The High Middle Ages is one of the defining periods in human history. In those distant and dark times, modern civilization was being formed. Old foundations disappeared and new ones appeared. The population has increased significantly. A cultural upheaval has taken place.
Tribes united into peoples, who were then destined to create modern European countries. Medieval art is still the subject of research by historians.
Historical events
The High Middle Ages began with large-scale conquests. The states of the ancient world have sunk into oblivion, and many new ones have appeared in their place. The conquest of Britain began in the eleventh century. Prior to that, it was controlled by various pagan tribes. The Normans were the first to land in England. The local Britons offered them fierce resistance. But primitive weapons could not defeat steel and iron. In a few years, England and almost all of Ireland were mastered. Then the conquerors subjugated Scotland as well.
Severe changes have also taken place in northern Europe. The ancient way of life of the Vikings was destroyed. The population converted to Christianity. The Scandinavian kingdoms were united into onestate. The development of the B altic began. However, by the thirteenth century, a single power broke up into several principalities. Similar processes took place in the territory of modern Germany and France. The birth of dynasties began, which for the next centuries sat on the thrones of Western Europe.
Slavs
The High Middle Ages turned out to be a favorable period for the development of the ancient Russian state. At that time it was one of the largest in the world. Culture and craft were superior to European ones. This is due to the earlier ethnogenesis of the Eastern Slavs, who in the fifth century ceased to lead a tribal way of life and united into one Russian people. The same processes took place in the Balkans. However, the natural development was prevented by the invasion of underdeveloped nomadic tribes, the Mongols, which had not been seen before. The weakening of the central government prevented the Russian princes from uniting and they all fell under the onslaught of the horde. After that, the development of culture, architecture and crafts was greatly slowed down.
Development of Christian culture
The High Middle Ages was characterized by the complete victory of Christianity in Europe. Even in an earlier period, many influential countries converted to monotheism. However, by the eleventh century the ancient pagan beliefs were still strong. In Britain and Scandinavia, the population was extremely slow to convert to the new faith. The isolation of these regions contributed to this. The lack of a land connection to the mainland made migration extremely problematic.
However, this factorhelped to avoid the invasions of nomads, who, due to their underdevelopment, could not build enough ships.
The new faith has had a defining influence on culture. From now on, strict prohibitions and moral principles appeared, in accordance with which it was necessary to live. Most of all, the life of Europeans was influenced by changes in the institution of the family. By the beginning of this historical period, in many regions (especially in Scandinavia), stable polygamous relations persisted. Christianity forbade this. The institution of marriage has led to a change in the role of women in society. Firm patriarchal principles determined relations in the family. The very same family, consisting of a husband, wife and children, destroyed tribal ties. Power structures in the form of a church had a high impact on the daily life of the population.
Cultural change: development of the hierarchical system
The culture of the High Middle Ages predetermined the division of the people into classes and castes. The castes of rulers, military, clergy, peasants, slaves were clearly distinguished. The poor and uneducated population has a culture of awareness and rethinking of personal freedom. Management systems are changing in many countries. England and the Holy Roman Empire had their own parliaments. The privileged class had their own traditions and rituals. But similar phenomena were also in the early historical periods. The culture of the High Middle Ages was seriously influenced by scholasticism.
And its guardians were just a new class - the clergy.
Painting
In the pictorialart the greatest development was painting. From now on, several directions and methods of painting were clearly distinguished. The Romanesque period of the High Middle Ages was characterized by a weak development of painting. This type of art was assigned the role of painting, that is, auxiliary processing of the walls of temples. But by the beginning of the thirteenth century, attitudes towards artists had changed. In France, orders of painters were created. They decorated thrones in temples and created panels, frescoes, icons.
Artists started systematizing their skills. New tricks have emerged. For example, the concept of depth and perspective. Giving objects volume and reality became the most difficult task for medieval masters. They did not manage to fully master the skill of depth. This contributed to the creation of a generally accepted style, which would later be called Gothic. Painting and iconography gradually replaced frescoes. This kind of art was extremely difficult and long. In addition, the creation of one small fresco required significant resources. And many professing humility and living in poverty, the orders simply could not afford it.
Sculpture
The High Middle Ages in Western Europe were marked by dramatic changes in sculpture. If other types of fine arts developed relatively smoothly, then sculpture received a real breakthrough. Biblical scenes were the main motif. A high concentration of sculptors was in the territory of modern Italy. The famous sculptures that appeared in the Renaissance and today were direct successors of the Gothic style.
