Art During The Middle Ages

Prompt 4 There are new innovations contributing to the vast array of artistic tools available to the common man each day. While what has had the most impact through history with such tools, can be held to one’s own opinion, three stand out. These are enlightenment and freedom of expression springing from movements such as the renaissance, oil paint, and architecture. First true artistic expression and capabilities can and are only accomplished without religious, political, or other forced agendas attached. When people have the freedom to express, explore, and reinvent what can be art, well the amazing happened. In this authors opinion this above all else is the greatest innovation of them all. During the Middle Ages what was considered art and allowed to be created was dominated by the church. Therefore, most if not all pieces were of a religious context with little to no landscape, or other flourishes. For example, in the painting by Cimabue (Madonna Enthroned with Angels and Prophets) he experimented with the three-dimensional but still was limited by context of the paintings theme. He overlapped the angels in order to give more depth of field, but
This paint was an egg-based paint used by artists like Cimabue. Oil lasted longer though it does or can crack over time. It also allows for corrections with a slower dry time than other painting materials. Oil paint started with the humble beginnings of painters light Jan Van Eyck. For example, in his piece “Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride”, (1434. Oil on wood. National Gallery, London) this medium allowed him to create lifelike fur on the dog, dynamic depth of field, reflective mirror, and even the signature of the first artist to sign their work. Just the invention of the medium let alone the freedom to paint something other than the Madonna and Child opened up a world of possibilities to