Famous paintings of the Middle Ages. Medieval artists about their own creativity: albums of samples

Painting of the Middle Ages

Medieval culture

General characteristics culture

In the 4th century, the Great Migration began - the invasion of tribes from Northern Europe and Asia to the territory of the Roman Empire. The Western Roman Empire fell; its other part - Byzantium - was to exist for some time. The Middle Ages have arrived - historical era, following the Ancient World and preceding the Renaissance.

Origins medieval culture largely originate in the era of antiquity. In addition to Christianity, the Middle Ages adopted some art forms, as well as craft skills.

Education and science

In the 7th–8th centuries. there were schools at monasteries, where the teachers were monks, and the students, of whom there were very few, were the children of knights. Here they taught theology and the “seven liberal arts”, as well as writing and invoicing. Later, education was expanded (but not for everyone, but only for the nobility) - they studied Latin, law, medicine, and Arabic.

From these schools arose universities (from the word universum"community"):

1) in Bologna (Italy, 1088);

2) Cordoba (Spain, IX);

3) Oxford (1209);

4) Sorbonne in Paris (1215);

5) Vienna (1348), etc.

Universities enjoyed internal self-government (elected rector, etc.). Wide sections of the population studied here. Forms of training - lecture (reading a specialized text and commentary on it) or debate (open debate among seminar participants); upon completion of studies, a diploma was issued. There were also textbooks.

The science of the Middle Ages was discovered by theologians of the 4th–5th centuries. – the so-called “church fathers”:

2) Ambrose;

3) philosopher Boethius;

4) historians Jordan and Bede the Hon.

The center of the “Carolingian Renaissance” was the so-called academy - a scientific circle at the court of Charlemagne, created in 794 on the model of the ancient school. The leader of the academy was the theologian and poet Alcuin.

In the XII–XIII centuries. Science continues to actively develop. Its basis becomes scholasticism - a doctrine in which reality was comprehended using the logic of reason. At the same time, scholastics were often carried away verbal form, behind which the content was poorly guessed, i.e. they wrote and spoke in a difficult, incomprehensible language.

An outstanding scientist of the Middle Ages was Thomas Aquinas(1225–1247), teacher, author of 18 works on theology and philosophy.

Another famous scientist was Roger Bacon(1214–1294) – natural scientist, teacher of mathematics and philosophy.

Worldview. Literature. Theater

The barbarians worshiped the forces of nature; played a huge role in their lives magical rituals. With the emergence and development of states in Europe, the core of a person’s life and worldview becomes christian religion. All life is seen as only a short period, full of dangers for human soul. The ideal becomes life without excesses and vicious joys, sincere faith in God, observance of rituals, as well as such qualities of nature as humility, patience, virtue, faith, hope, etc. Unlimited power, both spiritual, material and political , – acquired by the church and clergy.

If the treatises of the early Middle Ages were not addressed to specific segments of the population, then the literature of the Middle Ages was class-based. Researchers highlight:

1) peasant;

2) urban;

3) knightly literature.

Main genres:

1) novels;

4) epic (noble);

5) stories;

6) biography;

7) stories;

9) educational essays, etc.

Outstanding works:

1) the epic “The Song of Roland”;

2) “Song of the Nibelungs”;

3) “Song of Sid”;

4) the novel “Tristan and Isolde”;

5) a series of novels about King Arthur and the knight Lancelot;

6) a series of novels about Fox Renard;

8) short stories.

The number of entertainment and educational events has increased sharply. Preachers spoke before the cathedrals, professors and students held discussions. There were also theatrical religious ideas. Cathedrals were built by city craftsmen (and not by monastery craftsmen, as before). The townspeople themselves often ordered or created works of art to decorate cathedrals.

Painting of the Middle Ages

Since the barbarian tribes were constantly nomadic, they early art presented mainly:

1) weapons;

2) jewelry;

3) various utensils.

Barbarian masters preferred bright colors and expensive materials, while it was not the beauty of the product that was valued more, but the material from which it was made.

Roman painting served as a model for miniaturists. The author of medieval miniatures is not just an illustrator; he is a talented storyteller who managed to convey both the legend and its symbolic meaning in one scene.

