The Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages, describes the time between the fifth and fourteenth centuries. This epoch is considered “dark” due to the negative events that occurred, such as destruction, famine, war, and plague. The Middle Ages was named by scholars to describe the years between the fall of the Roman empire and the beginning of modern Europe. Much of the European countries during this time depended on religion, particularly the Catholic church. This resulted in increased devotion to prayer and faith. With this came some of the most renowned art of the Middle Ages. This included mosaics, tapestries, stained glass, paintings on parchment and panels, illuminated manuscripts, and sculptures. Most art created was dedicated to the church and was their property. This was partially because many artists didn’t sign their work, believing that it may indicate abnormal individual creativity. Romanesque art reached its peak during the eleventh and twelfth centuries and Gothic art during the twelfth and late thirteenth centuries. In art created during the Middle Ages, subjects depicted a slender and willowy body shape. Their impassive facial expressions made it difficult to connect to the work and story. Since perspective wasn’t considered, depth perception and linear perspective were nearly absent, making the art seem rigid. Vanishing and focal points were also missing, causing some pieces to develop low color and value contrasts. Heavenly golden backgrounds were popular, symbolizing the dependence on religion that many in the Middle Ages held. Art was also one or two-dimensional, lacking the shadows needed to add realism to the piece. Naturalism was rare to encounter in art. For example, in a manuscript illumination from the Prayer Book (Breviary) of Philip the Fair titled David and Goliath (Fig. 1), characteristics of medieval artwork can be recognized. The figures in the top portion of the illumination are indeed slender and all hold similar expressions. There is minimal depth perception and linear perspective present, making them seem inflexible. A vanishing and focal point are unseen. Additionally, there are no shadows visible, despite the sunny environment. Art began to transform into the Proto-Renaissance style when the Italian artist Giotto initialized perspective.
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