Medieval Art

by Veronica Sekules

This refreshing new look at Medieval art conveys a very real sense of the impact of art on everyday life in Europe from 1000 to 1500. It examines the importance of art in the expression and spread of knowledge and ideas, including notions of the heroism and justice of war, and the dominant view of Christianity.
Taking its starting point from issues of contemporary relevance, such as the environment, the identity of the artist, and the position of women, the book also highlights the attitudes and events specific to the sophisticated visual culture of the Middle Ages, and goes on to link this period to the Renaissance. The fascinating question of whether commercial and social activities between countries encouraged similar artistic taste and patronage, or contributed to the defining of cultural difference in Europe, is fully explored.

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction, Art History, Medieval, Medieval History, Academic

240 pages, Paperback

First published July 19, 2001

Reviews

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is mistitled, and illustrates the problem of narrowing this period of time down so one doesn't have an 1100 page book. While the book spans the medieval period it also includes early Christian, Gothic and early Renaissance references. More accurately, it should be understood as an anthology of themes that bridges approx. 1000 A.D. to 1500 A.D.

The ongoing pedagogical argument of chronology versus geography versus theme is evident here, and while I agree that mere chronology or geography is myopic, thematic-based titles require a foundation from the reader in order to be understood. Therefore, I stand by initial statement about this book:

As introductory books go this is fine though the thematic approach rather than chronological might be more difficult to grasp for those with less background knowledge. Those with the knowledge might not find enough meat.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprised by the bad reviews...this was a great starter that I wish I could have read before reading any type of fiction from the late Middle Ages. It is difficult to cover a few hundred years in any art book but the task here seemed to be to illustrate the aspects of this art one should be paying attention to while highlighting popular thought and significant events. Found it very useful for pointing me in directions of further study.

[Rebecca Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with another review, this book is a bit random. It is a quick read and showcases some interesting pieces but it is a hodgepodge of ideas and unquestioned assumptions grouped by themes. Sometimes the author would say that the church repressed women but then a paragraph later that some women were famous ecclesiastical artists, so which is it when in Europe and where? Too many broad generalizations.

[george · Rating 2 out of 5]

some of the ideas were presented well and i thought some of it was interesting, taking us through medieval art and iterating the key themes of the period such as the huge dependence art had on the church and purpose of art and the purpose of artists. however it was written in a way which made it very hard for me to digest the information and a lot of it seemed a bit random in talking about pieces of art in detail repeatedly without really linking them to a specific idea. i am also not the largest fan of medieval art in the first place which probably made me like the book less. having read the book i can actually understand why i don’t like it as much due to the ideas behind the art. however it did help me get a vague understanding of the period and i really enjoyed the chapter about art and learning. i honestly just hate the writing style and the way the information was shown. also the image formatting was infuriating and there wasn’t a lot on the different parts of europe, not much distinction at all.

[Tech Nossomy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book on art in the Middle ages in Europe, though richly illustrated, is unfortunately narrow in scope. For example, there is not much about artistic methods employed, the materials selected or the tools at hand. The practicalities of running and owning a workshop are completely left out. Also the period covered is distinctly after ca 1150, so that the Lower Middle Ages are omitted.
The main novelties that this book introduces compared to books with a similar topic include a few sections on women in medieval art as well highlighting interdependencies between artistic streams.

Odd shortcoming:
"The words ‘G'slebertus me fecit’ are inscribed at the bottom of the tympanum of the church of Saint-Lazare at Autun. Why they are there is unknown."
But this is well known, namely emergence of celebrity cultus, and this answer is also given later in the book.

[Mary Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehh. I didn't really like this book. Certainly not the worst book I've read about Medieval Art, but still pretty bad. The writing was decent if bland and there were some pieces I hadn't seen before, but the organization was horrible. It went by topic without considering dates so all the information was jumbled and confused (especially when the pieces of later Medieval art contradicted the themes of early Medieval art.) And there were a few occasions when they show a close-up of a work of art next to the whole piece and the close-up is colored wrong and is a mirror image... it's just not well put together. So, you could do worse, but I'd skip it.