In the Romanesque period, bronze and copper items appeared. For example, the doors to the Hildesheim Cathedral.
Methods
For the first time, new carving materials were used. Woodcarving has been rethought in Germany. However, due to the specific properties of wood, these works of art have practically not survived to this day. Also, the Germanic peoples were famous for the manufacture of large-scale triumphal arches. They were in a Romanesque style, but with a strong Gothic tinge. In many cities of modern Germany, these works of art still attract tourists.
The concept of relief on sarcophagi and tombs appeared only at the beginning of the twelfth century. In a short time, this processing method has become extremely popular in Western Europe. In all the works, the spirit of that era was especially sharply felt. Mysticism and dreaminess, awareness of frailty and finiteness of being. Of course, this is due to the fact that the period of the High Middle Ages was dominated by scholastic philosophy.
Cultural upheaval and early humanism
Early periods of the Middle Ages are called "dark". Religious persecution, insane rulers, wild laws, and so on have left a serious mark on the history of mankind. But by the thirteenth century, the old way of life was completely rethought. Huge population growth allowed the emergence of large cities in each region. Aesthetic forms of entertainment were very popular in the cities. One of these was the theater. By the beginning of the tenth century, smallpantomime. Then it grew into a separate art form. The theater began to touch on everyday topics, thus moving away from Gothic and scholasticism.
The first works on the value of human life appeared. Philosophers allowed in their reasoning to deviate from the scholastic predestination of being. More attention was paid to the role of human choice. These were the first beginnings of humanism. Urban culture was most exposed to such trends. Personal development has replaced humility and submissiveness.
Architecture
The High Middle Ages in Western Europe were marked by a new Gothic style in architecture.
At that time, temples and churches were the center of knowledge. And any kind of art was inextricably linked with charitable motives. After the end of the era of Romanism, new methods of stone processing, geometric solutions, building tools were invented. The role of the urban sector is growing in economic life. Workshops and communities of freemasons appear. European cathedrals of the High Middle Ages are the best symbols of the era.
The pomposity and scope of construction surprise modern researchers. The construction of the cathedral could last more than a hundred years. And near the construction sites, a unique cultural environment of workers' communes appeared, which actually regulated their own social life.
Various styles
A classic feature of Gothic architecture is the presence of two elongated towers. The bell towers could be located both insidethem, and between. The western façade was lavishly decorated. The entrance was supported by columns. After the development of the wireframe method, they were only an element of decoration. The classic Gothic style is considered to be the French model. The cathedrals of the High Middle Ages in Germany were distinguished by strict observance of proportions. There was also noticeable perfectionism in the design of the facade.
In Central Europe, the so-called brick Gothic prevailed. The brick cathedrals had similarities with the architecture of the Romanesque period. They were installed in the squares of large cities. Huge round towers were a distinctive feature. The Cathedral of St. Barbara and the Church of St. James are classic examples of Czech architecture. Dutch Gothic was distinguished by the construction of temples with one high tower-spire.
Vaults were made of wood, which brought a romantic and even earlier atmosphere.
Western European culture of the High Middle Ages
For the first time, since the time of the Roman Empire, science began to influence the culture of Western Europe. The development of medicine, geometry, philosophy and other sciences has led to the transformation into separate branches. The control of the church was too great, so the scientists were forced to obey the bulls of the Pope. But at the same time, the ascetic worldview was called into question.
A new feudal culture has appeared among the people. Huge farms with a closed cycle appeared. The lord owned the land. Feudal lords ruled as governors. The peasants were completely dependent on them. They are nottook no part in economic life and could not influence political decisions. Nevertheless, the development of trade relations allowed "ordinary" people to break out into an elite society.
In France, England and some parts of Spain, institutions of courts appeared. Some pluralism was also allowed in the circle of royal advisers.
Conclusion
The High Middle Ages in Europe had a unique culture and way of life. The development of feudalism affected social relations. Church control began to weaken. If the early High Middle Ages was characterized by a complete lack of development of new trends in art, then by the thirteenth century more than a dozen such trends appeared. Painting and especially architecture had a decisive influence on the figures of the subsequent Renaissance. Population growth has led to the penetration of culture into the poorest strata.
