During the Middle Ages, art suffered after the devastation of the Black Death pandemic. Religious influences and new styles like Gothic and Baroque art emerged. Sculptures became more realistic, and ivory carvings and bronze castings were produced. Stained glass windows using colored glass became popular. Gothic architecture developed and featured pointed arches and vaulted ceilings that allowed taller buildings. Examples of Romanesque and Gothic architecture from this period include Angoulême Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral with the oldest working clock, and the leaning Tower of Pisa.

2. ❖ Art in the Age of Darkness
If you were born during the Middle Ages then you would
have been witness to a major period of transition in
history as a whole. After the devastation of the Black
Death, Europe saw its most dramatic decrease in stability,
with at least a third of the population killed off by this
awful pandemic. Understandably, art suffered as a result.
And though threats from outside invasions were no longer
as imminent, the Islamic influences from earlier years of
conquests became a recurring theme in many works of art
. Religion is presumed to be a huge subject as well, as
survivors clung to the hopes and stories of their favorite
icons. But there was also the emergence of definitively
different styles like Baroque and Gothic art, which opened the doors to great artistic influences for centuries
to come.
Art during this period is not necessarily confined to one particular style or time, with historians often
breaking down the era into several phases.
❖ Sculptures and Carvings
With the fall of the Roman Empire, sculptures with traditionally stylized features became replaced with
more realistic aesthetics. This was due to the work of the Ottonians and Carolingians, who emphasized
realism over the stoic expressions left behind by the Byzantine Empire.
This also began an important period of cultural revival. Beautiful ivory carvings emerged along with bronze
castings with three-dimensional details influenced by classical realism that surpassed their predecessors.
With this massively expansive era, many styles of sculpture came and went, including architectural sculpture
found from the Romanesque and Gothic periods. Here, figures adorned the faces of famous churches, and
the Virgin Mary became a prominent subject of this time.
Life-sized alabaster tombs were a sign of the wealthy, while small portable sculptures of ivory were used as
devotional objects.
TOPIC: ART STYLE MIDDLE AGES

3. ➢ Romanesque Architecture:
Romanesque architectural styles were influenced by Roman architecture
with significant modernizing techniques. This architectural style was
used during 800-1100 A.D. It is considered as the first important
architectural style that was developed after the collapse of Roman
Empire. It was still related with Roman architecture because of the
use of Roman barrel vault and Roman arch in the buildings of this
period.
❖ Stained Glass
Another beautiful medium that was popular during the Middle Ages was the art of stained glass. Stained
glass was created by mixing sand and wood ash together and melting it into a liquid in order to form glass.
While the glass was still molten, powdered metals were added to create the beautiful colors that would later
adorn great cathedrals.
Each window image was created by arranging different pieces of glass together to create the desired design.
The artist then added final details by hand before assembling the completed art and mounting it into a
window.
➢ Gothic architecture
Gradually, architecture of the Middle Ages went through a significant
change and constructors started to produce building with perpendicul
ar architecture which is also known as the Gothic architecture. This
building and construction style was used during the period of
1200 – 1500 A. D. Gothic arch structures were light and spacious
and they helped in creating airy structures that helped in creating
high structures with proper light.
➢ Conclusion
Though the Middle Ages were considered a dark period in history, this era largely contributed to many
different art styles today because of its expansive time frame and allure. Its wide range of culture and
influence is a true testament to the evolution of art, and I hope you continue to learn more about these
amazing timelines on your own.

4. Various Architecture Buildings
❖ Angoulême Cathedral: Angoulême, France
While France is famous for her many Gothic cathedrals, the Angoulême Cathedral is an example of the
beautiful Romanesque architecture that predates the Gothic style. Work began on this church in 1110 on the
same site of a pre-Christian sanctuary from the 4th century.
❖ Salisbury Cathedral: Salisbury, England
This cathedral is regarded as one of the leading examples of English Gothic architecture. It took only 38
years to build (1220-1258), which is an astounding speed considering that many cathedrals have taken
hundreds of years to build. Since the Lincoln Cathedral collapse in 1549, Salisbury has the had the tallest
church spire in the United Kingdom.
There are so many reasons for history buffs to visit Salisbury Cathedral. In addition to simply having stood
the test of time (and war), Salisbury is home to one of the oldest working examples of a clock in the world
(it dates back to 1386) and is also home to the best surviving original copy of the Magna Carta (only four are
known).
❖ Church of St. Anne: Vilnius, Lithuania
The Church of St. Anne is a Late Gothic building, done in the rare and peculiar Brick Gothic style. Though
it is missing some of the classic statuary ornamentation of Gothic churches, St. Anne’s does have the classic
towers and spires that curve upward toward the sky in a vivid red brick. Because of the flame-like designs of
the windows, some even consider St. Anne’s an example of the Flamboyant Gothic style, which was mostly
a French trend.
❖ Leaning Tower of Pisa: Pisa, Italy
The famous freestanding bell tower of the Pisa Cathedral is of Romanesque design.
Building on the site began in 1173 and continued for nearly 200 years. The tower began
to sink quickly—just five years later, when the building was only 2 stories tall. The only
reason the tower still stands is because construction was delayed for a century while the
Republic of Pisa was at war with Genoa and Florence. The pause allows the topsoil
under the foundation to settle better, saving the towers future (though still it sinks). The
same topsoil also managed to save the tower during four strong earthquakes.
Angoulême Cathedral Church of St. Anne

5. ➢ Conclusion
▪ At the beginning of this period, people took time to settle and develop. Thus, the Pre-
Romanesque architectural styles were not used significantly as people were engaged
in building small churches. However, a few Roman emperors created huge Churches
such as Hagia Sophia of Constantinople (now knows as Istanbul).
▪ In Western Europe, Charlemagne gave way to the creation of the palace of Aachen.
During the same time, Arabs got hold of the southern and eastern Mediterranean and
they built great palaces such as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and various great
mosques like Kairouan.
▪ By 1000 A.D., Romanesque architecture of the Middle Ages came in light and people
began building bigger castles and churches. Some of the famous churches of this time
were the St. Mark’s Church in Venice, Toulouse and St. Germain des Prés in France,
and Baptistery at Pisa. Furthermore, military architecture also developed during this
period which was significant by Germany’s Bromserburg and Tower of London.
▪ By the coming of 1200 A.D., people started building Churches and castles based on
Gothic architectural style. They created churches in Italy at Florence and Pisa.
Similarly in France, the cathedral of Laon, of Paris, of Amiens, of Reims, of Chartres,
and of Rouen was created with Gothic style of architecture. In England, the
Westminster Abbey was created in Gothic architectural style.
▪ Soon Gothic style was also experimented in Italy at Milan, and in Germany at
Cologne, Bremen, Freiburg, Munster and Regensburg. The Louvre and the
Conciergerie were the two castles built by the Capetian kings of France in Paris who
also produced various castles on the outskirt of Paris including the castle of
Vincennes. The castle of Heidelberg was built in Germany by the Holy Roman kings.
Gothic architectural style became significant in Spain after the defeat of Islamic rulers
by Reconquista, who created a Gothic cathedral at Seville.
▪ However, all these significantly beautiful and strong churches and castles which were
produced in Romanesque and Gothic style suggested the power and prosperity of the
feudal aristocratic class. The peasants and serfs on the other hands were exploited by
the members of nobility. The basic purpose of all these Gothic Churches and castles
was either to spread influence of Christianity or to protect and to ensure security
against invaders, barbarians and Islamic rulers.
Leaning Tower of Pisa Salisbury Cathedral