...that cannot be overruled. The collection and perseveration of pieces of art is a noble undertaking and those that have been given the responsibility of ensuring that a piece of art has to be preserved should not hesitate in doing that. The history of art will not be complete without mentioning the names and artistic work of characters such as Donatello in the medieval period and Carlo Crivelli of the Gothic period. The two artists have many pieces of arts among them the “Mary Magdalene’’ and “Crucifixion’’ respectively. The preservation of pieces of arts is of much importance, pieces can be analyzed descriptively while at the same time it is important to appreciate that social, political and religious beliefs influence the design, the function, the purpose and the symbolic message in a piece of art. This essay will describe the two pieces of art and also explain the cultural significance of art. Medieval Period Art: Donatello’s Art-Mary Magdalene Many pieces of arts were produced by several artists during this period. The pieces of arts were rich in content and beauty. Donatello is among the famous artists of this period that came up with a number of pieces of art that are still currently discussed and analyzed hence the importance of preserving his collection of art. The painting of Mary Magdalene is among the best works of Donatello (Pope-Hennessy, 87). The painting is shown below Donatello was a famous sculpture born in France. The sculture...
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...religious aspects of medieval European peoples were a great consideration in the matters of the body and health care. The majority of medical knowledge and research was under the influence and followed the expressed ideas of the Church. As the hold of the Church on society began to disintegrate, medicine was able to move from medieval practices influenced by religious belief into modern medicine, based upon observation and evidence. Causes of disease and illness were now understood and scientists were able to start searching for cures because restrictions that prevented modern medical theories from being discovered were lifted. Paracelsus discovered that agents outside the body caused illness. The study of the human anatomy was now practiced and became an essential part of medical knowledge, giving way towards new modern advancements such as blood transfusions and surgeries. Da Vinci conducted many autopsies and constructed detailed drawings of the human anatomy, which had never been studied earlier. Medical knowledge was no longer different and divided into sects but was now centralized under the modern scientific teachings taught to doctors in universities everywhere. As the culture of the Middle Ages moved away from the Church and religion so did scientific knowledge, and without this change medicine would never have been able to shift from the ideas following religious belief into observation and experimentation. Medicine during the medieval period was an evolving mixture...
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...the culture of a martial estate which ‘regarded war as its hereditary profession’. Thus, it could be considered that the violence of war had large implications on what people began to perceive to be chivalry. Additionally, the focus on violence- such as the participating in tournaments and jousts- further emphasises the close link between carrying out violent acts and the idea that a knight was being chivalrous. However, there were alternative influences, such as literature written in the period, which presented people with a chivalric ideal that they may then have come to define it by and thus strive towards. Similarly, religion may be seen to have influenced what came to be viewed as chivalry as through ecclesiastical critiques of the noble class, derived the knights desire to adopt what the Church deemed proper Christian conduct. Ultimately it is likely that it was not simply war and violence, but a combination of these influences which culminated in the definition of what people of the period perceived to be chivalry. It is evident that war and violence were seen as intrinsic elements of chivalry. The idea that chivalry was synonymous with bloodshed and violence may be seen to have derived from the concept being centered on prowess in the art of fighting. This is largely due to the fact that chivalry was essentially an aristocratic ethos largely confined to the nobility; the emergence in the twelfth-century of a greater consciousness of boundaries between social groups led...
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...which as such, encouraged an intellectual revolt against the rigid rules and traditions of the medieval period. The Renaissance prompted the release of the human mind and the birth of original thinking which led to rapid progress in all spheres of activity. Europe was freeing itself from the intellectual tyranny of the church by allowing its individual to think on his own and to stir away from the common norm of society laid down by the dictates of the church. The spirit of the Renaissance was above all secular as Renaissance scholars shrugged off the medieval preoccupation with religion and rejected the restrictions of the Middle Ages in order to develop new ideals, enthusiasm, and interests. Humanism, nationalism, a new approach to life, a new spirit in art, architecture, literature and learning, the growth of vernacular languages, and scientific investigation, all started to gather momentum during the Renaissance period. The English renaissance was particular in its preoccupation with religion and the place of man in relationship with God. England had undergone an especially fraught period and tumultuous period in its religious convictions with Henry VIII having taken the country through the Reformation, England having gone from being Catholic to becoming Protestant. This was to be profoundly influential upon the English Literature of the period. The literary work of that period was...
