...God’s House: Classical and Middle Ages Architecture Western Governors University God’s House: Classical and Middle Ages Architecture In this paper we will compare and contrast the temple/cathedral architecture from classic and Middle Ages art periods. The Classical art period covered a time frame of approximately 480 BC to 300 AD. We will focus on Greek Architecture during the Golden Era of Athens 460-429 BC (Sakoulas, n.d.). The Middle Ages began after the fall of the Roman Empire around 310 AD and lasted approximately 1000 years; therefore we shall concentrate on the architecture of the 10th and 11th centuries. In order to conduct period architecture comparisons we will select the elegant Parthenon to represent the Classical era and the Notre Dame Cathedral Paris to represent the Middle Ages. Let us examine what was going in Athens, Greece during the Golden Era. The Greek people of this period were cultured, religious, thinkers, and industrious in their expression. The democratic citizenry of Athens, in particular, were fond of literature, philosophy, theater, arts and above all their gods. Athens was a democracy lead by a senior politician named Pericles, workers were mostly freeman, slaves were few, craftsmen and wealth abounded (Durant, 1939, p. 110). The people of Athens worshiped all of the gods of Olympus, but none more than Athena the Goddess of Wisdom. Athena was the patron goddess and defender of Athens. Worship and prayers for protection were...
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...The Middle Ages Do you know the chivalry of the knight? Do you know the famous Notre Dame de Paris? And do you know the martyr Giordano Bruno? I believe many of us at least have heard something about these. And they all share an identical time label. That is the Middle Ages. And today, I will introduce the Middle Ages in 4 parts: its history, religion, culture and economy. First is about the history. The Middle Ages is the second stage of the European history in a traditional division which divided the European history into 3 ages, namely the Classical Civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Modern Period. The Middle Ages lasted for roughly a millennium from the year of 476 to 1453, commonly dating from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century. During that time, the ruling regime was the feudalization which comes from the legal and martial liability of the noblesse. The 3 main features about it are seignior homager and land. The seigniors are the noblesse who have land. And the homagers fighting for them will get land as rewards. There were many seigniors who have homagers and knights fighting for them, leading to mass wars and armed conflicts. Since it was under the time of cold arms, the soldiers had to fight with bow and arrow, sword and for the knights, lances and pikes under the protection of Armor and shield. In these endless wars, there were several relative small empires...
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...Evangelical Cathedral In Sibiu [pic] The artwork is very much 3dimensional and the materials used to complete this project are not really known but it is constructed with a gothic style characterized with arched bolts on the walls and tombstones. The colors used are pretty simple, built with a 13th century theme. Its measures include 73.34 meters in height and is well known as the largest building built in Romania and also verified as the highest cathedral in the country. The uses of value, line, shape and value are very much similar to the same styles due to the fact of the way that the cathedral is built. The towers are all symmetrical to each other and each stone is the same size all around so that gives its shape also a well round symmetrical look throughout the whole outside of the cathedral. The arts subject matter of the cathedral was intended on a creation of a historic landmark. Built in the place of Romanesque building from the 12th century, but the entire structure depicts influences from central Europe. The artwork can be known as representational because it represents a landmark towards central Europe. Its structure is surrounded and built upon statues and monuments which exist of great value, also due to the fact the cathedral was renovated and constructed over due time shows its importance towards past and future references. This work of art represents a gothic architect in Transylvania which it was built in 1520, this cathedral is best known...
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...During the Middle Ages, Europe went through a period of time that could be defined as faithful, dark, feudalistic and achieving. Although these words seem conflicting, 500 to 1400 A.D. was a changing time for Europe as it accomplished many things, yet experienced some of its worst challenges. After the Roman Empire collapsed, feudalism became the new form of social classes the people followed. The Roman Catholic Church influenced followers and inspired them to follow its higher power, God. Many areas of skill were developed which led to one of the greatest breakthroughs during its time, the Golden Age. This breakthrough resulted from a harmful Dark Age which was a devastating time for medieval Europe. After invasions from outside countries and the spread of the Black Plague, an influential time resulted with advancements in architecture and education, therefore describing the Middle Ages as the “Dark Ages” and “Golden Ages.” The Dark Ages was a time of great destruction from invaders and a horrific disease that led to a population decline. Barbarians came into Europe...
