Im Dialog Mit Raubrittern Und Sch Nen Madonnen

Florian Dörschel deals with the martial side of German chivalry towards the end of the Middle Ages. Knightly violence was at the center of social, military and political life as an instrument of power, representation and communication. Florian Dörschel befasst sich mit der kriegerischen Seite des deutschen Rittertums im ausgehenden Mittelalter. Diese ritterliche Gewalt stand als Machtinstrument, Repräsentations- und Kommunikationsmittel im Mittelpunkt des sozialen, militärischen und politischen Lebens.

Before the Military Revolution examines European Warfare in the Late Middle Ages from 1300 to 1490. It is not restricted only to well-covered conflicts, like the Anglo-Scottish Wars or the Hundred Years War, but gives due weight to all regions of Europe, including the Empire, the Baltic, the Balkans and the Mediterranean, and considers developments in naval warfare. The Hussite Wars and the wars of the Teutonic Order and the Hanseatic League are covered, as is the expansion of Moscow, the Ottomans and Venice, and battles like Aussig (1426), Copenhagen (1428), Chojnice (1454) are discussed alongside Bannockburn and Agincourt. This age witnesses fundamental change. The feudal system of the High Middle Ages crumbled everywhere in Europe due to climatic change, economic crisis and population decline. This triggered a fiscalization of the military organization, the establishment of taxes and representation of the estates. This book argues that these changes are the most fundamental ones in the military and political organization in Europe until the rise of the constitutional state around 1800 and so comes closer to the original concept of a Military Revolution. It also takes a critical look at other often discussed developments of this age, like the Infantry and Artillery Revolution or the decline of cavalry. Combining a chronological and regional narrative with deeper analysis of themes like chivalry, strategy, economic warfare or military publications makes this book an indispensable read for everyone interested in late medieval history.

The anthology Decapitation and Sacrifice is the result of an interdisciplinary project on the phenomenon of the decapitated Head of Saint John the Baptist in its exegetical context, in the material culture of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and finally in more recent approaches regarding medium studies. Several specialists and scholars from these fields were invited to share their most recent conclusions, thus contributing to our understanding of one of the most peculiar events, artifacts and phenomena in West: the rise and fall of a male head as subject of martyrdom, devotion and artistic expression. What emerges from these collected essays is a nuanced understanding of the beheading and presentation of Saint John. We begin with the biblical account, already finding multiple layers of exegetical meaning, with a focus on John as a Christ figure. As the narrative is adapted into other textual and visual forms, its symbolism is transformed, deepened, or extended in new ways relating to medieval and early modern spirituality, morality, performance and representation. What John's disembodied head symbolically embodies shifts as we move from one medium to another, and from one geographic region to another. And, within those broader categories, meaningful distinctions can be made between differences in details such as the presence or absence of a platter, the use of specific terminology, the contents of inscriptions, the characterization of Herodias and her daughter, specifics of stage directions, even the parting of John's beard and the portrayal of his eyes as open or closed or half-closed - to name but a few. The close analysis of these and other details that the contributors to this volume provide tell us both about the symbolic potential of John's beheading and about how the textual and visual objects studied here functioned in medieval and early modern communities.

Misericordia International was founded by Elaine C. Block (Professor of the City University of New York) as an association dedicated to the study of choir stalls and their relation to other artistic manifestations during the Middle Ages, and the dissemination of research. From its beginnings, Misericordia International has promoted a bi-annual international conference as a place for scientific exchange among members of the research community interested in this topic (and in Medieval iconography in general) from a multidisciplinary approach. The most recent conference was a collaboration between the Universities of Cantabria, Oviedo and Leon in Spain. Titled “Choir Stalls in Architecture and Architecture in Choir Stalls”, it highlighted the importance that choir stalls had in the conceptualisation of space within cathedrals and how sculptors and carvers tested formal, stylistic and constructive motifs, models and solutions that were later reflected in architectural works. This book brings together the papers presented at this conference, and is divided into four thematic parts, namely “Space, liturgy and architectural conception”; “Symbolism and iconography”; “Study of outstanding examples”; and “Destructions, interventions and restorations”.

In the same way Caravaggio was the inspiration behind "Jewels in Painting," so Fra Angelico is the starting point for "Children in Painting." It was while I was looking at his "Last Judgement" in the convent of San Marco in Florence that two child angels filled me with happiness. They are meeting in Paradise and embrace with tenderness before entering the dance of eternal happiness. They make you believe in true love. Fra Angelico is divine but is a child so? From the day of his birth until the age of ten, one might believe so. This is the reason why no child over ten features in this book. Having a child is a universal desire. A child is life, a child is love. Having to choose amongst an infinite number of pictures, I have attempted to select the most representative ones in Italian, German, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, English, American, Swiss and French painting, in which children play, laugh, kiss, cry, eat or sleep. Each of them reveals a masterpiece, in which the artist has exchanged his knowledge for a marvellous innocence. the ordinary becomes extraordinary, truth reveals beauty and beauty reveals truth. This book is as much for adults as it is for children, who will hopefully be encouraged to delve further into the world of art. To understand it is to start loving it: admire it and let yourself be carried away from everyday's routine.

This catalogue accompanies the Fall 2005 exhibition that celebrates the flowering of art in medieval Prague, when the city became not only an imperial but also an intellectual and artistic capital of Europe. Scholars trace the distinctly Bohemian art that developed during the reigns of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and his sons; the artistic achievements of master craftsmen; and the rebuilding of Prague Castle and of Saint Vitus' Cathedral. -- Metropolitan Museum of Art website.

This book undertakes a critical survey of art history across Europe, examining the recent conceptual and methodological concerns informing the discipline as well as the political, social and ideological factors that have shaped its development in specific national contexts.

A century before Martin Luther and the Reformation, Jan Hus confronted the official Church and helped to change the face of medieval Europe. A key figure in the history of Europe and Christianity and a catalyst for religious reform and social revolution, Jan Hus was poised between tradition and innovation. Taking a stand against the perceived corruption of the Church, his continued defiance led to his excommunication and he was ultimately burned at the stake in 1415. What role did he play in shaping Medieval Europe? And what is his legacy for today? In this important and timely book Thomas A. Fudge explores Jan Hus, the man, his work and his legacy. Beginning his career at Prague University, this brilliant Bohemian preacher was soon catapulted by virtue of his radical and popular theology to the forefront of European affairs. This book fills a real gap in contemporary understanding of the medieval Church and offers an accessible and authoritative account of a most significant individual and his role in history. Jan Hus belongs to the pantheon of extraordinary figures from medieval religious history. His story is one of triumph and tragedy in a time of chaos and change.