When one thinks of medieval art, the period that encompasses the work spans more than 1000 years. At the beginning of the period, the styles were limited and the subjects few; however, at the end of the period the styles and subjects had become extremely diverse with many artist practicing their craft in numerous forms.
This time frame is generally broken down into different periods and movements such as Celtic, Early Christian, Romanesque, Gothic, Byzantine and other styles. In creating their work the artist drew their inspiration from the heritage of the Romans, the strong influence of the church and later, secular subjects.
While many different styles encompass the medieval art form, perhaps two of most recognizable are Romanesque and Gothic. These two styles are visible in many different forms throughout the medieval period.
The medieval art, in its earliest form, was most often found in the church, being shown in the architecture, the murals and panels found in the religious setting. As was typical and to be expected with artwork that originated in the church, the subjects were religious in nature, frequently showing stories from the Old and New Testaments, often placing them side by side. The lives of the saints were also commonly shown. Early medieval art forms portrayed their subjects, such as the Virgin Mary, as iconic and somewhat two dimensional. As the Romanesque and Gothic forms developed, the subjects were given more depth, frequently being shown interacting in a more personal manner with more three dimensional human qualities.
While the many art forms may have originated in the church, as the wealth of the nobility and the upper classes grew, so did their interest in and their desire to acquire and own the art of their own. This caused a change in the subject matter. While religious themes were still quite common, secular, or non-religious themes began to appear. The wealth of the upper class allowed individuals to patronize specific artists, commissioning certain works. Masters opened studios where apprentices studied. Guilds were also formed for the artists.
The paintings of the medieval period, generally the Gothic form, can be categorized into four different areas. Frescos, or what could be thought of as wall murals, which involved applying paint to wet plaster which was then allowed to dry to finish the work. Panel paintings, where egg based paints were applied to wooden panels. Manuscript illumination, where books or codices were adorned with artwork or metallic embossing and stained glass, where through the use of colored glass, images were created in windows and other glass panels. The Gothic form led to the use of oil paints in the Renaissance movement that began in the 16th century.
Medieval art took on many forms, being seen on tombs, cathedrals, castles and other buildings and private structures in sculptures, engravings and carvings. Medieval art could be seen in furniture, ceramics, tapestries, mosaics, pottery, metal work and glass work. Despite being nearly 700 years old, many fine examples of medieval art work still survive, adorning the walls of private collections, churches and museums all over the world.