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...New Art Forms of the High Middle Ages Throughout history Europe has experienced countless changes in culture and other aspects. The Middle Ages, or Medieval Period, lasted from around 800 into the 1400’s (349). This period can be subdivided into three categories: early, high, and late. The Middle Ages brought about changes in religion, law, and daily life. Changes also occurred in the arts with the introduction of Gothic architecture and troubadour poetry. Although the Middle Ages began as a time of violence, the emergence of Gothic architecture and troubadour poetry are examples of devotion and expression. During the tenth and eleventh centuries cathedrals were constructed (367). The style of the cathedrals resembled Roman architecture, which was the preceding time period. (367). Features of Roman architecture included “massive walls, rounded stones arches, and small windows” (367). By the twelfth century, this new style gained the name “Gothic.” The Gothic style introduced new engineering improvements and emphasized more emotional expression. The structures of Gothic architecture consisted of pointed arches, high ceilings, and flying buttresses (367). A flying buttress carried the weight of the roof. “Midieval Archtechture” states: “The walls of Gothic buildings could be thinner than previous styles of architecture because the weight of the roof was supported by the arches rather than by the walls. The pointed Gothic arch provided greater flexibility could also span...
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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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...as well. The buildings chosen were the S. Maria Novella and the Segovia Cathedral. The first cathedral S. Maria Novella was created in Florence, Italy from 1456 to 1470 C.E. It is Gothic with an Italian Renaissance facade. (Artifice, 2013) As it is a building of course it is three-dimensional. Green and white marble was used in the construction. Load bearing masonry technique was used in order to use marble in such a way, as it would support the weight of construction. The artist made two different styles combine to look as one. Originally Romanesque in style, Alberti “used large curved triangular to bridge the gaps from high and low roofs”. (Bramblett, 2013) As a house of worship at that time it had to represent the Lord on earth and in the Middle Ages this meant it had to be almost regal in splendor. The way Alberti combined the two styles was an attempt to pay homage to the Roman Pantheon. The interior completely Gothic in style had scrolls of religious stories as everyone was unable to hear the sermons in a building of such great size. The function of this piece is a house of worship, the predominate religion of the time was Catholic. Not did it fit the style of the era as places of worship were as grandiose as palaces but this particular cathedral was the “blueprint” for those to follow.(Bramblett, 2013) The second example of the Gothic style of architectural art is the Segovia Cathedral. The Segovia...
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...pilgrimage is a journey one initiates to a sacred place to ask for the Lord’s blessing, or to inquire healing. In the Middle Ages the church strongly urged people to voyage to holy places labeled shrines. It was believed that if you prayed at these shrines there was a possibility you could be forgiven for your sins, and have more of a chance to be accepted into Heaven (Spartacus Edu 1). King of Kent, known as King Ethelbert handed over an undersized church in Canterbury to Augustine. Augustine transformed the churches’ architecture and it soon...
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...The Middle Ages From the 5th to the 15th century A.D., a period known as the Middle Ages existed. Unfortunately, this period is also referred to as the Dark Ages, a depressing period. However, during this time three artistic styles took their turn in the spotlight. Each one became famous for its specific brand of art and architecture. The names of those three styles are Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic. Arriving in the spotlight first is Byzantine art. Originating from the Byzantine Empire, this style's art revolved around mosaics and icons. Usually wooden, icons were small paintings of holy figures such as Berlinghiero's "Madonna and Child". Byzantine art did not display these saints in grandeur and color but in still, flat forms, often...
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...Gothic Cathedrals The Gothic style has been the root for some of mankind’s most beautiful works of art. It was introduced by the Romanesque style of building. Romanesque style only lasted for nearly one hundred years before the Gothic style replaced it entirely. Abbot Suger was the founder of the Gothic style. One great form of Gothic architecture was the Notre Dame de Chartres cathedral that was built in France between 1145 and 1513. Another form is the Bourges cathedral, located in Bourges, France. Both works of art show extraordinary style and detail. Although similar in many ways, they both have different features. The Gothic style architecture began around 1145. Cathedrals styles were changing from round arches to pointed arches. Gothic cathedrals were expressions of a new age of faith that grew out of medieval Christian theology and mysticism, (Frank, Patrick). Abbot Suger was the first to create the Gothic style. He wanted to create a church to honor God by illuminating light using the stained glass. Suger believed beauty could help transform one to a heavenly world, and colored or stained glass was considered a surrogate for precious gems, (AIU Multimedia). Two cathedrals that portray Suger’s idea are the Bourges cathedral and the Notre Dame de Chartres. The Notre Dame de Chartres cathedral was constructed between 1145 and 1513 in France by architect Guy Nicot. Because it is architecture it is considered three-dimensional. The Notre Dame de Chartres...
