The Book of LindisfarneVellum sheets arranged so that the spine ridge of the animal runs across the page horizontally at the same place, minimizing movement of the page when the skin tries to return to the shape of the animal, causing the paint to flake

Cross Page from The Book of Lindisfarne•Balanced design•Cross clearly defined, stands apart from the space•Animal interlace•Complicated, spiraling patterns•Symmetry•Colors used in alternate positions around the cross•Known as a carpet page

Saint Matthew Page from The Book of Lindisfarne

• Matthew shown as author and scribe writing his book of the Bible

• His symbol, the angel, is above him with the words “imago hominis” – “image of a man”

• Unknown man behind the curtain: Christ? Moses with the Old Testament?

• The word Saint labeled in Greek, using Latin characters, “O Agios”

• Mattheus in Latin • Strong use of vibrant color• Heavy outlines delineate forms• Folds in drapery indicated by

contrasting lines that sweep in patterns

Carolingian Art Equestrian Statue of

Charlemagne• Inspired by Roman

equestrian monuments such as Marcus Aurelius

• Imperial crown and robes

• Orb as a symbol of the world

• Rider larger than the horse he rides on

• Horse is on parade, seems tame and obedient

• Sits as though he is standing upright

• Ninth century; now at the Louvre. Likely represents Charlemagne or Charles the Bald. The horse is a later replacement. This statue is only some 15" in height. The art of casting life-size equestrian bronzes was lost in the West from late Antiquity until the Italian renaissance, but Charlemagne and his supporters would have been familiar with the Capitoline Marcus Aurelius.

Lorsch Gatehouse, Lorsch• Not really a gateway, but

probably in an atrium in a monastery

• Cf. a triumphal arch in a Roman forum

• Gabled roof for snow• Three equal openings• Columns placed against wall• Surface pattern and design• Fluted pilasters• Chapel on top may have

been a reception hall for distinguished guests

• Imitation pediments

Palatine Chapel, Aachen• , C entralplan topped by an octagon• B uiltforC harlem agne• Inspired by S an V itale• C apitals taken from old R om anm onum ents• Large heavy appearance• , A rches sm alleron firststory larger

on second• A rches on second story have R om an

colum ns placed inside thatare purely, decorative and do nothold the

arches up• , A rches on firstfloorhave a low

, heavy thick appearance• A rches have a striped pattern

Comparison of the Plans of San Vitale in Ravenna to the Palace Chapel in Aix-la-Chapelle.

Carolingian Art

Monastery Plan, St. Gall, Switzerland

• Ideal plan of a self-sufficient monastic community

• Church in center, other buildings around

• Daily activities in one place• Cloistered monks never leave

except to work in the fields• Community of about 250-300

monks with 30 to 40 serfs per monk

• Highly organized• Many altars in church, not for

congregation, but for monks to say Mass

• Everything necessary for the monks grouped around the cloister

Tim berarchitecture in outerbuildings

S tandard ofcom fortw as high forthe tim e

S erfs lived w ith anim als in theirpens

, , , Infirm ary school convent guesthouse

Ottonian Art Saint Michael’s, Hildesheim• Two pairs of lateral entrances• Two pairs of crossing towers• Two pairs of stair turrets• Two apses• Two transepts• Supports in the nave are not

traditional columns, but pairs of columns alternating with square piers

• Divides nave into three separate units of three openings each

• First and third units are related to the lateral entrances to the building

• Nave is a hall that connects the two apses

• Windows do not line up with arches below: 9 arches with 10 windows

• Spacious undecorated interior

Bronze Column of Hildesheim•Spiral column akin to Column of Trajan; scenes from bottom to top, but in reverse spiral•Story of the life of Christ•Culminates in decorative capital

Bronze Door of Hildesheim• Suggestions of Roman

monumentality: inspired by bronze doors of the Pantheon (now gone) or Palatine Chapel (no decoration)

• Solid bronze, each scene molded separately

• Scenes compare scenes of the fall of man with the saving of man

• Rectangular scenes with few figures and a barren landscape, empty background

• Emphasis of gesture, liveliness• Bony figures

• Emphasis on extremities: hands, feet, head

• Spiky foliage

• Heads fully rounded and emerge from background

• Scenes tell the story of the life of Christ and Adam and Eve

After the death of Charlemagne, his kingdom was divided among his grandsons, only to disintegrate at the hands of Vikings and Magyars. A re-consolidation occurred, however, in the middle of the 10th century, thanks to a new line of German emperors known as the Ottonians. The Ottonian period saw a new wave of influence from the Greek East (Otto II married a Byzantine princess), which resulted in one of the first monumental sculptures of the crucified Christ, the Gero

Crucifix.

The face (heavily etched with pain), the bulging arc of the abdomen, and the tension in the tightly stretched arms all convey Christ's torment

with unequalled expression.