Monastic Art Essay

Monastic fine art is subdivided in two genres the reclusive abstainer art form and the aesthetic art form (Sekules 77). The characterisation of saints in the monasteries is a common theme and narrows it down to the whole ghostly romancearies and deities which produced those visions. The entire sequestered sphither was dedicated to placing bingleself in a bearing to receive sacred communication from God hence it is not affect that monasteries and convents heavily sought for visual representation of their favorite saints or God.In gallant times, monastic art was comm only(prenominal) etched on ceilings, walls, and frescoes to render the viewer into a realm of holiness to enrich the artistic and sacred experience. As aforementioned monastic life could either be ascetic which falls in line with the austere lives of the monks or it could be highly beautified which displayed all the wealth and glamor of the Medieval Catholic Church. Most monastic art ar derived from the Byzan tine model were paintings were very embellished, attractive, symbolic, and magnificent in size.At the Abbey of Santa Maria la Real de Las Huelgas, Spain, there are the Berenguela knit cushion covers and skillfully embellish gloves, overlaid with gold and scarlet (1275). This highly decorated covers are in memoriam of Prince Fernando de la Cerda (Shadis 168). Benedictine Monasteries The Rule of St. Benedict needful them to withdraw from the world into a communal life organized more or less prayer so that their spiritual inclinations were not directed to other areas of compliancy (Sekules 61). Because of this policy art work conforms to the standards of the monastery.Jesus Christ, Catholic saints, monasteries, the virgin Mary, saintly mother and child paintings are all regular images of the knightly monastery. Benedictine monasteries boasted a wide array of art much(prenominal) as An luminousness of Stephen Harding (1225) at the Abbey at Citeaux. In this classic, monastic pai nting there are two models of monasteries, handed by two Benedictine monks, one of which is the side of meatman Stephen Harding himself, which are delivered up to the virgin Mary to sanction or reject. Benedictine cloisters have inscriptions in windows, stonework, paintings, and manuscripts (Luxford 11).This type of veneration is called Cisternian illumination where there is a privy connection and communication with the divine. Golden auras and golden thrones with elaborate architectured monasteries characterize this work. other famous Benedictine art form is Benedict of Nursia (1435) displayed at the Abbey at Florence, Italy. This painting done by Frey Angelico exhibits the simple face of St. Benedict with a holy halo encircling his head, in a grave, solemn, pensive mood, corresponding to what one would expect in a monastic setting.Women in Power-Medieval womens liberation movement The Em mightinessed Woman Before Mary Wollenstonecraft even crafted the Declaration of Women (179 1), the embryologic signs of an emerging feminist movement were already visible. Due to religious, neighborly, and cultural dogmas and restraints, women were hold to the private sphere, unable to take part in the activities and pursuits of men. Nevertheless, a few women have propelled themselves and unwittingly their female counterparts to a whole new ratio in the Middle Ages.The woman is a recurrent depiction in Medieval Art and ventinghitecture, not to mention in an age where in the Marian cult (and even in the Greco-Latin mythology) was venerated as goddiethylstilbesterols, saint, and intercessor. Personification of places, whether cities or countries especially as regal or armed women, are one of the oldest forms of power symbolism(Sekules 13). Several countries have depicted women at contend as their national icons for example Roma, Germania, Brittanica, Sclavenia, Columbia, Athena, Italia Turrita, Hispania, Polonia, Europa etc. The women are either portrayed as martial, royal, or both.Medieval art demonstrated the empowerment of women, where women sometimes moved out of the home space and actively engaged in business, art, warfare, and politics. Joan of arch One of the women who stands out is Joan of Arc. Historically, Joan of Arc is lauded as a liberator of France who bravely warred against England to set free her countrymen who labored under the British yoke. Quite unconnected from her saintly character, Joans credibility as a military attractor may have gained greater currency thanks to the classical customs that personified the authority of war in female form (Sekules 165).Art enables kind criticism. Martin Le Franc sides with Joan of Arc unique personality both as a feminist and as a woman. Through his medieval portrayal of Joan of Arc both as a