Siena Cathedral

Position: Thomas Becket did not actively seek out martyrdom and is simply a martyr in every sense of the word. Thomas Becket never sought out power in any point in his life, it was simply given to him. The same is true of his martyrdom. Becket is quoted as saying, “While I ate out of the King’s dish/to become servant of God was never my wish” (Eliot 45). Becket never asked to become archbishop or a member of the clergy. These positions were given to him and ultimately caused his martyrdom by…

When I signed up to take Stained Glass, I did not know what to expect. I had a vague idea that maybe we would make some glass and solder it together to create a window. I thought it would be an simplistic quick process, but I soon learned that my assumptions were wrong. After finishing my heart, I started to realize that Stained Glass is a very serious and complex artform. However, I did not fully realize the amount of dedication and hard work required to create this art until finishing my first…

The buildings in the Elizabethan Era, were the biggest and most awkward looking things ever. The buildings were built out of wood, were decorated nicely, and were mostly built on hills in a village format. One question people tend to ask very often is, “What were these buildings made out of?” Most of these buildings were Half Timbered. Made up of mostly wood with extremely large windows. The timbers that the architects used were usually very tall and widely spaced out. People's houses…

Chartres Secrets- The Wondrous Background and History of Chartres Cathedral.” 2008 Chartres Secrets. Web. http://en.chartressecrets.org/cathedral/background_history.htm This article is mainly about the importance and history of the Chartres Cathedral, one of the most magnificent and sacred of this time. It is in Chartres, France and was completed in about 26 years, it is the only cathedral that does not have a single king, bishop, cardinal, canon, or anyone interred in the soil of its mound.…

In 2012 a group named “Pussy Riot” became known around the world for their performance on the altar of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. During their performance they sang a song titled “Punk Prayer” which included a message that many people are still figuring out. Some believe that the song was designed to criticize the Russian Orthodox Church while others believe that it was criticizing the Vladimir Putin and the Russian government. Jeffrey Tayler, Leonid Storch, and Sergei Prozorov…

(Sayre 405). As the thirteenth century progressed, more architects started to design their cathedrals after the Gothic Style. School of Notre-Dame composers, Léonin and Pérotin, innovated their music by putting stress on the counterpoint and creating a form of music called the motet. Because of the stone and vast spaces of the Gothic cathedrals, the sound of the music would go towards the top of the cathedral (Sayre 413). The way that the sound transmits throughout the…

Even though the Middle Ages is usually referred to as the “Dark Ages”, due to the troubles and hardships faced by those who lived during that time, it was also a great vivacity and enthusiasm because that was when Europe’s golden revolution started to emerge. According to Gray Boyce, “Even at its worst it performed the function of guarding… but even more it was creative and inventive, and transmitted to later ages great riches of its own.” (Boyce 69). At this time, Europe had begun to preserve…

and experiences all affected his artistic style and the way he designed the Maesta. Duccio was born in Siena, Italy. The topic of artwork discussed did not come until later in his life. Throughout most of his life his skills were used in a variety of different venues from political leaders and parties to cultural celebrations. Duccio was also known to have trained italian painter Guido da Siena( known for painting a lot of religious pieces). Duccio was influenced heavily by politicians…

of an artistic movement that would greatly influence western civilization. In 1407 Donatello left Ghiberti’s studio and found steady work as artisan at the Florence Cathedral, then under construction. Donatello’s next major project was a series of statues set to be placed in the campanile, or bell tower, of the Florence Cathedral. Word of Donatello’s achievements soon spread throughout northern Italy, and “he won commissions in other cities”. Scholars believed that Donatello again journeyed to…

Today, ladies and gentlemen we are gathered here to talk about something meaningful. My name is Ben, and this is Bryanna, Kevin, Grant, and Casey. We will be talking about an art piece from the late Middle Ages. This painting was called the Maesta, by Duccio di Buoninsegna. The painting represented meaningful religious studies during the late Medieval times. Kevin: Our first topic is based on the artist himself. I will talk about his life, his biography, where he was from, and some background…