"Carolingian Renaissance" (French) renaissance“Renaissance”) is what researchers called the art of this era. Many Frankish monasteries had scriptoria (book-writing workshops), in which monks copied ancient manuscripts and compiled new ones, both ecclesiastical and secular. Manuscripts were placed in ivory or noble metals with inserts of precious stones. In the design of books, in addition to complex ornaments, motifs were often used Christian art– wreaths, crosses, figurines of angels and birds.

Around the end of the 3rd century. the papyrus scroll was replaced by parchment; Instead of style (writing sticks), they began to use bird feathers.

During the Carolingian era, the art of miniatures reached extraordinary flourishing - book illustration. There were no schools of miniature painting, but there were centers for the production of illustrated manuscripts at monasteries (for example, a book-writing workshop in Aachen).

Carolingian temples were decorated very modestly on the outside, but inside they shone with wall paintings - frescoes. Many researchers have noted great importance fine art in a barbaric world where most people could not read. For example, in the church of St. John the Baptist (8th century) in the city of Müster (modern Switzerland) are the oldest known frescoes. The art of the Otgon Empire played a huge role in the development of the Romanesque style.

The paintings of the Romanesque period have practically not survived. They were of an edifying nature; the characters' movements, gestures and faces were expressive; images are planar. As a rule, on the vaults and walls of the temple they depicted biblical stories. On the western wall there were scenes of the Last Judgment.

In the XIII–XIV centuries. Along with church books, richly illustrated with images of saints and scenes from Sacred History, the following became widespread:

1) books of hours (collections of prayers);

2) novels;

3) historical chronicles.

Architecture

After its emergence in the 5th–8th centuries. states of the Germanic tribes, they converted to Christianity. Stone Christian churches began to be built. The temples were made of massive stones, and wood was used for the ceilings. Churches were built on the model of Roman basilicas. In most cases, the columns were borrowed from ancient temples: the ruins served as original quarries for the extraction of new building materials.

Cultural centers, starting from the 10th century, monasteries and churches remained. The temple, which had the shape of a cross in plan, symbolized the way of the cross of Christ - the path of suffering. In the 10th century Belief in the miraculous power of relics spread - objects associated with the life of Christ, the Mother of God, and saints. More and more pilgrims sought to visit holy places.

King of the Ostrogoths Theodoric was careful and smart politician, patronized the Roman nobility and the church, science and the arts. He wanted to be known as great, and therefore in his capital, Ravenna, roads were laid, bridges, water pipelines, military fortifications, palaces and temples were erected, and destroyed buildings were restored. In addition, the remarkable tomb of Theodoric has survived to this day.

But Charlemagne made the small town of Aachen (modern Germany) his capital. The royal palace and administrative buildings. The Aachen Chapel (chapel) and the gates of the monastery in Lorsch (modern Germany, c. 800) have survived to this day.

From the 10th century architects gradually changed the design of the temple - it had to meet the requirements of the increasingly complex cult. In the architecture of Germany at that time, a special type of church emerged - majestic and massive. This is the cathedral in Speyer (1030–1092/1106), one of the largest in Western Europe.

In Romanesque art leading position occupied by monastic architecture. The size of churches increased, which entailed the creation of new designs of vaults and supports. During the Romanesque period, secular architecture changed.

Typical examples of French Romanesque architecture:

1) church of St. Petra;

2) church of St. Paul in the monastery of Cluny (1088–1131).

Only small fragments of this building, its descriptions and drawings have survived. In the XI–XII centuries. The construction of large cathedrals began in cities on the Rhine - Worms, Speyer, Mainz. In Germany, monuments of secular architecture of that time have also been preserved - feudal castles and fortresses.

The art of Italy was formed under the influence of centuries-old cultural traditions.

In Spain there was a reconquista - a war for the liberation of the territory of the country captured by the Arabs. Then the construction of castle-fortresses began in Spain. The kingdom of Castile became the land of castles. One of the earliest examples of architecture of the Romanesque period is the royal palace of the Alcazar (IX century). It has survived to this day.

Dedicated to all girls
girls, women and grandmothers!

Artists of the 15th century began to cover their canvases with a dense carpet of plants, imitating tapestries. In front of you you see a Burgundian tapestry depicting a captive unicorn.

