As Pilgrims followed the way of St. James to spiritual enlightenment at Santiago, walk with us on a digital pilgrimage to be inspired by our Medieval past. Called the Dark Ages, this period in art and architecture was anything but dark. The Light of the Dark Ages exhibition features art objects curated from across roughly a one-thousand-year span with a focus on the art, architecture, and intelligence of the Medieval period.
The exhibit begins by visiting Ravenna and the Church of San Vitale, decorated with colorful and shimmering mosaic images. Moving through the timeline a bit further, we will travel west, like the followers of Saint Columba, landing in Ireland around the year 800CE to learn about the magnificent Book of Kells. At the turn of the millennium, a religion-based pilgrimage was a popular endeavor, so let’s join the “cult of the relics” and drop in on France to pay homage to the relic of Saint Yrieix. As we follow our path through France, we surely need to visit the ultimate reliquary at Sainte-Chapelle. Toward the close of the Medieval era, let’s finish our digital pilgrimage in Italy, observing the work of Nichola Pisano and Giotto di Bondone. The work of Pisano and Giotto will provide a glimpse of all the future has to hold for art history.
As we complete this journey, remember all that you have seen, and know there is so much more Medieval art to witness. Brilliant minds stoked the fire of creativity and ingenuity despite the challenging hardships of Medieval life. The generations of Renaissance architects and artists that followed were truly “standing on the shoulders of giants.” Conveniently even this quote about giants finds its origins with Bernard of Chartres in the 12th century. Thank you for walking along on this journey through the Medieval art history timeline.
Don't forget your scallop shell badge!
Ed Zawora
