One of the aspects to the art and architecture we have discussed this Unit from such related yet diverse faiths as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is the way that their beliefs influenced how the art was produced, be it the nuanced symbolism and narrative of Christian art to the aniconic, intricately decorative and calligraphic Islamic art. Yet, as we saw with the art of Charlemagne during the Carolingian period, there was an intent to visually link his reign with that of historic Roman Christian emperors like Constantine. Such political motivations also relied upon stylistic and iconographic references. With this in mind, for the Unit Six Discussion blog post you will be conducting research online to find examples of specific types of illuminated manuscript pages reflective of both religious and secular (non-religious) aspects of Christian and Islamic authority. To complete this, do the following:
- Using online resources, find examples of one (1) image/page from a Christian religious illuminated manuscript from any of the periods discussed in this Unit (Early Christian, Early Medieval, Hiberno-Saxon, Carolingian, Ottonian, with dates ranging from 400-1000 CE) and one (1) image/page from an Islamic religious manuscript from the periods and regions discussed in this Unit (roughly 600-1000 CE). Provide links to the images online, or embed the files directly to your blog post.
- Using online resources, find examples of EITHER one (1) image/page from a manuscript reflective of secular interests of Christian societies and governments from any of the periods discussed in this Unit (this may also include interpretations of images with religious symbolism that can be construed as related to secular interests), OR one (1) image/page from an Islamic secular manuscript (with latitude given to dates after 1000 CE but no later than 1300 CE). Provide links to the images online, or upload the files directly to the discussion board.
- For each manuscript page you choose to discuss, be sure identify each with the name, title of manuscript, and date.
- Write a 4-5 page response posted to the blog answering the following questions about the THREE (3) images you choose:
- What is the imagery presented in each image/page and is the imagery symbolic in anyway pertaining to the faith/culture that produced it?
- How is the style employed in each image/page reflective of the religious culture that produced it?
- Do the examples of religious images/pages correspond with aspects of the beliefs of the religious culture that produced it, and if so, how?
- Does the examples of non-religious image/page appear to present a specific view of the administration/leaders who produced or commissioned the manuscript, and if so, how?
You may find the following online databases helpful in finding appropriate images for this assignment:
You may NOT use any images/pages from manuscripts discussed in the textbook or lesson file.This assignment will be worth up to one hundred (100) points and will be graded based on the following criteria:
- following all the steps and completing the assignment fully and correctly
- the veracity and appropriateness of the types of manuscript images/pages chosen, and how clearly and accurately they are related to what was learned and discussed this Unit in regards to Early Christian, Islamic, and Early Medieval society, history, art and architecture
- the clarity of thought in the writing and organization of the submission
- using proper spelling and grammar