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...During the medieval period, Religion was a topic of great importance within a person's life. The church guided society and culture based on the teachings and understandings of the life of Jesus Christ. We are able to highlight the importance of the church during the medieval period through the teachings and life of Jesus. The characteristics of the medieval period and the impact of important aspects such as monasteries, art and architecture and health and medicine, give us a more in depth idea of what it was like during the middle ages and how people were drawn to religion and the teachings of the church. Beginning in the 300s, monasticism affected the entire church and also influenced European culture, theology, agricultural methods, art, music and architecture. Monasticism is a way of life in which a group of individuals pursue holiness. It is one of the...
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...The collapse of the Roman Empire broke the unity in Western Europe. Different cultural patterns and styles began to merge and take on new forms. A common theme throughout medieval art is religion. Architecture focuses mainly on the construction of churches, where Christians would come to worship. Throughout time, the style of church architecture transforms from being relatively simple and true to the balanced proportions of Roman buildings, to the churches that extend to a much greater height and increase in complexity. Christian iconography was another major form of art during the medieval times. While this was a consistent style throughout the time period, the method of representing Christian figures evolved. The three majors of style of art that reflect the ideology of medieval art include Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic style. The Byzantine Style comes from the Byzantine Empire, which survived the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 (Jarus). The architecture from...
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...“Independent Project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree BA (Hons) History, in the Department of History and Economic History, Manchester Metropolitan University”, 29 March 2014 Cultural Changes and the Growth of Christianity in Medieval and Early Modern England By Janine Scambler I certify that, apart from the guidance provided by my supervisor and the references cited in the text and bibliography, this dissertation is the sole work of Janine Scambler and has not been previously submitted as part of the assessment requirements for any academic reward. Signed: Contents Abstract 3 Introduction 4 Chapter 1: Visual Culture 8 Chapter 2: Ancient Practices 21 Chapter 3: Beliefs and Superstition 30 Conclusion 41 Bibliography 43 Appendix 56 Abstract This dissertation will demonstrate cultural changes in England through the period c.700-1660. The changes studied will focus on visual sources, or visual culture; ancient practices, or festivals and the cult of saints; and superstition and belief. It will show how changes occurred around political and religious change, and that different areas were affected by different factors. Introduction This dissertation will assess the extent to which ancient beliefs and practices survived the introduction of Christianity and their subsequent development in England. This will be achieved through the study of visual culture; the survival of ancient practices; and an investigation...
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...Vocal Music in the Medieval and Early Baroque Periods The word medieval can be translated to ‘the time in between’, referring to the time between the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance in 1450. Religion and church music was very important in this time period because it was the only music that was important enough to be documented. The idea of combining two or more lines together began to be used in large churches as a way to emphasize certain words. Plainchant, a piece of music made up of only one line, was the basis of the early medieval period, where the other vocals were used for lines above the plainchant and below it, making much shorter notes. Soon, a motet was introduced. A motet is when each vocal line has it’s own words, creating up to three texts at once, making the texture more dense. The Church was extremely powerful during the Medieval period. The elaboration in music during this period is related to the liturgy and how it was spoken. In Chants such as the psalms, lessons or prayers, the music is a direct translation of the text to be used within the Church. Also important to the Church, the hymns and sequences were organized into pattern and rhymes. Gregorian Chants not only were for the liturgy, but also for the polyphonic music of the Medieval Period. From the 12th century, secular music...
