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Showing posts from January, 2018

Giotto

Giotto di Bondone was born in the year of 1276 in Vespignano, near Florence, Italy. He is known as the as the most important Italian painter of the 14th century. His work plays a part to the famous Renaissance developed a century later. For almost seven centuries, Giotto has been known as the father of European painting and one of the first of the great masters of art. Unfortunately, Giotto died on January 8, 1337. However, he lived a full artistic life: he painted frescoes in the Upper Church at Assisi, in the Lower Church of the Basilica of St. Francis, and across Italy's historic churches. He primarily worked with frescoes and the theme of his art is focused on events from the bible. His art style is has very dark and earthy tones and he doesn't shy away from using intense imagery like blood and death. Above is The Lamentation by Giotto and can be seen in the Arena Chapel in Padua. This painting is known for the dark tones and the overwhelming sadness. It showcases the

Gargoyles and Grotesque

According to the dictionary, the definition of a gargoyle is "a grotesque carved human or animal face or figure projecting from the gutter of a building, typically acting as a spout to carry water clear of a wall." These disgusting looking creatures served has two functions for the medieval time period. The first one has a practical purpose: gargoyles provided protection from erosion so that the buildings such as churches, cathedrals, and castles didn't wash away. The second purpose of gargoyles was as protectors or guardians of the buildings. Primarily, they were designed to ward off evil. GARGOYLES GROTESQUES

Early Medieval Art and Celtic Design

Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic Mosaics

The Romans, Byzantine empire, and Islam all used tiny coloured stones or pieces of ceramic called tesserae to make their mosaics. Roman: Byzantine: Islamic: