Ivory Panel with Archangel
The ivory panel with Archangel is a diptych ivory sheet measuring 16.8 5.6 0.35 in (42.8 14.3 0.9 cm). The ivory panel with the Archangel relates the tale of people’s lives since these panels were inlaid into hardwood furniture, maybe a folding sofa used by someone of great rank and riches, such as a priest or governor. The finding of this ivory is just another piece of the jigsaw in comprehending the city’s political and economic status as part of a worldwide system of government and economics.
The picture of the Archangel represents the victory of Christianity in the Byzantine Empire. The panel has been extensively carved, as demonstrated by the shadows cast by some of the image’s intricacies (Harris et al. 3:28-3:33). Also, the panel is very detailed, as people can see the columns’ volutes with leaves on them. It is also worth mentioning that the artist depicts the Archangel hovering above the steps, which may signify resistance to the classical world.
The Kaaba
The Kaaba, located in the holy city of Mecca, is unquestionably the first and most significant shrine in the Muslim world. It is one of three Islamic shrines to which pilgrimage is authorized under Sharia law. The Kaaba was the first temple built on Earth to worship God. The Kaaba has existed since the creation of the world. It was erected by the first man, Adam, with the order and support of Allah; later, it was destroyed by a flood and repaired by the care of Ibrahim, the progenitor of the northern Arabs, and Ismail, Ibrahim’s son (Macaulay and Macaulay).
The Kaaba is a tiny rectangular building with no windows and a flat roof; its one silver-rimmed entrance is unusual in that the threshold is two meters high. In the southwestern corner of the Kaaba lies a holy black oval stone rimmed in silver, most likely of meteoric origin. This stone was sent by Allah himself to represent his strength and favor; originally gleaming white, it eventually became black due to humanity’s misdeeds.
Matthew in the Coronation Gospels and Ebbo Gospels
The evangelists in Ebbon’s Gospel are strikingly similar to the pictures in the Utrecht Psalter, leading to the conclusion that both texts were painted by the same person. Both volumes are from the Carolingian Reims School of Art’s golden age. The miniatures of the Ebbo Gospels are in the manner of Reimsian book art. The artist of the Ebo Gospel was said to be a student of the master of the Coronation Gospel. In any case, he probably utilized his senior colleague’s work as a model.
This is seen, for example, in the image of the Evangelist Matthew. Matthew sits in the open air behind a lectern in profile to the viewer, like in Charlemagne’s Coronation Gospel, and writes in the book lying before him. However, the method of execution has altered dramatically. First and foremost, it has grown more visual. A restless, vibrating line has taken the place of the visual smear (Freeman). This dynamic, fragmentary, wavering line adds a frenzied energy to the image. The artist used distortion to express the evangelist’s state of rapture and to underscore the supernatural nature of what is happening.
The Basilica of San Clemente
The Basilica of San Clemente was a unique sacred place for the ancient Romans, so it was important to the people of the time. According to current archaeologists, the construction of the building is a form of a pyramid, with three layers of structures, including the lowest (I – III centuries AD), middle (IV century AD), and upper (XII) (Reilly). On the lowest floors of the current basilica are the foundations of a structure, most likely from the Republican era, that may have been destroyed in the Great Fire of ’64.
The industrial structure was most likely the imperial mint of Rome from the late first century AD. Since the early Church was situated on the spot of councils presided over by Popes Zosimus and Symmachus, the structure tells the story of the people of the time. The ceremonial entry is through an atrium flanked by arcades, which currently functions as a cloister with monastic structures around it. Carlo Stefano Fontana’s chaste facade, supported by ancient columns and a modest bell tower, stands in front of the atrium. The basilica behind it is made up of three naves split by arcades on old marble or granite columns with mosaics in the Cosmate style.
Sainte-Chapelle
Sainte-Chapelle, a great wonder of the world known for its rainbow transparency, is still visible today as a magnificent casket of stone and glass. The construction of Sainte-Chapelle was commissioned by King Louis the Ninth in order to house the sacred relics of the Lord’s Passion. Sainte-Chapelle, a blazing Gothic masterpiece, is a tribute to the skill of artisans in the 13th century.
St. Chapelle is situated on the grounds of the residence of Justice, where the royal residence of Philip Augustus once stood. St. Louis also resided here while he was not in the Palace of Vincennes. The top chapel enchants with its grandeur, airiness, the magnificence of its embellishments, and the colorful sheen of light coming through the massive stained glass windows. The sculptures of the apostles standing between the windows are regarded as Gothic sculptural masterpieces.
Their layout makes use of the notion of utilizing sculptures of the earliest followers of Christ, the actual pillars of the Church, as the Church’s tangible support – buttresses. Fifteen massive 13th-century stained glass windows and a 15th-century rosette generate inexpressible colorful illumination, the intensity of which has been appreciated throughout history. There are 1,130 figurative panels in these stained glass windows (Harris and Zucker 2:49).
The stained-glass windows of St. Chapel are divided into two cycles: the first cycle represents the story of the people of Israel according to passages ranging from Genesis to the Apocalypse, and the second cycle depicts the life of Christ. The same cycle contains the account of the transport of Louis’ relics to Paris; therefore, the King of France is included in the sequence of kings of Israel, making the French monarchs the heirs of the Bible’s kings. The altarpiece is devoted to Christ’s infancy and Passion, as well as to John the Baptist and the Evangelist, the author of the Apocalypse. The second cycle is dedicated to the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Daniel and portrays their works. The western rose, in turn, represents John prostrate at the feet of Jesus, flanked by seven lampstands and seven churches.
The Bier of Iskandar
The Bier of Iskandar is a folio from the Great Mongolian Shahnameh made of paper, ink, opaque watercolor, and gold. The Shahnameh manuscript, created for the Persian Shah Tahmasp (1514-1576), is one of the best-illuminated manuscripts and one of the greatest works of art in the world. It attests to how evolved the skill of manuscript writing was at the time. The folio was sent to Ottoman Sultan Selim II in 1568 by Shah Tahmasp, son of Shah Ismail. The text is written in Persian, in black lettering (Farhad et al. 1:27). A battle between Kay Khosrow and Afrasiyab is illustrated and inscribed on the front of the folio.
On the back side, there is lettering that reads, “Letter of Kay Khosrow to Kavus and his victory.” The text and artwork are typed in gold and black lines on cream-colored paper on the border. In the middle of the artwork, the artist depicts a coffin surrounded by individuals who are in anguish. The author portrays emotions extremely vividly through the posture of the depicted people’s hands and facial expressions (Farhad et al. 2:58). The symmetry of the surroundings also conveys Alexander’s importance to the artist.
Reflection
Thus, I learned that via numerous pieces of art, people may learn about the lives of individuals from various eras. This is reflected by the materials used to build the pieces, as well as their shape. In addition, these products reflect people’s ideals, faith, and daily lives. For example, during an age of never-ending battle, the Church was the principal institution in European civilization that eased people’s emotions. The blameless lifestyles of pious monks, their hard self-discipline, and heroic actions gradually became a way of popularizing Christianity among the masses.
Society was clearly more spiritual in those days than it is today. People were more concerned with the welfare of their souls than with monetary wealth. Religious and cultural traditions influenced people’s conduct and controlled the collective psyche. I was also surprised at how detailed the ivory panel with the Archangel’s image was carved. This gives this object its uniqueness and makes it a work of art.
Works Cited
Harris, Dr. Beth and Dr. Steven Zucker, et al. “Ivory Panel with Archangel.” Web.
Harris, Dr. Beth and Dr. Steven Zucker. “Sainte-Chapelle, Paris.” Web.
Farhad, Dr. Massumeh, et al. “Folio from a Shahnama, the Bier of Iskandar (Alexander the Great).” Web.
Freeman, Dr. Jennifer Awes. “Matthew in the Coronation Gospels and Ebbo Gospels”. Web.
Macaulay, Dr. Elizabeth. “The Kaaba”. Web.
Reilly, Dr. Diane. “The Basilica of San Clemente, Rome”. Web.