Laurita Uzaite
2/25/2014
Mr. Demos Quiz #5: Middle Ages, Christianity and Gothic Period Although now the images of Jesus and the narrative scenes of Life of Christ are the most common subjects representing Christianity but before the fourth century , not to discover anything Christians were not allowed to draw and take pictures ,symbols and signs of God. As time passed more and more people of all classes started to belief in Christianity, as well as, the art became slowly two-dimensional. Christian artists were going for a more spiritual symbols and pictures rather than material empire. They also began to flatten spaces and increased stylization of their figures. The adoption of Christianity by Constantine Christian art derived its style and much of its iconography from popular Roman Art. That is why new Christian artists still had some Roman features in their artworks. At the time the most attention received the Christian artworks, that had both surface meaning and symbolic meaning, for example, Token of St. Agnes.
This excellent idea about color and light were launched by Abbot Suger. He also accomplished the idea about expanding window area and using pointed arches rather than the round Roman-like arch. Pointed arches spread the force and weight from upper floors. Gothic architects invented buttresses that took of the weight off the walls, at the top of them were slim projections called flyers because they symbolized wings. The facade of the cathedral is symmetrical with very tall towers and sharp arches that carried the gaze towards the heaven. By the time rose window was done, Gothic architects had developed radiant style in which these glass windows take up more space and its own design makes an impression of an ordered universe. However, since it converted by outdoor light through colored glass, Gothic cathedrals recommended the transforming power of faith.
Plainchant is the music style of singing that developed into the most important of early Christian music. This marvelous music style is projecting a perfect one melody sound with simple text becomes ideal for churches. Since, plainchant resonates longer and carries sound much further it turns out to be ideal for churches. Also, when plainchant is played in large churches the sound perfectly distributes in that large area especially with acoustics. Syllabic music is sung one note or pitch per syllable. Melismatic music in which several notes are sung to one syllable. Discant, in medieval music is a music style in which the lower, tenor voice sings in steady rhythm, while one or more higher voices sing a little bit quicker pace. In Western music, polyphony developed gradually in the dark age around eleventh century. Opposite from dicant style of music, polyphony is two or more melodic lines are sung at once.