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...The Classical Period The Classical Art Period consisted of ancient Greek and Roman art and fell between the years 900 BC and 31 BC. During the Classical Period, Athens and Sparta were dominant cities in the Greek region. These cities were suspicious of one another, but managed to live peacefully together until the 5th century, BC. Cultural and political differences between the two cities caused a rivalry to form. The rivalry was eventually quelled after a brutal war which ultimately ended in the demise of both cities and the rise of Macedonia as the dominant power in the region. Eventually, the social structure in the Classical Period became somewhat of a democracy and an open society which we have emulated in the United States (“History of Greece: Classical Greece”, 2014). Many other wars occurred over the course of the Classical Period, and this culture of war contributed to the realism of the art of the time. The brutality of war and the effects it had on Greek society inspired artists to focus on man, rational thinking, and logic (“History of Greece: Classical Greece”, 2014). Greek artists in the 5th century, BC began to realistically imitate humans and animals through art (Boardman, 2012). These Greek artists gained a better understanding of anatomy and the human body’s mechanics, giving them the ability to realistically render the human form in multiple positions without appearing awkward. Logic was valued over emotion in sculptures. This means that facial expressions...
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...century; it was a long time of darkness; periods of severe weather that leads to crop failure and famine. (n.d.). The early middle ages arts also known as the Dark ages. The middle ages period was when European history fell from the Roman Empire to the renaissance. Art during the early middle ages went through many changes up to the early renaissance period. The Middle Ages art style known as the Byzantine art; while the dark ages followed by the medieval era of (1066- 1448 AD) encounter changes. Furthermore, the middle ages art and saw the emergence of early renaissance art. (WGU on line quote) The artist, by the name of Giotto di Bonedone, is one of the most famous people of the middle ages. His painting of “Madonna and Child” painted for a chapel in the church of Santa Maria. This picture made with temperas and wood and emphasized Christian faith, teaches spiritual truth, aid in the conversion of non-Christian. Renaissance art with the literal meaning “ Rebirth” played a significant part of our lives today. The early renaissance started right after the middle ages (1400-1600). During this period, the European history was marked by renewal of interest in intellectual and cultural legacies of ancients Greece and Rome. Renaissance was the time of tremendous creativity and intellectual moment. Beginning in Italy and spreading widely to the rest of the Europe, renaissance period brought about literature, art, music, politics, science and religion. Great men rise to prominence during...
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...Beyond IWT1 Abstract In this essay I compare the art of Middle Ages period to the art of the Pop Art period. I begin by explaining each period and the social and cultural factors contributing to art during the era. I then give examples of musical works from each time, a liturgical piece from Guillaume de Machaut, and a rock and roll song from Pop Art icon Elvis Presley. A summary includes a compare and contrast of the styles in whole and of the specific pieces, noting the impact of rock and roll on modern day music and society. Art and Culture through the Middle Ages and Beyond The subject of art throughout history is one that is widely debated and highly subject to interpretation. One thing that isn’t debatable is that cultural influences from centuries ago are as relevant as ever, from theming box office movies to manipulating the way we see the world around us. Of course, art forms are available in a wide variety, but I find music to be perhaps the most influential. To further elaborate, I will give an explanation of two separate periods of music through history in the following essay. The Middle Ages The Middle Ages, also referred to as the Medieval period, was a time when science and technology were being pursued perhaps more than ever, yet humanism wasn’t quite in the lead. “We are inclined today to romanticize the Middle Ages as a time when things were simpler, but in reality medieval society was highly complex” (Forgeng, 1999). Unlike today’s constitutional/document...
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...Medieval ages vs Renaissance. The mid-14th century marked the beginning of a transition between the Medieval and Modern times. This transition we now known as the Renaissance. The movement initiated in Italy and incorporated almost all aspects of life starting with intellect and politics and reflecting in architecture and art. In Italian “Renaissance” literally means “awakening” or “rebirth”. (Cliff’s Notes, 2013). The Middle ages were thought to be really invented by Renaissance. People of the 14th century were feeling like they were “coming out of the darkness”. Since those dark and dirty centuries left behind didn’t really deserve to be called any special name they just called them ‘the age in between”. We now realize that those ages were also innovative and in it’s 1000 years or so Europe took on the shape and features we know today. “In the lawless age people looked for immediate solutions to immediate problems: how to beat back the enemy, how to rebuild the working economy, how to stay alive. Until, out of anarchy, a new social order was put together that would restructure Europe – the Middle ages.” The medieval art of the Western world covers an enormous range of time and place, over 1000 years of art in Europe, and at times the Middle East and North Africa. Generally we say that medieval art lasted from 5th to 14th centuries. It includes major art movements and periods and the artists themselves. Art historians try to classify medieval art into major periods...
