The document provides an overview of early medieval art in Europe following the fall of the Roman Empire. It describes how migrating barbarian tribes brought new artistic traditions characterized by metalworking techniques and abstract, interlacing designs incorporated into Christian manuscripts. Important examples discussed include the illuminated Lindisfarne Gospels and Book of Kells, which fused Celtic knotwork patterns with biblical imagery. The artwork in these manuscripts reflects the merging of native barbarian styles with newly adopted Christianity.

1. Early
Medieval
Art
in
Europe
Art
108:
Ancient
to
Medieval
Westchester
Community
College
Fall
2012

2. Early Medieval Europe
Western Europe was
overrun by hordes of
migrating “barbarian”
tribes

3. Early Medieval Europe
Middle Ages/Medieval period:
• Fall of Roman Empire (5th century)
• Renaissance (15th century)

4. Early Medieval Europe
This period of roughly 1,000 years is further divided into three phases
1. Early Medieval (ending in the 10-11th century)
2. Romanesque (11th-12th century)
3. Gothic (12th-15th century)

5. Early Medieval Europe
Incessant warfare
Barbarian warlords battle for power
Helmet from the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial
British Museum

6. Early Medieval Europe
Medieval castle:
• Fortresses attest to incessant
warfare
Caernarfon Castle, 13th century, Wales
Image source: http://www.snowdoniaguide.com/caernarfon_castle.htm

7. Dark Ages
Cultural advances of Rome were
lost
 Literacy and learning
 Architecture and monumental arts
 Government and trade economy

8. Barbarian warlords settled down
and formed kingdoms

9. The Barbarians
The migrating barbarian tribes
brought with them pagan religious
beliefs and native artistic traditions

10. They were all eventually
Christianized

11. Migration Arts
The art of these migrating tribes is
referred to as “migration arts”
It consists of small portable objects
of adornment
Brooch, first half of 5th century, Eastern Germanic
Silver with gold sheet overlay, garnets
Metropolitan Museum

12. Migration Arts
Common objects include status
symbols such as decorative belt
buckles and fibulae (brooches)
worn by chieftains as emblems of
power
Fibula, from a woman’s tomb. Merovingian, mid-6th cen. Silver, gold,
garnet, glass, cloisonné, mid 6th century. Museé d’Archéolgie, Saint-
Germiane-en-Laye

13. Migration Arts
Pair of eagle fibulae, Visigothic, early 6thc., gold over bronze with gemstones, glass and meerschaum
Walters Art Gallery

14. Migration Arts
In 1939 the burial of an Anglo
Saxon warrior king was found at
Sutton Hoo, in Suffolk, England
Excavation site, Sutton Hoo ship burial
Image source: http://www.suttonhoo.org/gallery_detail.asp?fld_gallery_ID=3&offset=24

15. Migration Arts
The warrior was buried in a ship
with great riches
Illustration of the warrior buried in the Sutton Hoo ship burial
British Museum

16. Migration Arts
It included weapons and armor
Helmet from the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial
Anglo Saxon, early 7thc
British Museum

17. Replica of helmet from Sutton Hoo ship burial
British Museum

18. Migration Arts
And objects of adornment, such as
this belt buckle decorated with
interlaced snakes
Belt buckle, from the Sutton Hoo ship burial
Anglo Saxon, early 7thc
British Museum

19. Belt buckle, from the Sutton Hoo ship burial
Anglo Saxon, early 7thc
British Museum

20. Belt buckle, from the Sutton Hoo ship burial
Anglo Saxon, early 7thc
British Museum

21. Migration Arts
This purse lid exemplifies many of
the characteristic features of the
migration arts:
Abstract interlace patterns
Stylized animals
Cloisonné technique
Purse cover, from the Sutton Hoo ship burial
Anglo Saxon, 7th century
British Museum

22. Purse cover, from the Sutton Hoo ship burial
Anglo Saxon, 7th century
British Museum

23. Migration Arts
The technique used to make the
purse is called cloissonné
Colored glass is used to fill
recesses formed by intricate metal
edges

25. Buckle with cloisonné decoration, from the Sutton Hoo ship burial
British Museum

27. Shoulder clasp from the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial
British Museum

28. Shoulder clasp from the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial
British Museum

29. Migration Arts
Main characteristics of Migration
Arts:
Advanced metalworking
techniques
Zoomorphic imagery (animals)
Interlace patterns (knots)
Viking ship prow
Viking ship Museum, Norway

30. Migration Arts
When the barbarian tribes
converted to Christianity, their
vernacular style was absorbed into
the art of Medieval Christianity
By the 11th century, Scandinavia had
become mostly Christian, but Viking
artistic traditions persisted, as seen in
the intertwinging animal-and-plant
decoration of the portal of this
Norwegian church.

