Art of the migrations

The Art of the migrations (also called " Arts barbares") to the works of art related to the migrations of the Germanic people corresponds during the Great invasions from 300 to 900. That includes the Art of migration Germanic tribes of the continent, like also art Hiberno-Saxon Art resulting from the fusion of arts Anglo-Saxon and Celtic in England. This art explores various forms like the polychrome style and the animal style .

The Art of the migrations is one of major arts of the medieval Art primitive.

Context

At the 3rd century, the Romain Empire is almost ploughed up and its army became increasingly Germanic in its composition, so that at the 4th century century, when the Huns pushed back the wandering tribes of German towards the west, they were spread through the borders of the Empire and started to settle there. Goths settled in Italy and in Spain, in north, the Francs settled as a Gaulle and in the west of Germany, and at the 5th century of the tribes the German ones and Scandinavians such as the Angles, Saxons and Jutes invaded England. With the whole beginning of the 6th century, the Empire Romain d' Occident was almost completely replaced by small Germanic kingdoms, politically less organized, but nevertheless vigorous.

If these kingdoms were never homogeneous, they divided nevertheless certain elements of joint culture. Traditionally Wandering S, they began sédentariser and to become farmers and fishing. Archaeological evidence shows that they do not have a tradition of monumental art, like the architecture or the sculpture of big size, preferring in the place an art " mobile" and with utility function, as weapons, tools and jewels. The art of the Germaniques people is almost entirely made elements of ornament personal, portable, and put in tomb like appaisement signs for the dead spirits in order to protect the alive ones.

Three styles dominate Germanic art. The polychrome style , which originates in Goths which settled in the area of the Black Sea, the animal style , which one finds in Scandinavia, in the north of Germany and in Anglo-Saxon England, and finally the Hiberno-Saxon style , characterized by one short period but nevertheless thrives which saw the fusion of the styles animal, Celtique and other reasons and techniques.

Art of migration

Polychrome style

See also: Art Visigoth

During the 2nd century, Goths of the south of Russia were discovered a new taste for the figurines out of gold and the objects encrusted with invaluable stones. This style was borrowed from the Scythes and Sarmatiens, with Roman influences, and was also popular at Huns. The most known example comes from the 4th century in the Treasury of Pietrossa (Petrossa) is in Romania, also made up of a large pin of gold eagle (picture). The reason for the eagle deviates of the East of Asia and comes from the contributions of ascending of Goths in the Hun Empire, as at the 4th century the loop of belt with head of polychrome eagle Goth (picture) of the south of Russia.

Goths brought this style in Italy, in the south of France and in Spain. A well-known example is that of the fibule to the Ostrogoth eagle of Césène, Italy, currently with the museum of Nuremberg (see the image). Another is the votive crown polychrome Goth (picture) of Recceswinth, King de Tolède, found in a hiding place going back to approximately 670 with the Fuente de Guarrazar, close to Tolède. The popularity of this style is attested by the discovery of a polychrome sword (picture) in the tomb of the king Franc Childéric Ier, well in the north of the Alps, the 5th century.

Animal style

principal Article: Animal Style

The study of zoomorphic decorations was initialized by Bernhard Salin at the beginning of the 20th century. It classified the animal art of periods 400-900 in three phases: Style scandinavien I, II and III. For the period of migration, the first two styles are most important.

Style I. This style appears initially in the North-East of Europe, having probably for origin the traditions of the wandering people of Asia resulting from the Steppes. It becomes a new style by the introduction of cutting per pieces applied to bronze and the money to the 5th century. It is characterized by animals in the margins of works which are twisted, exaggerated, surrealist, the pieces of fragmented bodies filling up all space available, creating a feeling of intense energy in the details. That is seen particularly on the pommel of the Norwegian sword Vendel of the Tomb V, Snartemo Hägebostad, Vest Agder, Norway (see the illustration), like also in this fibule (image) coming from Öland Island, approximately. 400-450.

Style II. After 600 Style I was declining and Saline Style II believed in popularity. Replacing the surrealist and fragmented animals Style I, the animals of Style II whole, are lengthened and interlaced in symmetrical forms. Thus two bears clash in a perfect symmetry, forming the contour of a heart. Examples of Style II can be seen on the lid of a gold purse (picture) with the Sutton Hoo (approximately of 625).

Influence Chrétienne

The church of the beginnings of the period of the Migrations emerged like only supranational force in Europe after the collapse of the Romain Empire. It provided an element of unification and is the only surviving institution which can preserve traditional civilization. With the end of the conversion of the Germanic people towards the end of the 7th century into Western Europe, the Church became the first patron of art, commissioning enluminés Manuscrits liturgical and other objects. The traces show a progressive decline of the Germaniques forms and their replacement by the forms of Méditerranéenne influence. This process was essential quickly with Goths of Italy and Spain and more slowly while going towards north. This change was observed at the 8th century in the codex of the Sacramentaire Gelasien Mérovingien, which did not contain elements of Style II, but to the place presented examples of Méditerranéens fish used in the construction of large reference letters enluminées to the beginning of the chapters.

