Late Middle Ages Art and Lit

1. Late Middle Ages Art and Lit

2. Late Middle Ages Art and Lit • When the plague struck, Europe was emerging from the "dark ages"  trying to put unpleasant memories behind it and move on to a more enlightened era. Barbarians no longer ran rough shod, putting entire villages to the torch and slaughtering the local peasants.  Without the constant fear of invasion, art and architecture found fertile ground to grow. Medieval  painters were not simply anonymous lowly craftsmen, but well respected professionals. They were held in high esteem and often interacted with clergy and wealthy patrons.  The arrival of Black death harkened in a new darker era of painting. Paintings were overflowing with tortured souls, death, dying, fire and brimstone

3. Late Middle Ages Art and Lit • People's attitudes towards music and art changed as they began to see the depression surrounding them. The horrific nature of the Black Death was reflected in the realistic depictions of human suffering and carnage as well as the symbolic use of the skeleton.

4. Late Middle Ages Art and Lit • "The Dance of Death"by Hans Holbein the Younger •      Before the Black Death, music was happy and frequently heard. During the Black Death music was played very grimly or never played at all. The only exceptions were people who decided that since they were going to die anyway, they might as well spend the rest of their life in happiness. The somber change in art and music demonstrated the grim reality of the world around them.

5. Late Middle Ages Art and Lit

6. Late Middle Ages Art and Lit • Help God, I feel so badthe water I have in this glassis both green, red and paleit signifies that my life will be short.All the herbs that are in the pharmacydo not help me in this expedition.With herbs did I help many a man;Now it cannot lend me assistance.

7. Late Middle Ages Art and Lit • All the physicians that are in our kingdomthey should be send for - all of themthose who are skilled in the art of medicine,because Death is beginning to torment me much

8. Late Middle Ages Art and Lit • The church had a bit of explaining to do: The priests who gave absolution to the dying, would themselves die shortly after. Thus the church couldn't claim that the plague, like AIDS, was God's punishment over people who led sinful lives. • Plague doctor. The strange "beak" is full of fragrant herbs to protect the physician from infection and the stick is for poking the patient. With doctors like that you didn't need diseases. • It didn't take the Vatican spin doctors long to arrive at a solution: It wasn't the first time God had inflicted "plagues" on sinners - think of the 10 plagues of Egypt - the 6th plague being boils.

9. Late Middle Ages Art and Lit

10. Late Middle Ages Art and LitBurning of the Jews

11. Late Middle Ages Art and Lit • Dance and song of Death

12. Late Middle Ages Art and Lit

13. Late Middle Ages Art and Lit

14. Late Middle Ages Art and Lit

15. http://www.medievalists.net/2009/05/18/how-the-black-death-affected-painters-and-art-history/http://www.medievalists.net/2009/05/18/how-the-black-death-affected-painters-and-art-history/

16. "A sickly season," the merchant said,"The town I left was filled with dead,and everywhere these queer red fliescrawled upon the corpses' eyes,eating them away.""Fair make you sick," the merchant said,"They crawled upon the wine and bread.Pale priests with oil and books,bulging eyes and crazy looks,dropping like the flies.""I had to laugh," the merchant said,"The doctors purged, and dosed, and bled;"And proved through solemn disputation"The cause lay in some constellation."Then they began to die." "First they sneezed," the merchant said,"And then they turned the brightest red,Begged for water, then fell back.With bulging eyes and face turned black,they waited for the flies." "I came away," the merchant said,"You can't do business with the dead."So I've come here to ply my trade."You'll find this to be a fine brocade..."And then he sneezed. A Medieval Song about the Plague