32. Hiberno Saxon Art
In 432 Saint Patrick brought
Christianity to the Celts in Ireland
In 563 St. Columba founded many
monasteries that became centers of
learning
Image source:
http://macdonnellofleinster.org/page_7c__saint_patrick.htm

33. Monasticism
Monasteries were self-sufficient
communities of Monks (and nuns)
who devoted themselves to a life of
prayer, study, and work

34. Bible Production
Irish monasteries became centers
for the production of liturgical books

35. Bible Production
Books were made in workshops
called scriptoria
Texts and pictures were copied by
hand
Medieval Scriptorium
Image source: http://guindo.pntic.mec.es/~jmag0042/palefont.html

36. Hiberno-Saxon
Manuscript
Illumination
The illustrated pages of these
bibles represents a fusion of
Christian imagery and the animal
interlace patterns of the European
migration arts
Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 698-721
Tempera on vellum
Image source: http://www.dclab.com/lindisfarne_gospels.asp

37. Hiberno-Saxon
Manuscript
Illumination
The monastery of
Lindisfarne was
established in 635 CE
It is one of the oldest
Celtic Christian
establishments in
England
Monastery of Lindisfarne, Northumberland, England. Karmin Photography. Image source:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/karen_cb/6258184421/

38. Monastery of Lindisfarne, Northumberland, England. Karmin Photography. Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/karen_cb/6258184421/

39. Hiberno-Saxon
Manuscript
Illumination
The Lindisfarne Gospels contains
the Gospels of Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John
Lindisfarne Gospels, cover
Image source: http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/lindisfarne/accessible/introduction.html

40. Author Portraits
Author portraits introduced the
Gospels with a portrait of the author
Lindisfarne Gospels,St. Matthew, f. 25v, c. 698-721
Tempera on vellum
British Library

41. Author Portraits
This one was based on a Roman
model, but the forms have been
flattened and simplified
Roman fresco of the Greek dramatist Menander from Pompeii.
Lindisfarne Gospels,St. Matthew, f. 25v, c. 698-721
Tempera on vellum
British Library

42. Author Page
This page introduces the Gospel of
Matthew
He can be identified because of the
lion symbol
Page introducing the Gospel of Mark
Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 698-721
British Library

43. Hiberno-Saxon
Manuscript
Illumination
The Evangelists are commonly
represented by animals
Matthew = Man
Mark = Lion
Luke = Ox
John = Eagle
Evangelist Symbols, Book of Armagh
Image source: http://www.uni-due.de/DI/Manuscripts.htm

44. Hiberno-Saxon
Manuscript
Illumination
The Evangelist symbols are based
on the vision of the prophet Ezekiel
Rev 4:5-11 (NRSV)
“the first living creature like a lion,
the second living creature like
an ox, the third living creature with
a face like a human face, and
the fourth living creature like a
flying eagle.”
://catholic-resources.org/Art/
Evangelists_Symbols.htm
Engraved illustration of the "chariot vision" of the Biblical book of Ezekiel, chapter 1,
after an earlier illustration by Matthaeus (Matthäus) Merian (1593-1650), for his
"Icones Biblicae”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ezekiel's_vision.jpg

45. Hiberno-Saxon
Manuscript
Illumination
The animal symbols resemble the
animals of the Barbarian arts
Evangelist Symbol, Book of Kells

46. Author page introducing the Gospel of Luke Author page introducing the Gospel of John
Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 698-721 Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 698-721
British Library British Library

47. Carpet Page
The author page is followed by a
carpet page – so called because of
its resemblance to a richly
patterned carpet
Carpet Page, Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 698-721
Tempera on vellum

48. Carpet Page
The central motif takes the form of
a Celtic Cross,
Carpet Page, Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 698-721
Tempera on vellum

49. Carpet Page
The interlace patterns reflect the
influence of migration art traditions
Carpet Page, Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 698-721
Tempera on vellum