Hiberno-Saxon art

See also: Celtic Art

Hiberno-Saxon art was confined in England and Ireland and resulted from the fusion of the Germaniques traditions (by the Anglo-Saxons) with the Celtiques traditions (by the Irish monks). It was observed since the end of the 7th century and this style would have continued in England approximately 150 years until the invasions Viking of the 9th century (after which one sees the emergence of the Anglo-Saxon Art), and in Ireland until the 12th century (period after which the Romanesque art appears).

History

The Celts of England and Ireland were already converted with Christianity when pagan the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisons invaded it at the 5th century. The Celts of Ireland were never invaded and continued to develop a Christian culture in all peace, being centered on the monachism, that the Celtic tribes found more adapted to their traditional model of life than the hierarchical system of the bishops and dioceses. Thus at the 6th century the monasteries of the Irish Celts became the dominant form of Christendom, and as the evangelization was the original intention of the monachism, they were prepared to diffuse the to know Latin in England, and elsewhere.

Saint Colomban was an Irish missionary of scale which towards 563 based a base on the Scottish island of Iona, of which it converted the pagan Pictes into Scotland. The monks of Colomban went then in Northumbrie in 635 and based a monastery on the island of Lindisfarne, since which it converted the north of England. However Rome had already begun the conversion of the Anglo-Saxon since the south with a mission with the Kent into 577. There a conflict between the Irish monks and Rome started on the date of celebration of Easter, following which the mission Irish was withdrawn from Lindisfarne towards Iona. Thus Anglo-Saxon England became more and more under the Méditerranéenne influence, but not before the golden age of art Irish Celtique and Anglo-Saxon art does not amalgamate.

The first work which can be called purely Hiberno-Saxonne is the Livre of Durrow towards the end of the 7th century. Then the golden age came from the work of metal, the manuscripts and the sculpture on stone. At the 9th century Hiberno-Saxon art arrived close to its end with the irruptions of invasions and raids Vikings (towards 807) and a domination of the Méditerranéennes forms (see Anglo-Saxon Art).

Enluminés manuscripts

Art Irish Celtique was, since the age of the iron, always characterized by the culture Tène for the work of iron. The Celtic suspended balls as those found with the Sutton Hoo are among the most important parts of these craftsmen. As the Irish missionaries started to spread the Gospels, they needed books, and almost since the beginning started to embellish their texts with artistic drawings inspired of these metallurgical traditions. The spirals and the interlacings in the illustrated capitals - present in the first manuscripts as the Cathach of St Colomban of VIIe century borrows its style directly from the Celtiques enamels and reasons on iron of Tène.

After Cathach of St Colomban, illuminations and decorations of books became increasingly complex and of new styles of other cultures were introduced. The enluminées capitals - complete pages of ornamentation without text - were usually inserted into the beginning of each Gospel. The geometrical reasons and reasons for interlacing are of influence Coptique Egyptienne. The increasingly important use of animal ornamentation is a Anglo-Saxon contribution in its animal style. All these influences and traditions combined in what will be called the new Hiberno-Saxon style, whose Livre of Durrow fine VIIe century is the first example. The Évangiles of Lindisfarne are another famous example.

The Livre of Kells was probably created in Iona in VIIIe century. When the monks fled in Ireland following the raids Vikings of 807, they probably took it along with them to Kells to Ireland. It is the Hiberno-Saxon manuscript more decorated and which represents a large range of techniques and reasons created during the 8th century.

Work of metal

At the 8th century a resurgence of the work of metals with novel methods emerged of which the Filigrane gilded which allowed increasingly small and detailed ornamentations. The Broche of Tared and the Calice of Ardagh is among the most splendid examples. They joined together all the talents necessary of the goldsmiths of the 8th century in only one part: the ornamentation is applied to a variety of materials, sculpture by chips, filigree, bulk-heading and rock crystal.

Sculpture on stone

The capacities presented in metal works can be seen in the sculptures on stone. During many centuries the habit Irish presented broad wood cross in the monasteries. They were thus carried out hones some and were covered with the same interlaced reasons used by the blacksmiths.

See too

References

J.Huber, J.Porcher, " Europe of the invasions" , Universe of the forms, Gallimard
Martin Werner, " Migration and Hiberno-Saxon Art" , Old Dictionaries off the Middle , flight-8, ISBN 0684182742

Internal bonds

Art:

Art préroman in Spain
Art Visigoth (general article)

History:

External bonds

historical Images, to see " Age of the fer" in Europe.

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