINE)

A - Importance/Meaning/Impact of the churches in medieval times (12th century)

1. Functional

a. Only stone building

2. Geographical/environmentala. A landmark (steeple)

3. Social

a. Meeting place

4. Esthetical/artistic/spiritual

a. Paintings and carvings

b. Pride in decoration

5. Economic

a. Employment

b. Trade

6. Cultural

a. People from far away

Question 5 / SUMMARY (your answer/ proposed answer)

Paragraph 1

1066 marks a new era in England with the Norman invasion. The churches they built

signals their power and lasting influence in architecture: the Norman style (Romanesque in

the continent), (30 words)

Paragraph 2

In Norman times churches had huge impact at many levels: functional,

environmental/geographical, social, economic, political, aesthetic/spiritual/symbolical andcultural. They were central/vital to community life. (25 words)

Question 4 / OUTLINE

A - Importance/Meaning/Impact of the churches in medieval times (12th century)

1. Functional

a. Only stone building (shelter)2. Geographical/environmental

a. A landmark (steeple)

3. Social

a. Meeting place4. Esthetical/artistic/spiritual

a. Paintings and carvings

c. Pride in decoration
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/hudson_norman_01.shtmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/hudson_norman_01.shtml


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5. Economic

a. Employment

c. Trade

6. Cultural

a. People from far away

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