52. Hiberno-Saxon
Manuscript
Illumination
Celtic Knots: intricate patterns that
recall the mathematical complexity
of Islamic geometric patterns
Carpet Page, Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 698-721
Tempera on vellum

53. “The cross-carpet page at the beginning of St Matthew's Gospel is probably the best known decorated page in
the manuscript . . . On the opposite page the Gospel opens with the Latin words: 'Liber generationis iesu christi',
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, presented in elaborate initials and display capitals.”
British Library

54. Calligraphy was an important art
form in both Islamic and Christian
traditions
Lindisfarne Gospels, Gospel of St Matthew the Evangelist, initial page, c. 698-721
Tempera on vellum
Image source: http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/lindisfarne.html

55. Hiberno-Saxon
Manuscript
Illumination
“So when the Word was shown to men
through the lawgiver and the prophets, it
was not shown them without suitable
vesture. There it is covered by the veil of
flesh, here of the letter. The letter
appears as flesh; but the spiritual sense
within is known as divinity... Blessed are
the eyes which see divine spirit through
the letter's veil.”
Claudius of Turin, 9thc Bishop
Lindisfarne Gospels, Gospel of St Matthew the Evangelist, initial page, c. 698-721
Tempera on vellum
Image source: http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/lindisfarne.html

56. The act of copying and reading a
Bible or Qur’an was a form of
religious devotion -- since the text
represents the “word of god”
Illuminated Manuscript Koran, Illuminated incipit page with headpiece inscribed with
the chapter heading for Sūrat Maryam, Walters Art Museum Ms. 568, fol. 1b
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39699193@N03/3834992550/

59. St Matthew's Gospel includes a
second major initial page, marking
the beginning of the Christmas
story
The first three lines contain the
words: 'Christi autem generatio sic
erat', Now the birth of Jesus Christ
was of this kind.
Lindisfarne Gospels, Gospel of St Matthew the Evangelist, Second initial page, c.
698-721 Tempera on vellum
Image source:
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/lindisfarne/accessible/pages11and12.html#content

61. Book of Kells
One of the most famous examples
of Hiberno Saxon manuscript
illumination is the Book of Kells
Facsimile reproduction of the Book of Kells
Image source: http://www.library.arizona.edu/exhibits/illuman/pre9_07.html

62. Book of Kells
The book opens with a page
representing all four of the
Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John
Book of Kells, late 8th or early 9th century
Trinity College Library, Dublin

63. Hiberno-Saxon
Manuscript
Illumination
Matthew is represented as a man
or an angel
Book of Kells, late 8th or early 9th century
Trinity College Library, Dublin

64. Hiberno-Saxon
Manuscript
Illumination
Mark is represented by a lion
Book of Kells, late 8th or early 9th century
Trinity College Library, Dublin

65. Hiberno-Saxon
Manuscript
Illumination
Luke is represented by an ox
Book of Kells, late 8th or early 9th century
Trinity College Library, Dublin

66. Hiberno-Saxon
Manuscript
Illumination
And John is represented by an
eagle
Book of Kells, late 8th or early 9th century
Trinity College Library, Dublin

67. Author Page
A separate author page introduces
the Gospels of Matthew in the Book
of Kells
Page introducing the Gospel of Matthew, Book of Kells
http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/arth212/book_of_kells.html

68. Author Page
The incipit page begins with the
same words we saw in the
Lindisfarne Gospels: 'Liber
generationis iesu christi’
Incipit Page, Gospel of Matthew, Book of Kells
http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/arth212/book_of_kells.html

69. Book of Kells
Like the Linidsfarne Gospels, there
is a second incipit page, with the
text: "XPI autem generatio....”
Now the generation of Christ was in
this wise”
Chi-rho-iota page, from the Book of
Kells, 8th-9th c., Trinity College Library,
London

70. Book of Kells
The chi-rho-iota (XPI) representing
the first three letters of the word
“Christos” fills the entire page
Chi-rho-iota page, from the Book of
Kells, 8th-9th c., Trinity College Library,
London

71. Book of Kells
Viewed closely, the page is filled
with zoomorphic imagery and
intricate interlace patterns
Chi-rho-iota page, from the Book of
Kells, 8th-9th c., Trinity College Library,
London