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Jan 1, 1400
"Ecclesie Militantis" by Guillame Dufay
Dufay, a Netherlandish composer, creates a work that encapsulates the music of the time, which was mostly all chansons and motets. Dufay, like many composers of the time, studied and created at Burgundy. He also is one of the first composers to use fauxbourdon in his works. "Ecclesie Militantis" is beautiful as the listener hears the long strains of the vocals echoed by the music. -
Period: Jan 1, 1400 to Jan 1, 1500
1400-1500 Art623
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Jan 1, 1405
"The Book of the City of Ladies" by Christine de Pizan
De Pizan's novel is one of the first novels by a female writer, and her book advocates an active and equal role of women in society. Being one of the first female writers, she shined in a time period where not a vast amount of books were being produced. She firmly portrayed women through her female characters as they were active in society and also in education. De Pizan asked for equality and truly was ahead of her time. -
Jan 1, 1416
"January-Book of Hours" by the Limbourg Brothers
The LImbourg Brothers create something called an illuminated manuscripts. The manuscripts were bright and full of life of the time period. "January" captures people enjoying food, trading, and interacting socially with one another. The brothers use color to draw the viewer's eye through out the work, especially royal blue, connecting it up even to the heavens. Hospitality and chivalry is seen towards the top of the work as knights enter. The work blends the Medieval influences with Christianity. -
Jan 1, 1427
"Holy Trinity" by Massacio
Massacio's "Holy Trinity" flexes the major themes of the time period in that it demonstrates perspective and the feel of receding space as well as the work being associated with Christianity, specifically works based around Christ. Massacio also demonstrates how donors and money influence the Church. Finally, Massacio includes a momento mori at the bottom of the "Holy Trinity" as a reminder that one day, regardless of money or Christian faith, death will reach everyone. -
Jan 1, 1430
"Il Duomo, Florence" by Brunelleschi
The great Italian dome in Florence, Itlay is revolutionary for its time period. Brunelleschi carried with him the knowledge from the Panteon. He created the dome in Florence that spaned 138 feet across and 100 feet high. The unique octogon shape is supported by a series of intricate ribbing to create the vault of the dome. The exterior is symmetrical and it towers above Florence, yet still matches the red roofs, offset by the white exterior. -
Jan 1, 1434
"Arnolfini Portrait" by Jan Van Eyck
Van Eyck's "Arnolfini Portrait" is iconic in art history for the couple stand together formally, in a type of wedding portrait. The entire portrait is full of symbolism, like the small dog, the fruit, the shoes, the woman's pose, and the mirror in the center hanging on the back wall. The chandelier has been viewed over and over again as ahead of its time. Much of the symbolism is linked to Christianity, which, during this time period, is a deep and wide spread belief. -
Jan 1, 1435
"Descent from the Cross" by Roger van der Weyden
Van Der Weyden's painting, like many others of the time period, is a Christian inspired work. As Jesus is taken down from the cross, the viewer sees the pain and emotion of the mourners. The artist's bold colors, like Van Eyck's, move the viewer's eye around the work. Van Der Weyden uses the skull and bones as a reminder to the viewers of the mortality of life. Both Mary and Christ mimic each other, as they each have suffered a loss that connects them both. -
Jan 1, 1440
"David" by Donatello
Donatello's "David" is a sculpture that creates discussion among viewers because it is revolutionary in that Donatello captures David as a much younger man and gives him an almost femine quality in his serpentine stance, his long hair, his narrow jaw. David also has an air about him as he is standing on the head of Goliath. Donatello captures this young man, almost still a boy, and he does not portray him as armored or suited for battle but shows him post batter, victorious. -
Jan 1, 1451
"House of Jacques Coeur" in France
The Palace of Jacques Coeur is one of the examples of architecture of the time period. The home is of white stone and the outlay creates the home's own courtyard. Also, the home breaks away from the standard symmetry seen in many other buildings, but the home still unites aesthetically and blends old architecture concepts with new ideas and concepts in architecture. -
Jan 1, 1452
"Gates of Paradise" by Lorenzo Ghiberti
Ghiberti created the doors to the Florence Baptistry that are positively radiant. The five scenes from the Old Testament were created first in wax, casted in bronze, and coated with gold. He uses a cleaner look for the plates with the square format, but he also created the scenes with the revolutionary new perspective, which gives viewers a sense of depth that truly makes his scenes beautiful. -
Jan 1, 1464
"Ston, in Dalmatia" by Michellozzo
The wall, when first created, spanned 4.3 miles and protected the city (what is present day Southern Croatia). The layout was elaborate and contained towers, gates, lines and organized streets. Later, after the fall of that regn, portions of the wall were removed. The stones removed from the wall were used in other buildings' construction. The wall by Michellozzo provided protection to the city, but also added aesthetic appeal and gave the comfort to those within it. -
Jan 1, 1464
"L'homme arme" by Robert Morton
Morton, an English composer, studied and did most of his work at Burgundy. HIs most famous composition, "L'homme Arme" was used as the core music for mass services. This piece is unique becaseu it is a quodlibet. There is a strong beat and rhythm that can be heard throughout the work in its entirety and it certainly eminates a soulful experience found at a mass service. -
Jan 1, 1470
"Santa Maria Novella" by Alberti
The "Santa Maria Novella" by Alberti is the addition of the upper half to the Novella. He created the addition to it that blends and unites the old and new. A great deal of symmetry can be seen in "Santa Maria Novella." Alberti uses detail and high attention to intricate design. The Novella, because of the detail, feels almost Eastern in influence, as it is more rounded in shape and focuses on the designs on the facade than other churches of the time. -
Jan 1, 1470
"Le Morte D'Arthur" by Thomas Malroy.