The tradition of depicting various plants, giving them symbolic meaning, appeared in antiquity. Yes, leaves acanthus were considered a symbol of death.

On the tapestries, plants are depicted with surprisingly “botanical” accuracy, but it seems that for now they only serve as decoration.

In the unicorn hunting scene, in the lower right corner is orange tree. It was an exotic plant, it was considered a symbol of heaven.

Travel to distant countries allowed Europeans to get acquainted with new plants - date palms, For example.

Often different types plants decorated the marginalia of manuscripts.

The legend about magical properties root mandrakes.

The palm trees seemed something like this.

Cone pine trees(pine) was a symbol of the tree of life.

Several flowers were considered symbols of the Virgin Mary.

Some plants had symbolic meaning for different religions. The picture shows a leaf from an ancient Jewish book with an image of a menorah and olive trees, symbol of peace. (Spain, 12th century)

In the initial letter of a medieval manuscript we see Death admiring himself in the mirror, and around - periwinkles, symbol of youth and beauty. The irony, apparently, is this.

Ancient myths were popular during the Renaissance. In the painting by Cosimo Tura (1465) there is the muse Calliope, the patroness of poetry. There is a branch in her hand cherries- a symbol of fertility, here - creative, apparently.

Raphael Santi "The Knight's Dream" (1504).
It’s clear that hidden symbolism was literally asking for the allegory canvases. This picture is "encrypted" difficult choice between wisdom and bodily pleasures. On the left is the goddess Minerva, holding out a book to the sleeping knight, a symbol of knowledge, on the right is Venus, offering apple tree flowers- a symbol of sensual inheritances.

There is a lot of symbolism in Old Testament stories. In Albrecht Altdorfer's painting "Susanna and the Elders" (1526), ​​the heroine goes to court (on the right), carrying in her hands lily- a symbol of innocence. If you remember, lustful elders harassed her after watching her bathe, and when the pious woman refused them, they falsely accused her of adultery. The wise King David carried out righteous judgment, bringing the libertines to clean water. See Susanna walking past a tall stem mullein, also called the “royal scepter” - a symbol of power and justice.

Another beautiful South Flemish tapestry "The Killing of the Unicorn". Now with symbols.

A bush is visible in the lower left corner hazel is a symbol of wealth and abundance. Squirrel is a symbol of hard work.

And, of course, there are a lot of secret symbols in religious painting 15-16 centuries. The grassy cover at the feet of the saints, especially in the paintings of the Northern Renaissance, is a real botanical reference book. It seems that knowledge of btanica was a required skill for artists of that time. Interestingly, almost every plant had its own meaning.

I once told you in great detail about the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan van Eyck. Let me remind you that there are a lot of symbols here, including plant ones.

For example, Eve holds in her hand the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, but here it is not an apple, but an “Adam’s apple” or not edible Iberian citron.

Apple, like lemon- a symbol of original sin.

In this wonderful painting by Matthias Grunewald "The Stuppach Madonna" (1517) we see symbols of Mary in a vase - white lily- innocence and purity, rose- maternal grief and the wounds of Christ, marigold(or marigolds) - “Mary’s gold”, the gift of consolation of the Mother of God to the poor and wretched. Maria gives it to the baby walnut- symbol of Christ (nondescript shell - human body, tasty core - divine essence).

On the same Ghent Altar you can also see the flowers of the Virgin Mary: rose- sorrow, lily- purity, aquilegia and lily of the valley- tears.

Lily of the valley can also be seen at the feet of Saint Veronica from a painting by Robert Campin. And one more thing dandelion: cute flower - baby Christ, lance-shaped leaves - Longinus' spear, passion of Christ.

Jacques Daret, "Madonna and Child with Saints in Forbidden Garden"(1425). At Mary's feet - hellebore, symbol of Christ and eternal life. On the left in the corner - iris, a symbol of maternal grief and torment.

Angels present the Madonna and Child jasmine. Cosimo Rossini (1440-1507)
Jasmine is a symbol of purity.

"Christmas" by Hugo van der Goes is the progenitor of still lifes. Fragment:

In the foreground of the picture we see those already familiar to us lilies, irises(white symbolizes purity, blue - maternal grief), aquilegia. And also cloves- the blood of Christ and mother's love, And violets- a symbol of humility. Spikelets wheat- bread, the flesh of the Lord.

Venetian copy of Leonardo da Vinci's painting "Leda and the Swan". In ancient times mythological plot flowers have a completely different meaning: anemone- windiness, aquilegia- symbol of fertility, periwinkle in the hands of Leda - natural strength, passion, youth, caustic buttercup(“night blindness”) - carelessness. Oak above the head of Leda is a symbol of Zeus. Such meticulous detailing, usually not characteristic of the Itelians, was often “borrowed” by artists from northern painters.

Mary gives the baby cloves- symbol parental love. (Leonardo da Vinci "Madonna of the Carnation").

Gerard David "Nativity with donors, Saints Jerome and Leonard" (1510-15).

This is symbolic dandelion, you already know its meaning:

Gerolamo di Labri "Madonna and Child with Saints" (1520). bay tree- glory, immortality. Peacock is a symbol of eternal life (for some reason its flesh was considered incorruptible)

Martin Schongauer "Madonna of the Roses"
Actually, rose- a symbol of the suffering and sacrifice of Christ and Mary, “God’s wounds.” It is interesting that it is not roses that are depicted here, but tree-like ones. peons. It was believed that roses in paradise had no thorns, so the peon was quite suitable for this role.

And these are Schongauer’s sketches (1495). Peon!


Stefan Lochner. Another pink thicket. At the feet of Our Lady violets, symbol of humility.

Joos van Cleve (1513-15). Often the Madonna and Child were depicted with fruit. Christ holds in his hands orange(fruit of the tree of paradise) or peach- opposition to the apple, the fruit-symbol of original sin; peach is a symbol of the Trinity. Pomegranate on the tray is a symbol of the Universal Church, grape- wine - the blood of Christ, nut - you already know, cherry- blood of Jesus, pear- the sweetness of virtue.

Filippo Lippi (late 15th century). Same pomegranate.

Giovanni Bellini (1480), here with us pear.

Joos van Cleve (1525). Clearly in hand peach. Lemon lies defiantly to the side - this is a symbol of earthly passions: beautiful on the outside, impossibly sour on the inside. He is clearly opposed walnut, symbol of Christ.

Carlo Crivelli (1480). Baby holding in hand goldfinch, symbol of the passion of Christ. On the left sits a fly - the waking devil, a symbol of death and decay. Sometimes apple was interpreted as a symbol of redemption, and cucumber- purity and resurrection.

Lucas Cranach. Grape- Eucharistic symbol of Christ, the blood of Christ.

Martin Schongauer" Holy family".Grape, and in the basket - blackberry, symbol of the purity of the Virgin Mary.

Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grunewald, 1510-15

The saints in the doors stand on pedestals entwined with ivy- a symbol of resurrection, eternal life, devotion.
Now we have saints.

Adrian Isenbrandt "Mary Magdalene with a Landscape". Behind the saint - snowdrop, symbol of hope and purification.

Lucas Cranach. "Saint Dorothea" When the saint was being led to execution, the guard, mockingly, invited her to perform a miracle - to get roses in the middle of winter. A boy with a basket of roses immediately approached the saint. Now it is a symbol of Saint Dorothea.

Antonio Correggio "Saint Catherine". Branch palm trees- a symbol of martyrdom.

Albrecht Durer "Maximilian the First". Pomegranate- you already know.
All sorts of secular people went.

Hans Suess van Kulbach. A girl weaves a wreath from forget-me-nots- a symbol of devotion to a loved one. This is confirmed by the inscription on the tape.

"Young Knight in a Landscape" (Duke of Urbino?). Vittore Carpaccio. Apparently the portrait is posthumous. A heron is attacked in the sky by a hawk near the water; it already eats it up. The dog is fidelity, the lily is purity, the iris is sorrow, the ermine is the symbol of the order to which the knight belonged.

Portrait of a lady. In the basket there are flowers that indicate that this is most likely the bride: violet - humility, jasmine - purity, carnation - love.

Andrea Solario "Portrait of a Man with a Carnation". Such ceremonial “groom” portraits were very popular. They showed that the hero was in love and was going to get married. Or the young husband presented such a portrait to his wife as a sign of love.

Many more:

Unknown 1480.

