Works of art can communicate critical information on the times in which they were created. Different time periods and different cultural backgrounds provide the stylistic and media elements of a work of art. There may be no specific intent to portray the times, but that is what happens when the artist creates a work of art in a particular artistic period. Examples of art works from two distinctly different times and cultures will demonstrate how the art in the Medieval period of European history and Pop Art from the late mid-20th century differ.
The Medieval period in art history spans a time period of about a thousand years, from the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD to about the year 1400 (“Medieval Art” n.p.). While artistic styles and production techniques changed over that long period of time, many of the basic characteristics of the art changed very little. The most common forms for art in the Medieval period was painting, sculpture, tapestries, illuminated manuscripts, stained glass windows, and architecture (Scalia n.p.). As such, there are a number of important characteristics which can be identified for the Medieval period (Scalia n.p.): 1) The subjects of art were most commonly of a religious nature. 2) The human figures are flat with little attempt at three dimensional modeling, and stiffly posed, usually with little or no movement depicted. 3) There is no uniform human scale--important figures are larger than the less important figures. 4) There are virtually no nudes. Figures are depicted as clothed and with clothing that does not have any third-dimensionality or texture to it. 5) Faces are most often depicted with little emotion expressed or with a solemn expression. There is little effort paid to the details of specific facial features for individuals. 6) The paintings are dominated by bright, vibrant colors. 7) Backgrounds in paintings are usually a single color, often gold. 8) In architecture, here were two general styles, the Romanesque and the Gothic, each with its own distinctive characteristics (“Medieval Architecture. n.p.). 9) In sculpture, architectural sculpture dominated, added to the exteriors or interiors of religious structures. Bas relief was the most common sculptural form, but there was some free-standing sculpture produced but which tended to reproduce the characteristics of painted human figures (flat and stylized) in third-dimensional media (“Medieval Sculpture” n.p.).
Three significant examples of Medieval art are:
1) Madonna and Child in Majesty: The artist for this painting Cenni di Pepo, but who called himself Cimabue, who lived from 1240 to 1302. (“Cimabue” n.p.).
This art work was painted in 1285-86. The subject of this painting is the Madonna and the child Jesus surrounded on each side by four angels. At the bottom of the painting in separate niches are Jeremiah on the left side, Isiah on the right side, and Abraham and King David (left to right) together under the Madonna's throne. The topic of the painting and its organization are in a pattern commonly called the Maestà, showing the Madonna as the Queen of Paradise (“Cimabue”[2] n.p.). The medium is tempera painted on a wooden panel. It demonstrates the characteristics of Medieval painting in the representation of the most important figures, the Madonna and the baby Jesus, as large with the other figures small. The facial expressions of the figures are not significantly personalized or demonstrative of particular emotions. There is no effort to depict dimensional modeling or texture in the materials of the clothing, which has a solid, statuesque effect. The colors are vibrant, and the background color is gold. Thus, this painting presents an excellent example of Medieval painting.
2) Gothic Statuary: Gothic cathedrals were richly ornamented with stone carved statuary, most of which was in the bas relief form, which is “sculpture in which the figures project slightly from the background” (“Bas Relief” n.p.). This was a typical form of much of Medieval sculpture.
These three figures are a part of the tympanum (decorated frontal archway) at the Cathedral of Chartres, France: “it is one of most famous cathedrals in France, defined as an exemplar of the "High Gothic" style. The facadeis early Gothic” (Sullivan n.p.). The sculptures were completed some time in the early 13th century. They are typical of the bas relief sculpture in that they are rather elongated vertically, are depicted with symbolic elements in their hand gestures, objects they hold, and their clothing. Their robes are draped and represented in some detail, but without texture. Despite the fact that they were not free-standing, they were depicted as standing on some abbreviated form of a pedestal so they do not seem to float in space. The stone medium in which they are carved, although not the same grade and color of the stone of the main construction of the Cathedral, nevertheless blends with it well. These three figures provide clear and distinctive examples of Medieval bas relief sculpture.