heroine, military hero, and spiritual icon, he embraces her as a daring woman. Martin Le Franc in Le fend for des Dames, a work directly inspired by the quarrel or so Le Roman de la Rose, take s Joans part against her detractors. Their arguments focus on her belligerence, her transvestism, and her condemnation by the Church (Warner 220).In the late-Medieval painting Le Champion des Dames (1450), one observes Joan of Arc holding two white flags and flanked by them in a biblical setting. Although critics say that this portrayal is anachronistic, it voices volumes in maintain the sanctity of a patriot and prophetess who received visions and supernatural messages. Christine was an admirer of Joan (of Arcs) achievements and a defender when she needed it (Sekules 165). Joan of Arc, a powerful woman, inspired other medieval woman in power, Christine de Pisan, who highly esteemed Joan as a valiant, holy, and still feminine woman.Christine De Pisan Another medieval woman which broke from the social norms and launched out into the space of art, literature, and religion is Christine de Pisan (1365-1434). One could argue that because of her blueish position she enjoyed many more liberties than the average woman of the Middle Ages however turn out prejudice and misogynist ideologies against the woman existed and was encouraged against both the lower and upper classed woman. Christine de Pisan was literate, cultivated her artistic talent, and was mistress of her household (Christine de Pisan).Although today these characteristics seem ordinary, cover in the medieval times, it was a rarity for a woman, even an aristocratic one to be qualified with all these talents. Christine de Pizan was born in Italy precisely married to a Frenchman. De Pisan was a prolific author as she produced several(prenominal) essays, poems, books, ballads, and epistles. The art piece of Christine de Pisan Writing is not as common as it seems for women were often relegated non-scholastic tasks for the general public deemed them inferior. In the depiction of De Pisan paper, the setting is clear at an abbey or monastery.De Pizan was also the breadwinner of her family following her hu sbands freeing therefore she emerged as one of the few women who made a reenforcement from writing. Numerous medieval portraits of Christine de Pisan exist where she is either consulting with people in power such as Joan of Arc (Christine de Pisan Livres des Faits des Armes et de Chevalerie, 1409), diligently writing at an abbey (Christine de Pisan Writing), or educating her others (Christine de Pisan Instructing Her Son and Christine de Pisan Lecturing a Group of Men). Convents or nunneries in the medieval period.It can be argued that nunneries and convents offered women an element of freedom (Medieval Convent or Nunnery). At the convents, the nuns had most commodities at their disposal and were not bound to family responsibilities, for here they concentrated on God and pursued holiness in the undercover religious life. Nuns were also enfranchised to vote in an abbess or mother superior, who in turn would govern the affairs of the female community. Since medieval times, the nunn ery also was fitted with hospitals, gardens, chapels, dormitories, libraries, and a school.As a result, nuns had the unique opportunity to be holistically educated and independent. This peculiar branch of female liberation fosters artistic exploration. Art work often has appeared at convents where nuns have drawn or invented masterpieces such as Second to Nun Paintings Medieval paintings also tended to focus on holy women whether they be goddesses or cloistered nuns and mothers. One major medieval masterpiece shows Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), a nun of St. Benedict of wrote books, plays, sermons, and poetry practiced medicine, and functioned as advisor to monarchs and popes.Hildegard is indeed a medieval and modern-day feminist who was not afraid to hold and wield power even among men folk. A celebrated illustration of her is represented in Illumination from the Liber Scivias, 1151 where she receives a vision and transcribes it as a deity reveals it to her. This dynamic woman dictates the divine messages in a book called The Scivias. This portrait conveys the reality of the enlightened woman in all spheres. She too can be an instrument not only for familial purposes but in multifaceted way, contributing to society, religion, and culture.References Christine de Pizan . Retrieved 06 may 2010 Les Enluminures Presents Women in Medieval Art . Retrieved 06 May 2010 Luxford, Julian M. The Art and Architecture of English Benedictine Monasteries 1300-1540 A Patronage History. Boyell Press, United Kingdom, 2008. Medieval Convent or Nunnery . Retrieved 06 May