1490

Lucas Cranach. Portrait of Doctor Johann Kuspinian and his fiancee (already his wife?) Anna Kuspinian.

Hans Holbein. Portrait of Georg Guisse.

Hans Memling

Dirk Jaakobs. Portrait of Pompeus Occo (1534)

Michael Wolgemuth "Portrait of Ursula Tücher" (1478)

Jan van Eyck's workshop

Pisanello, Portrait of Countess Guinevere d'Este (1447)
And this is a portrait of a girl who was already dead at the time of its creation. She died at 21, and her husband was blamed for his death (his second wife also died strangely). In the picture there are symbolic flowers: aquilegia - tears, carnation - love (possibly parental, we don’t know who ordered the painting), butterflies and a sprig of pine needles - immortality in the memory of loved ones.

Domenico Gerlandaio "Portrait of a Lady". Apparently she is a bride, another symbol of purity is the orange blossom

Albrecht Durer, self-portrait at age 22.
The portrait was intended for a young wife, the holly in her hands is a symbol of marital fidelity. The picture inspired me to create this post.

Neuzv. Lady from the Hofer family. Forget-me-not - loyalty, devotion. Perhaps the lady’s husband has died - the fly on the headdress may indicate this; here it is a symbol of death, the frailty of existence.

Lady Philippa Kingsby. Cherry - fertility, abundance

Portrait of a Lady (1576). Here, a buttercup in your hands means wealth, a primrose means marriage. Lucky, apparently, your aunt!

Mirabello Cavalori "Boy with hyacinth and peach". Hyacinth symbolized courage, dexterity, and playfulness. Sometimes - wisdom, but here - hardly. And hyacinths smell good - they gave them to me today.

And finally, a portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus by Tobias Steamer. Lily of the valley is a symbol of bitterness and tears. As you know, the scientist had a lot of this stuff!

And I wish you not to feel bitterness, but to shed tears only from joy!

Medieval art of Europe as the embodiment of religious Christian mentality. Aesthetics of identities: canonicity, anti-novatism, anonymity, repetition of traditional plots and images. Aesthetic dominants of the early, mature and late Middle Ages. Styles of medieval architecture: Romanesque style, Gothic style.

Medieval painting (book miniatures, monumental painting, stained glass art). Medieval Literature: and its features. Basic literary traditions: Latin Literature:, epic, courtly Literature:, urban Literature:. Church mode and medieval musical genres.

Painting. The subjects for paintings and sculptures were themes of the greatness and power of God. The stylistic feature of these images was that the figure of Christ was significantly larger in size than other figures. In general, real proportions were not important to Romanesque artists: in the images, heads are often enlarged, bodies are schematic, sometimes elongated. In Germany in the 11th century. All more space in pic. The theme of the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Christ begins to occupy the place. In the future, this motive will become dominant in Catholicism and will even supplant the image of Christ as the Pantocrator. Monumental early medieval painting. In it, along with early Christian traditions, features of impetuosity and expression are observed. Monuments from the 9th century that have reached our time. Church paintings in France make it possible to distinguish between schools of “light” and “blue” backgrounds. The first, common in the west and center of France, is characterized by a light background, sharp contours and a flat interpretation of forms (the frescoes “The Battle of the Archangel Michael with the Dragon” in the Church of Saint-Savain in Poitou). For the second (south and east of the country) it is indicative blue backgrounds, rich color and clear influence of Byzantine art. The “School of Blue Backgrounds” is especially well represented by the complex of Berze-la-Ville paintings created at the beginning of the 12th century. Thus, in the art of the 14th century, although it was still controlled by the church, secular and realistic features intensified. Stained glass. During the heyday of the Romanesque style, there were two techniques for stained glass painting: grisaille(black and gray paint on colorless glass of a greenish smoky tone) and on typesetting colored glass(glass was boiled in special ovens, then cut in accordance with the prepared design and typed on special templates, after which it was covered with painting on a colored background). However, stained glass reached its greatest flourishing during the Gothic period. The main purpose of these "window paintings" was to show people who could not read the Scriptures what they should believe. Due to the variety of subject matter, the stained glass windows are Gothic. cathedrals successfully competed with sculpture. In addition to compositions on biblical and gospel subjects, individual figures of Christ, Mary, and the apostles, they also contained episodes from legends about the lives of saints and images of historical events. Never before have color and light played such a symbolic role. It was believed that the natural color of Gothic was purple - the color of prayer and the mystical aspiration of the soul, like a combination of the red color of blood and the blue sky. Blue was also considered a symbol of fidelity. Therefore, the stained glass windows were dominated by red, blue and purple paints. Along with them, orange, white, yellow, and green colors were especially loved. The best goth. stained glass windows are in the cathedrals of Chartres (“The Virgin and Child”) and Paris (Saint-Chapelle).

