Medieval Art Oxford History of Art Series

This refreshing new look at Medieval art conveys a very real sense of the impact of art on everyday life in Europe from 1000 to 1500. It examines the importance of art in the expression and spread of knowledge and ideas, including notions of the heroism and justice of war, and the dominant view of Christianity. Taking its starting point from issues of contemporary relevance, such as the environment, the identity of the artist, and the position of women, the book also highlights the attitudes and events specific to the sophisticated visual culture of the Middle Ages, and goes on to link this period to the Renaissance. The fascinating question of whether commercial and social activities between countries encouraged similar artistic taste and patronage, or contributed to the defining of cultural difference in Europe, is fully explored.

Introduction, 1: A Sense of Place, 2: Artists, 3: Art and Power in the Church 1000-1200, 4: Design and devotion 1200-1500, 5: Image and Learning, 6: War, 7: Pleasures, Notes, Timeline, Bibliographic Essay, Museums and Websites, List of Illustrations, Index

Veronica Sekules is Head of Education at the Sainsbury Centre, University of East Anglia, and was formerly exhibitions and collections curator. Her original research interests were in the fields of sculpture and liturgical furnishings in England and Europe from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries. She has also written about the art patronage and consumption of art by medieval women, and continues to work on these themes. She has published regularly in the fields of visual arts and museum education and modern art.