3) Notre Dame Cathedral: The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris was constructed, as were most of the Medieval cathedrals, over a long period of time, from 1163 through 1250 (“Notre Dame Cathedral” n.p.). The construction is of stone and the style of the cathedral is Gothic and High Gothic. Influential in the design and early construction of Notre Dame was the Bishop Maurice de Sully, who was Bishop of Paris from 1160 until his death in 1196 (Weber n.p.). In addition to the stone work structure of the cathedral, one of the most outstanding construction elements typical of late mid and late-Gothic architecture are the flying buttresses (depicted in the image as the tall support structures extending down from between the windows in the elongated rear of the cathedral at the right in the picture). The tympanum is intricately decorated with bas relief carvings and statues. The large windows in the main part of the cathedral are colored-stained glass as was typical of large religious architecture in the Medieval time. Gothic architecture was often very ornate with carvings throughout both inside and outside, but often very simple furnishings inside, just wooden benches. However, there was a very ornate altar which was the
focus of the cathedral which may be seen at Notre Dame. As High Gothic architecture, the Notre Dame Cathedral is a fine example of Medieval architecture.
A distinct contrast from Medieval art was the movement of Pop Art which occurred primarily in the United States and in the 1960s and 70s. “Pop Art aimed to employ images of popular culture as opposed to elitist culture in art, often emphasizing kitsch and thus targeted a broad audience” (Moffat n.p.). Pop Art drew its imagery from elements of the popular culture, items as mundane as Campbell Soup cans, comic book panels, movies, television, advertising, and popular people. “It was one of the biggest art movements of the twentieth century” (Moffat n.p.). The most common forms of Pop Art were painting, silk screening, sculpture, photographs and photographic manipulation, collage, “happenings,” and mixed-media events. The most commonplace and typical elements of Pop Art are (Gersh-Nesic n.p.): 1) Recognizable imagery that is taken from some medium in the popular culture, advertising, graphic illustrations, iconic images. 2) It is usually painted in very bright colors. 3) The imagery is typically flat, without any attempt at third dimensional modeling. 4) In sculpture, there is the use of found or very unusual media, not the traditional media of sculpture, bronze or stone.
Three examples of Pop Art are:
1) Campbell's Soup Cans painting: Produced by one of the originators of Pop Art, Andy Warhol, the painting of a series of 32 different Campbell's Soup cans is a multiple reproduction by the artist of a painting of a single Campbell Soup can which was one of the earliest expressions of the Pop Art movement. It was painted in 1962. The media are synthetic polymer paint on canvas (“Campbell's Soup Cans” n.p.). It presents the characteristics of Pop Art in that it an image taken from a popular grocery product is presented as worthy of a series of oil paintings. The image is flat, with no effort to depict third dimensionality to it. The colors are bright. The treatment of the subject is serious. This is an example of an iconic image of Pop Art.
2) The silk screen Marilyn Monroe: The silk screens of Marilyn Monroe, by Andy Warhol, with large or small variations became icons and symbols for the Pop Art movement (Moffat [2] n.p.). It was produced in 1962. The media was latex paint, silk screen, stencil, and heavy paper. Clearly present on the Marilyn Monroe silk screenings are the Pop Art characteristics of flat, non-dimensional images, bright colors, and subject matter drawn from poplar culture.
3) LOVE sculpture: This unusual sculpture is by Robert Indiana, who has also produced a number of other Pop Art pieces. It was sculpted in 1966, and has also become an icon of Pop Art which has appeared in many versions and media over the years since it was created. The media is polychrome aluminum. It is described by the artist as based on, “the concept that the word is also a fit and viable subject for art” (Indiana n.p.). This sculpture demonstrates several of the characteristics of Pop Art: It is a sculpture of an unusual nature, the creation of a three-dimensional object based on a single word. It demonstrates vivid colors. It created a “pop” image for something commonplace, a common word.
Comparison
Medieval art styles arose early in the Christian era and lasted for nearly a thousand years. Pop Art arose in the United States in the 1960s and lasted through that decade and into the 1970s and afterwards. While the art forms of the Medieval time were primarily painting, sculpture, and architecture, for Pop Art, the most common art forms were painting, silk screening, sculpture, and photography. The three examples of Medieval art were drawn from those typical art forms: the painting of Madonna and Child in Mastery by Cimabue, bas relief sculptures from the tympanum of Chartres Cathedral by unknown artists, and the Gothic architecture of the Cathedral of Notre Dame initiated by Bishop Sully. The characteristics of the Medieval are described and clearly shown in these examples. The three examples of Pop Art were drawn from its typical art forms: the paintings of Campbell's Soup cans by Andy Warhol, the silk screen portrait of Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol, and the LOVE sculpture of Robert Indiana. One can immediately see the differences in the style and media of the examples of the art works from each of these two time periods in art history. Aside from the depiction of the human figure, there is virtually nothing alike in these artistic period styles and examples. Examples of art works from two distinctly different times and cultures have demonstrated how the art in the Medieval period of European history and Pop Art from the late mid-20th century in the United States differ.
Works Cited
“Bas Relief.” Dictionary.com. 2016. Web. 13 July 2016.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/bas-relief
“Cimabue.” The Uffizi Gallery. 2016. Web. 12 July 2016.
https://www.virtualuffizi.com/cimabue.html
“Cimabue.” The Web Gallery of Art. 2016. Web. 12 July 2016.
http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/c/cimabue/madonna/madonna.html
Gersch-Nesic, Beth. “Pop Art - Art History 101 Basics.” ArtHistory.about.com. 2016. Web. 13 July 2016.
http://arthistory.about.com/od/modernarthistory/a/Pop-Art-Art-History-101-Basics.htm
Indiana, Robert. “LOVE 1966-1999.” RobertIndiana.com. 2016. Web. 13 July 2016.
http://robertindiana.com/works/love-2/
“Medieval Architecture.” Essential Humanities. 2013. Web. 12 July 2016.
http://www.essential-humanities.net/western-art/architecture/medieval/
“Medieval Art.” ArtHistory.net. 2016. Web. 12 July 2016. http://arthistory.net/medieval-art/
“Medieval Sculpture.” Essential Humanities. 2013. Web. 12 July 2016.
http://www.essential-humanities.net/western-art/sculpture/medieval/
Moffat, Charles. “Andy Warhol, Pop Artist.” ArtHistoryArchive.com. 2007. Web. 12 July 2016. http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/popart/Andy-Warhol.html
Moffat, Charles. “Pop Art.” ArtHistoryArchive.com. 2007. Web.
http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/popart/
“Notre Dame Cathedral.” Sacred-Destinations.com. 2016. Web. 12 July 2016.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/paris-notre-dame-cathedral
Scalia, Rebecca. “Introduction to Medieval Art.” Videoclasse.com. 2013. Web. 12 July 2016.
https://www.videoclasse.com/theme/art-history/medieval-art-11891
Sullivan, Mary Ann. “Chartres Cathedral, West Front, Central Portal.” Bluffton University, Ohio. 2016. Web. 12 July 2016.
http://www.bluffton.edu/homepages/facstaff/sullivanm/chartreswest/centralportal.html
Weber, N.A. “Maurice de Sully.” Catholic Encyclopedia. 2016. Web. 13 July 2016.
http://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/maurice-de-sully
Image Sources
Campbell's Soup Cans. The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. 2016. Web. 12 July 2016.
https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/andy-warhol-campbells-soup-cans-1962
LOVE. Indiana, Robert. “LOVE 1966-1999.” RobertIndiana.com. 2016. Web. 13 July 2016.
http://robertindiana.com/works/love-2/
Madonna and Child in Majesty. “Cimabue.” The Web Gallery of Art. 2016. Web. 12 July 2016. http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/c/cimabue/madonna/madonna.html
Marilyn Monroe. Moffat, Charles. “Pop Art.” ArtHistoryArchive.com. 2007. Web.
http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/popart/
Notre Dame Cathedral. ThePlanedD.com. 2012. Web. 12 July 2016.
http://theplanetd.com/notre-dame-cathedral-from-the-river-seine/
Three Figures from Chartres Cathedral. “Medieval Sculpture.” Essential Humanities. 2013. Web. 12 July 2016. http://www.essential-humanities.net/western-art/sculpture/medieval/