Literature. All literature of the Middle Ages can be divided into heroic epic, knightly courtly poetry, knightly courtly novel and poetry and prose of the urban class. Heroic epic represented tales glorifying the exploits of heroes, the most important real events, tales based on folk legends. Early works“songs about exploits” were of this kind. The performers of these songs-poems were jugglers, traveling singers and musicians. In France, the greatest monument of that era is the “Song of Roland” (the ideal knight, patriot and lover of truth, defender of Christians from infidels). Breton (Brittany - region in France) and Celtic legends tell about the British king Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, as well as about the search for the Holy Grail, the cup in which, according to legend, the blood of the Savior was collected when his body was placed in the coffin. The most famous poem of this cycle glorifies the exploits of the knight Parzival. In Germany - the epic “The Song of the Nibelungs” about the death of the Burgundian kingdom and the death of the Hun king Attila. The hero Siegfried appears in the land of the Nibelungs and falls in love with the sister of King Gunther. The king asks Z. for help to perform heroic feats and marries the Icelandic queen. Later the deception is revealed. Knightly courtly (court) poetry. Courtly poetry began with the cult of the “lady of the heart.” Knight-poets sang beauty and nobility Beautiful Lady, who was, as a rule, the wife of the overlord. Courtly love is secret, the poet avoided calling his lady by the name subtle, refined. She should look like reverent adoration. It was sung by troubadours (Southern France), trouvères (Northern France), minnesingers (Germany) and minstrels (English). In Provence (and it was there that the first love poems of chivalry appeared) there were many forms of courtly poetry. Canzona(“the song” presented a love theme in narrative form. Alba(“morning dawn”) was dedicated to earthly, shared love. The lovers part at dawn, the approach of which is warned by a servant or friend standing guard. Ballad- dance song. Pastorela- a song about the meeting of a knight and a shepherdess. Cry- a song where the poet yearns or mourns his lot, mourns the death of a loved one. Tenson- poem. dispute, cat. Either two poets take part, or a poet and P.D., poetry and Lyubov. Sirventes- song, cat. Social networks are already rising. questions: who is worthy of love - a polite commoner or an inglorious baron? knightly courtly romance. Authors – learned people. The first novels appeared in France. and were a fusion of Celtic epics. legends with the late antique works of Homer, Ovid, Virgil, fascinating stories of the crusaders about unknown countries. One of the creators of Chretien de Trouy "Yvain, or the Knight with the Lion." The actions of Chrétien de Troyes's heroes are aimed at accomplishing a feat, and it is not love that pushes the knight to adventure, but a passion for these feats. More complex techniques for revealing people. har-ra were used by Chrétien de Troyes in The Tale of the Grail, where a feat of “increased difficulty” dooms the hero to asceticism.

The other Wed has a completely different tonality. novel - “Tristan and Isolde”, based on a cat. Irish tales about the unhappy love of two young hearts. The plot lacks a knightly adventure and brings to the fore the insoluble conflict between the individual motives of the heroes and generally accepted norms. The destructive passion of the young man Tristan and Queen Isolde pushes them to trample on their vassal and marital duties, to a chain of pretenses and deceptions. Heroes do not die under the blows of strong opponents, they become victims of fate, fate. Poetry and prose of the mountains. estates. Popular genres are fabliau (in France), schwank (in Germany). The heroes are townspeople and peasants with their ingenuity and common sense, cat. struggle with everyday adversity, while maintaining optimism. All situations are of a comic or adventurous nature, but do not go beyond the boundaries of a realistic everyday depiction. The most famous epic. cycle is fr. “A Novel about a Fox”, where the life of the srvek is depicted in an allegorical form. Europe. The main theme is the successful fight of the fox Renard, the lead. resourcefulness, dexterity and cunning, with a stupid, bloodthirsty wolf. A special phenomenon is the poetry of wandering schoolchildren - vagants. They made sharp attacks against the princes of the church, which made the vagants militant heretics. The favorite themes of their songs are feasts, light flirting, ironic complaints about their hard lot (“On the French side...”). The folk comedy was transformed into satire and gave birth to new genre- farce (crude comedy with its inherent mockery).

Music. Music The culture of the early Middle Ages is represented mainly by court and folk songs and dances, playing music. instruments and religious music. All levels of society were passionate about music, song, and dance. Church hymn. Already at the end of the 6th century. basis for music. Catholic worship became a single-voice church chant, performed by a male choir in unison or by soloists in Latin. This is the so-called Gregorian chant (named after Pope Gregory I, who, according to legend, established this singing genre). Uniform Christian singing was gradually introduced in all countries of Western Europe. KIX-X centuries - the first recordings of polyphonic works. Two-voice organum plays were created by masters from France. Monastery of Saint-Marcel, which they borrowed from improvising singers. Distribution music The motet became a genre starting from the 13th century. In order to write a motet, comp. took a well-known tune and added one, two or three voices to it. Church music was also composed according to the same principle. ritual. This one has a polyphone. On the basis and songs of troubadours and trouvères, the creativity of the comp. late Middle Ages. Various songs genres and forms: rondos, ballads, madrigals. This period in the history of music is called Ars nova(lat. new art), because refined secular poetry was now set to music of a new type, imbued with special liveliness and a wealth of sound colors. An outstanding master of IT. Ars nova was Francesco Landino. Early blindness did not prevent him from becoming a virtuoso organist and the author of many lyrical songs. Fr. Ars nova headed the computer. and the poet Guillaume de Machaut, cat. contemporaries nicknamed him “the earthly god of harmony.” The ballad in his work became an example of sophisticated lyricism. It was performed by one singer with polyphonic instrumental accompaniment. The creativity of both opened the trail. stage - music Renaissance

World history and national culture: lecture notes by Konstantinov S. V.

4. Painting of the Middle Ages

4. Painting of the Middle Ages

Since the barbarian tribes were constantly nomadic, their early art is represented mainly by:

1) weapons;

2) jewelry;

3) various utensils.

Barbarian craftsmen preferred bright colors and expensive materials, and it was not the beauty of the product that was valued more, but the material from which it was made.

Roman painting served as a model for miniaturists. The author of medieval miniatures is not just an illustrator; he is a talented storyteller who managed to convey both the legend and its symbolic meaning in one scene.

"Carolingian Renaissance" (French) renaissance“Renaissance”) is what researchers called the art of this era. Many Frankish monasteries had scriptoria (book-writing workshops), in which monks copied ancient manuscripts and compiled new ones, both ecclesiastical and secular. Manuscripts were placed in frames made of ivory or precious metals with inserts of precious stones. In the design of books, in addition to complex ornaments, motifs of Christian art were often used - wreaths, crosses, figurines of angels and birds.

Around the end of the 3rd century. the papyrus scroll was replaced by parchment; Instead of style (writing sticks), they began to use bird feathers.

In the Carolingian era, the art of miniature - book illustration - reached extraordinary prosperity. There were no schools of miniature painting, but there were centers for the production of illustrated manuscripts at monasteries (for example, a book-writing workshop in Aachen).

Carolingian temples were decorated very modestly on the outside, but inside they shone with wall paintings - frescoes. Many researchers have noted the enormous importance of fine art in a barbaric world where most people could not read. For example, in the church of St. John the Baptist (8th century) in the city of Müster (modern Switzerland) are the oldest known frescoes. The art of the Otgon Empire played a huge role in the development of the Romanesque style.

The paintings of the Romanesque period have practically not survived. They were of an edifying nature; the characters' movements, gestures and faces were expressive; images are planar. As a rule, biblical scenes were depicted on the vaults and walls of the temple. On the western wall there were scenes of the Last Judgment.

In the XIII–XIV centuries. Along with church books, richly illustrated with images of saints and scenes from Sacred History, the following became widespread:

1) books of hours (collections of prayers);

2) novels;

3) historical chronicles.