Malroy takes the Medieval setting and uses the knights of the round table as the characters in the most well known book from the time period. He continues to draw qualities from the past, like chivalry and knighthood, and bring them forth in the 1400's. Malroy unites the past and the present as society goes through a major cultural shift as a whole and keeps society knowledgable with the ties to the past as well as an engaging and emotional adventure. -
Jan 1, 1474
"Camera Picta (Camera degli Sposi)" by Andrea Mantegna
Mantegna creates this fresco by heightening and enlightening a sense of illusionism. As the viewer looks up at the celing, putis peer down, angels talk, and of course the beautiful heavens are above. The revolutionary part of the fresco is the illusion that it is three dimensional. The viewer truly gets the sense that the ceiling is deeper and not a flat surface. -
Jan 1, 1486
"Birth of Venus" by Botticelli
Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" is quite iconic; Venus is often compared to various other creations of either Venus or Eve. Botticelli is unique for choosing a mythological inspiration in a time of high Christianity. He portrays Venus as an elongated, beautiful woman, floating in on heavy symbolism, blown by the wind and ushering spring and new life. In Venus's S-curve shapes, she looks off distantly in a picture of sadness and wonder, an etheral feel to the Greek goddess. -
Jan 1, 1498
"The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci
"The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci has always been an iconic painting. Da Vinci lined the dinner group up on the same side of the table to allow the viewer to become a part of the meal. He creates groups within the work and viewers can recognize and relate to each one. He uses triangular shapes to create many of these groups. The work is iconic and has been used and seen in many ways throughout history in all cultures. -
Jan 1, 1498
"Four Riders of the Apocalypse" by Albrecht Durer
Durer takes a Biblical theme and creates a haunting woodcut print of the four riders, ushering in the apocalypse as the angel flies above them. Durer's detail in the woodcut makes it astounding as he can draw forwasd and sink back in space parts of the work, and it is all out of the same piece of wood and printed. Durer also leaves his own initials on his work, the first of this for viewers to see as ownership of works on art. -
Jan 1, 1500
"Pieta" by Michelangelo
The "Pieta" by Michelangelo captures such sadness and takes a holy moment and allows Jesus to become human as others mourn His loss. the woman's face captures the absolute sadness and grief that many feel. His sacrifice is truly felt in this moment. Michelangelo captures the humaness as her hands hold the dead weight and her fingers press in to His flesh. -
Jan 1, 1500
"The Epiphany" or "Adoration of the Magi" by Bosch
Bosch creates this triptic, inspired by his local landscapes, hosting the Baby Christ. He breaks the scene across the three panels, but he also breaks the painting horizontally as well and divides the space to create depth in this way. Bosch captures the poverty of the landscape, the broken home that Christ is in, but he also shows the knights gathered further back in the landscape and the onlooking city as creating an image of the present day and finding a Baby Christ in the present. -
Jan 1, 1500
"Que Vous Madame/ in pace" by Josquien de Prez
De Prez studied in many different places in the world. One of his greatest contributions to music was the addition of the motet-chanson. "Ques Vous Madame/ in pace" is a powerful piece that contains long, hcnating like strains that echo to the listener in the long pulls and journey of the song. Like many of the other compositions of the time, the music was popularly used and found in the church setting or for religious purposes.
