Gilt caste bronze appliqué shield ornament, from a warrior's grave at Stabio. Lombard, 7th c. A.D. An example of cultural/ethnic art.
Medieval aesthetics is a various field, stretching from metal medallions to the towering heights of the Gothic Cathedrals. Art played an important role in the medieval world, it told a story, pronounced truth, encapsulated history and culture, and reflected the beliefs of medieval people about their world, their religions, their governments, and their way of life. This forum category is for discussing the interesting dimensions of medieval art, music and literature and how they reflected and impacted history and culture.
Illumination from the Maciejowski Bible, circa 1250, Paris. An example of (semi-) non-religious art
Illumination by Matthew Paris, 12th century.
Galilee Porch in Ely Cathedral. An example of religious architecture.
Detail of window from St. Denis, the first medieval Gothic structure. Stained glass was one of the few methods available to the illiterate to learn about the bible and their faith.
A Welsh bard. Bards and troubadours with their oral traditions kept alive ancient mythologies, and transformed them into the Romantic literature of High Middle Ages.
Gregorian Chant Notation. All discussion pertaining to medieval music and music theory are welcome in this forum category
Virgin of Deisis, 13th century. An example of Byzantine religious art. Discussions about Byzantine iconography and architecture are welcome in this forum category.
A Muslim Calligraphic Panel, made by Husayn ibn Ahmad, Woodcarver of Sari, 15th century. An example medieval Islamic art.
In discussing medieval art, we must place some timeline limitations. In general all discussions about medieval art, music and literature are welcome as long as the topics remain limited to AD 476 to AD 1500. Of course, it may be necessary to bring up elements outside of these parameters, as long as these elements have some bearing on the time at hand.
All view points are welcome, and even necessary. You don’t have to be a degreed historian to contribute (God knows, I’m not even close!)), and you don’t have to know all the answers or ask all the right questions. All you need is an interest in a time of old, very different from our own, but at times, remarkably similar. The first priority is to have fun, then to feed our curiosity, nurture our hobbies, pass on some information and maybe even learn something in the process.
--David :sheildsmile:
I changed my mind about heraldry. Since heraldry directly evolved from the practice of chivalry, discussions about its evolution and design fit better in the Battles and Politics category.