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...Hypotheses and assumptions on the movie: 5 4. Christianity in the medieval age 6 5.1. Aslan, the Lion parallel to Jesus Christ 6 5.2. The Table of Stone. 7 6. The seven deadly sins 8 6.1. Gluttony – sin by Edmund 9 7. Knighthood 10 7.1. The battle and the coronation 11 8. Conclusion 12 9. List of References 13 Abstract The purpose of this study is to analyze the medieval influences and aspects in the movie The Chronicles of Narnia; The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The movie emphasizes important elements of the Middle age. It is about the four Pevensie children, Peter, Suzy, Edmund and Lucy who entered the magic land of Narnia and with the help of Aslan, the Lion, fought the Wicked White Witch Judas. Thus they gave freedom to the other animals and restored peace and harmony in Cair Paravel and Narnia. The film captures brilliantly these moments and transmits them to the public. One of the main focuses of the film was the religious belief ‘Christianity’. The movie responds to the quasi- spiritual Christian beliefs and truths of good versus bad, highlighting the defeat of the Witch and her death. Secondly, it shows how the younger brother Edmund fell in the trap of the White Witch due to his “gluttony” of the Turkish delights and betrayed his brother and sisters. Last but not the least; the movie stresses another important aspect of medieval age “knighthood”. Peter fought with the Witch and the latter’s...
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...highest class of the church. Often, there were people in other classes with significantly less money than those who were devoted and worked for the church. Any connection with the church automatically rewarded you with respect in this society. Religion, most dominantly Christianity, and the church were basically the sole powers at the top of the society’s hierarchy. As mentioned before, we see that the physician had plenty of money. The account says that, “In sanguin and in pers he clad was al, lined with taffeta and with sendal.” (Lines 441-442) This description makes the physician sound like he should have been a wealthy and highly respected man who displayed his money through the way he dressed. This was not the case, however, for this religious society. Medicine was a new field, one that was up and coming during a time and in a society that had only read and studied things that had stemmed from religion and the religious scholars of years before. This raised a concern for the church. Tasdelen writes, “Geoffrey Chaucer produced the Canterbury Tales during a period dominated by Christian doctrines.” (Tasdelen, 2014) The new science that was being studied could have been seen as a threat to those who preached their religion. They might have been fearful that people would put their faith into science and the human body, possibly even things like astronomy as mentioned before. Chaucer even writes about magic, saying, “He kepte his pacient a ful greet deel in houres...
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...women’s rights in the medieval society B. Thesis: Arrangement of marriages, abuse and adultery, divorce and desertion II. Arrangement of Marriages A. Age requirements 1. Muslim 2. Christianity B. Betrothals 1. Elite 2. Peasants III. Adultery A. Upper elite nobility 1. Priests and sex a. Peasants b. Concubines 2. Kings a. Servants IV. Abuse to wives A. Physical violence 1. Lower class 2. Nobility a. Abduction/imprisonment of wives B. Repercussions for husbands versus wives V. Divorce A. Religion 1. Christianity 2. Muslim 3. Judaism B. Desertion 1. Repercussions a. Wife b. Family VI. Conclusion A. Catholic marriages versus other religions 1. Middle ages 2. Today B. Divorces 1. Less in Catholic marriages a. Why b. Requirements today Marriage can be defined as a union between a man and a woman to become as one in the eyes of the church and most importantly, God. For a woman, this is one of the happiest days of her life. During the Middle Ages, women were born solely to marry and to rear children; most importantly, to produce a son for their husbands. Most arranged marriages, or betrothals, were arranged by the parents of the bride and groom. This type of arrangement was often the cause of abuse and adultery which would lead to the ending of the union by either divorce or desertion. Unfortunately for women, they had little or no rights in their marriages, “medieval people thought of conjugality...
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