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...before the increasing popularity of modern architecture, a style characterized by its rejection of the classical approach, became apparent in today’s time, there was a prevailing architectural movement during the 19th century called Gothic Revival that encompasses all the other neoclassical styles in that period. Gothic Revival that is also known as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic architecture got its name from the medieval Gothic Architecture it was influenced to. Back in the Medieval era, the style wasn’t referred to as ‘Gothic’ yet, it was only during the period of the Renaissance that the term became commonly used by the people, which was started by Italian architect, historian and writer Giorgio Vasari, deemed all buildings of the middle Ages to be that of having a rude and barbaric quality because it does not conform to the traditional designs of classical Greek and Roman, and also thought of as having an association with the savage Goths, the people who were responsible for the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of the medieval period. The movement started in the late 1740's but became even more prevalent during the advent of Romanticism, a movement that is paralleled with the industrial revolution when machines were slowly developed to replace manual labor that provides the people the comfort and convenience of having a more efficient, smooth and speedy operation. At the...
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...Ancient thought only survived in the middle ages in fragmented form. It was pushed out of shape and humiliated by Christian thought. What the middle ages knew of the ancient culture had been bequeathed to it by the late Empire, which had rechewed, impoverished and dissected graeco-roman literature, science thought and art in such a way that the barbarized early middle ages could assimilate it more easily. Science was watered down into verses full of legends and moralizing lessons. The animals were changed into symbols. The sources of medieval Christian thought were the treatises and poems of the third or fourth century such as the Historiae contra Paganos by Orosius who turned history into a vulgar apologia, the Psychomachia of Prudentius who reduced moral life to a combat between vices and virtues and Julianus Pomerius Treatise on the contemplative Life, which taught contempt for the world and for secular activities. The bible succumbed to exegesis. Thus, there was clearly an intellectual...
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...Becca- Prince of the World and the Cathedral Façade Becca’s project focuses on the figure of the Prince of the world: a two sided figure who looks beautiful from the front, but vile and covered in sores, snakes, and rats from the back. She is looking into his placement on cathedral facades and the symbolism of his presence. He is only popular in the Germanic region, but he stops appearing after the 15th century, a phenomenon she is looking into. One theory Becca is looking into is the Prince of the World as an antithesis to Christ and the connection’s connotations. She is also going to look at ways in which he is visually connected to Eve. By looking at both Christ and Eve, Becca and potentially look at how gender plays a part in our perception of the Prince of the World. Audrey- Shrine of the Three Kings Audrey is focusing the Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne cathedral. She is particularly interested in how the creation of the Shrine related to the corruption behind the building of the cathedral and how the object represents the political authority the church had over nobility. In her history of the shrine, how it was created, and who contributed, she looked at the patron and donors...
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...Ivan the not so terrible Ivan Vasilyeevich, the fourth ruler of Russia, also called Ivan the Terrible of Russia. He was the ruler and first czar of Russia in the 1400’s, although he is called “the terrible” he did many good things for the, now known, country of Russia. Many historians believe that to the Russian people who lived under the rule of Ivan had one of the worst lives that there could be in Russian history, but no, Ivan unified the Russian people so that only one ruler was in control of all that was inside the Russian borders, he expanded Russia through conquest because of the creation of an organized Russian military, and he ordered the building of St. Basils Cathedral. His rule was one of the most influential to the Russian Federation and how it became to be the Russian federation, and although many professors of history say he was truly a terrible ruler, he did some fantastic things for the Russian civilization. Ivan did some bad things to his country in the time when he was ruling it, and his did some great things, Ivan unified the Russian people, before Russia was a monarch it was ruled by a bunch of fiefdoms that controlled one of the 83 oblasts of modern day Russia. Ivan was the grand prince of Moscow before changing the government and forming a tsarist Russia, with the formation of this new Russia many things changed for the lower classes. The powers of the nobility were pretty much stripped from the high influential nobles almost as to protect the common...
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...What do you know about the St. Helen’s Cathedral? Well i can tell you what i know about the St. Helen’s Cathedral. The cathedral is the most magnificent building i have ever saw. It has gone through a lot of but it is still standing. The architecture of St. Helen’s Cathedral is very interesting . For example the lights they are the speakers to for the surround sound. A man dipped his airplane throw the top of it. The cathedral is a big gothic church based off a church in germany. The cathedral holds the tradition of the Great churches of the middle ages telling the consecutive stories of the old and new testaments in stained glass windows. These are some examples of the history and architecture. Work on the cathedral began in 1908 under the direction Company of New York and Sequoia Stone was laid October 4th of that year. June of 1929, the cathedral of St. Helena was consecrated and set aside for the exclusive worship of gold. In the fall of 1935 a series of earthquakes struck the state of Montana damaging the region and many buildings were hard hit. The cathedral was not Spared during those months when the earth shifted so violently. Most extensively...
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