1. How the pilgrimages and monasteries contributed to the rise and development of the Romanesque style.

During the eleventh and the twelfth centuries was referred to as the Romanesque period. It is during this period that there was a tremendous revival of art and more so architecture of pilgrimages and monasteries. The concept of churches had reached new heights and arts were the only way through which they would depict their allegiance to religion. Pilgrimage and monastic movement were at the helm of the Romanesque church. Use of monumental sculpture and large scale architecture played a great role in developing the Romanesque style.

Romanesque style was mainly by priests and monks whose idea of spreading Christianity was carried out by skilled craftsmen. The art was used to make the early buildings in early years between 1000-1500 years. The pilgrims played a significant role in disseminating the Romanesque style by following the routes established by the Charlemagne where they spread the style to France, Spain and finally at Santiago de Compostella. On the other hand, monasteries were situated at the city gates where they provided essential services such as education and healthcare. They were also actively involved in agriculture, engineering and building which also contributed immensely to the development of the Romanesque style. The monasteries provided clean water and were also the builders of churches, cathedrals and public buildings all of which were essential to the Romans.

2. What were some of the changes in the structure of the cathedrals in Gothic Architecture?

One of the most notable contributions of the Christian art during the medieval era is the construction of the Gothic cathedral. This was a result of the old Romanesque architecture developed around 1140 and widely used all over Europe. Initially, there were numerous challenges in construction using this old architecture since most f the buildings would collapse. However, with the development of Gothic Architecture, there were numerous changes to the cathedral that made it more strong and durable.

The gothic architecture proposed several changes in all both interior and exterior designs of the cathedral. For instance, Gothic proposed a pointed arch instead of the rounded arch which was more flexible for interior design. There were also vaulted ceilings which were a strong and were easy to be supported by the newly introduced thin walls. Flying buttress was another major contribution of the Gothic architecture. There were also colorful windows that made it possible to have light in the cathedral. In essence, the gothic architecture provided the era with an impressive house of worship.

3. What part did “light” play in both a physical and spiritual sense in the Gothic cathedrals?

It is worth noting that there is great difference between the old Romanesque architecture and the new Gothic architecture. The old cathedrals were built of heavy, thick walls and divided spaces. However, this later changed to thin walls and translucent screen of glass which ensured that the cathedral was fully lit. This was based on the reasoning of the important physical and spiritual role that light plays. The Suger of St. Denis believed that the light through the stained glass windows was a divine light. He argued that this light was a direct revelation of the spirit of God.

Suger also had another meaning of the physical light. It is for this reason that he placed gold and other jewelry in church to ensure there is enough light. This was a clear indication of that he treasured physical beauty associated with light. The choir would also be clearly visible when the cathedral was fully lit. In essence, there were “lights of Faith” that brought the believers closer to God and the physical lighting that was necessary for the natural beauty of the cathedral.

4. Art of the 15^th century and the Christian themes with classical ideas, change in patronage from the church to the rising middle class and how it is reflected in the art

The renaissance of art in the early 15^th century was an important aspect to Christians especially in Italy. Even before the renaissance, there was extensive use of Christian figures that portrayed individuals with true emotions. Different Christian virtues were represented through arts to describe important Christian themes. The renaissance also brought about competition in the decoration of the church especially at the Florence where the renaissance started.

This rebirth of arts also brought about change in patronage from the church to the rising middle class. The era brought the competition to the ruling families and individuals which resulted in portraying secular arts. It is during this time that political portraits and other worldly images and sculptures took centre stage. The most significant of this post renaissance adventure is the erection of David’s statue in Florence which symbolized the how the mighty Milan threatened the small city. Goliath’s helmet indicates the war-like nature of the enemy, while David, as Florence, wears a hat with a wreath indicating peace.

5. Pre-renaissance artiste

Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone commonly referred to as Masaccio is one of the leading pre-renaissance artistes of his time. He is an Italian who lived between 1401 to 1428 and was very skillful in his work. He was known for his ability to create lifelike figures and movements and his ability to prove a three-dimension figure was also significant.

One of his most notable works involved the painting of the Holy Trinity. He pasted God the Father behind Christ and a dove that represented the Holy Spirit at his head, with the Virgin Mary and St. John below. He also included the donors and the two people who paid for this work. This work was a great contribution to the modern development of the artistic expression is the three dimension display of work. It was a continuation of Giotto’s work and are considered as the greatest contributors to the modern artistic work.

 
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