Medieval Europe + Byzantium

Christianity and art

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Little is known about Jesus beyond biblical accounts, though we do know more about the cultural and political context in which he lived.

Judaism and art

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The early Israelites made sacrifices at the Holy Temple, and they were distinct from other Levantine peoples, each of whom worshipped their local gods.

Books in medieval Europe

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More books survive from the Middle Ages than any other artistic medium.

Early Christian

c. 200–500 C.E.

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Christianity in its first three centuries was one of a large number of mystery religions that flourished in the Roman world.

Byzantine

c. 330–1453 C.E.

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The Roman Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity and founded Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). This city was previously known as Byzantium, hence the term "Byzantine."

Early Medieval

c. 500–800 C.E.

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Christianity flourished in the early middle ages and this dramatically affected art that was created across Europe.

Carolingian

780–900 C.E.

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Charlemagne, King of the Franks and later Holy Roman Emperor, instigated a cultural revival known as the Carolingian Renaissance.

Ottonian

c. 936–1015 C.E.

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The Ottonian kings defined themselves as a Roman Emperors in the style of Constantine and Charlemagne, and left an extensive artistic legacy.

Viking Age

7th–13th century C.E.

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The Viking Age is more complex than we realize.

Romanesque

c. 1000–1200 C.E.

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Pilgrimages, crusades and the first international style of art since antiquity: the Romanesque.

Gothic

c. 1200–1400 C.E.

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Forget the association of the word "Gothic" to dark, haunted houses. The Gothic style brought both divine light and soaring height to medieval churches.

The Crusades

c. 1095–1291 C.E.

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Crusading took many forms, and attempting to precisely define crusading has engaged historians in intense debates for more than 150 years.

Late Medieval

c. 1400–1500 C.E.

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