The topic that I found to be the most interesting throughout this course was the elaborate piece of medieval art discovered in France, known as the Bayeux Tapestry. The eleventh-century piece illustrates the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England. The first section shows that Harold, a nobleman, had been sent on a mission by King Edward. He eats with friends before crossing the sea. In addition, the second section shows the central scene: Harold’s coronation. Significantly, this beautiful piece of art is also one of most famous historical documents ever to exist! PRIMARY SOURCES 1. The tapestry, believed to be created by a woman in Canterbury, England, provides an interesting look into Medieval Times (Trueman). The elaborate piece I navigated through six different websites that were created to locate original documents and speeches; it seemed impossible to find any other primary source for this astonishing twenty-first century piece! The only dated writing I could find was written by a John Simkin in 1997 and was recently updated in 2014. In his writing, he discusses Odo, the son of Herluin of Conteville and Herleva of Falaise (Simkin). In 1049, William of Normandy named Odo bishop of Bayeux and then, over the next few years, he planned the rebuilding of the Bayeux Cathedral (Simkin). One Norman historian claims that, when William decided to invade England in 1066, Odo of Bayeux provided 100 ships to William's navy (Simkin). After fighting in the Battle of Hastings, Odo was named Earl of Kent; then, after his crowning, William the Conqueror claimed that all the land in England now belonged to him (Simkin). In 1067 William the Conqueror appointed Odo as regent while he spent time in Normandy; and the next fifteen years he was second in power to William in England (Simkin). It was said that Odo may have created the Bayeux Tapestry. It is quite possible that he created it to prove that he should have been the one in power instead of William or maybe because he was jealous of William! We will never know the motive behind the
- - - The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History. London, England, Penguin Books, no publication
with the intent of widespread entertainment, elements of comedy and other aspects of entertaining film can, at times, cloud the message and content of the documentary. An anti-war advocate, Terry Jones’ presentation of matter so closely related to strong personal sentiments can also introduce a degree of bias in the presentation and approach taken to analyzing the events detailed in the series. However, the documentary incorporates the input and analysis of several highly-regarded medieval historians, including Jonathan Riley-Smith, Suheil Zakkar, Fikret Isiltan, David Lazenby, and Christopher Tyerman. This group of historians, all highly esteemed individuals in the field, are able to offer a balanced and likely unbiased account of what they believe to be true about the
Eco, Umberto. Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages. Trans. Hugh Bradin. New Haven: Yale UP, 1986.
According to the panel near the altarpiece in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the piece is an enormous work of tempera on panel with parchment ground; it is a typical Spanish altarpiece of the medieval period and is comprised of a complex arrangement of twenty-six paintings. This piece was chosen as a representative of the medieval period because its emphasis is placed entirely on religion, the style with which it was painted and decorated is hugely characteristic of the medieval period, and finally the painting depicts the economic state of Europe as far as the church was concerned during that time.
Thiebaux, Marcelle. The Writings of Medieval Women: An Anthology. New York: Garland Publishing. 1994. Print.
Froissart’s Chronicles, simply known as the Chroniques, is considered by historians as the one of the important entities that recounts the events which happened during the Hundred Years’ War period. It was an extensive literary work with approximately 1.5 million words in length, written in Middle French prose by Jean Froissart. The Chronicles start by narrating the deposition of King Edward II in year 1326 and covering events from this time onward up to year 1400, hence can be significant in the study of the first part of the Hundred Years’ War. This source is also of vital importance in the study as well as the understanding of the chivalric culture of the 14th century England and French as chivalry and knighthood are the central ideal of
Boardman, Phillip C. "Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343-1400)." Enduring Legacies: Ancient and Medieval Cultures. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson Custom Pub., 2000. 430-54. Print.
However, the artefacts brought to England from Benin in 1897 were an anomaly. The craftsmanship and sophistication were such that some were reminiscent of the beautiful figures in the Hofkiche, Innsbruck 1502-1563 (plate 3.1.12. Visited...
South University Online. (2013). HUM 1002: History of Art from the Middle Ages to Modern Times: Week 1: Elements of Design. Retrieved from myeclassonline.com
Rousseau, Theodore. "The Merode Altarpiece." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 16.4 (1957): 117-29. JSTOR. Web. 1 Apr. 2010.
The Virgin Mary serves as the connection between the fertility of the paradoxical garden and the divine structure of the golden tapestry. Wearing an ornate and naturalistic cloak, which conceals the majority of her physical features, the Virgin becomes the pyramidal anchor of the
The Web. The Web. 23 Nov. 2011. The "Middle Ages - Information, Facts, and Links." ENotes - Literature Study Guides, Lesson Plans.
The object of this book, Early Medieval Art, is to convey the theme “tradition not only receives and transforms, it literally invents a tradition upon which it founded itself” (p. 15) concerning art of the early medieval era. The purpose of this book is to summarize and offer knowledge of medieval art, that will then be included in the greater series of books by other specialists for Oxford University Press. Lawrence Nees accomplished his argument successfully by following the chronological production of the art and the traditions that are imbedded within them. Although, his thesis is strongly supported, Ness’ failure is found in his over reliance on the artwork itself, which then leads to the masking of his personal arguments.
Roger Babusci et al. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1994. 115-136. Print. “The Medieval Period: 1066-1485.”
Witcombe, Chris. Art History Resources on the Web. 24 October 1995. Art of the Middle Ages. 17 January 2002.