Showing posts with label Gothic Art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gothic Art. Show all posts

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Bamberg Horseman


We just learned about the Holy Thorn Reliquary.

Another Gothic Art sculpture was the Bamberg Horseman, made in Germany around 1225 AD.

This is a statue of a man riding a horse, and the man is either a king, emperor or saint, but no one knows for sure who it is supposed to be, because the history of it was lost or forgotten.

There were many statues of people on horses long ago, but for a long time people had stopped making statues like that until the Bamberg Horseman was made.

It is also one of the first statues to show the bottom of a horse's foot wearing a horseshoe.

Underneath the front part of the statue where the horse is standing is a sculpted face that looks like a man's face made out of leaves.
This type of sculpture is sometimes called the "Green Man" and can mean a lot of different things like respecting nature, the growth of spring, or maybe even mythological creatures.


(from: wikipedia - bamberg horseman)


(from: wikipedia - green man)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Block Statue of Pa-Ankh-Ra

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Holy Thorn Reliquary


We just learned about the Casket with Scenes of Romances.

Another Gothic art sculpture is the Holy Thorn Reliquary.

In the year 1239 AD, King Louis IX of France bought what he believed was the crown of thorns that Jesus wore on the cross.
Through the years later, the other Kings of France would give thorns from that crown as gifts to people.

One of the thorns that was sent out around 1400 AD was put into a special holder called a reliquary, made of gold, enamel and jewels.
This reliquary is about a foot tall, and weighs about 3 pounds.

The thorn is in a case behind a crystal window, and there are gold and enamel sculptures all around it, with jewels like sapphires decorating it.
The way the enamel sculptures are made is called ronde-boss, which means "in the round".
Enamel is shaped over top of gold or other metal sculptures, to look like a real rounded figure instead of just flat enamel.

The front is a sculpture of the Last Judgement, and shows God, some angels, a Dove for the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ with a crown of thorns, John the Baptist, the Virgin Marry, and smaller sculptures of the twelve apostles.

There is a scroll above it with the Latin words "Ista est una spinea corone / Domini nostri ihesu xpisti" which means "This is a thorn from the crown / Of Our Lord Jesus Christ"

On the back is a medallion with the face of Christ in a sunburst, above two doors.
On the left door is the archangel Saint Michael, spearing the devil, shown as a dragon.
On the right door is Saint Christopher, carrying Christ as a small child on his shoulders.





(from: wikipedia - holy thorn reliquary)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ka Statue of Hor

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Casket with Scenes of Romances


We just learned about the Virgin and Child from the Sainte-Chapelle.

Another Gothic art sculpture is the Casket with Scenes of Romances, made in Paris, France around the year 1340.
This is a small box made out of elephant tusks called ivory, where a royal person could have kept their special things like jewelry.
It is about 5 inches tall and 10 inches wide, and 5 inches deep.

The carvings on the casket are of a bunch of Romantic stories from history, like Sir Lancelot, or Tristand and Iseult.



(from: wikipedia - casket with scenes of romances (walters 71264))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Pendant of Osorkon II

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Virgin and Child from the Sainte-Chapelle


We just learned about the Scaliger Tombs.

Another famous Gothic Art sculpture is the Virgin and Child from the Sainte-Chapelle.
It was made for the cathedral in Paris called the Sainte Chapelle, some time around 1270 AD.
The statue has been moved to the Louvre museum in Paris.

This is a 41 cm sculpture of Mary holding the baby Jesus, and it is carved out of ivory, the tusks of elephants, and has some gold on Mary's robe and belt.
Mary has a little smile on her face, and she is holding an apple that Jesus is reaching for.
Because the robes, coat, hair and faces are so well carved like a real person, some people believe this sculpture is the most beautiful ivory carving ever made.


(from: wikipedia - virgin and child from the sainte-chapelle)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Younger Memnon

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Scaliger Tombs


We just learned about the Pulpit of Sant' Andrea.

Another famous Gothic Art sculpture is the Scaliger Tombs.

The Scaliger family ruled in Verona Italy for over 100 years, and these tombs were made to honor the rulers when they were buried in them.
The tombs are covered in sculptures of the family, then surrounded by sculpted columns, walls and spires with statues, and on top is a large statue of the ruler riding a horse.



(from: wikipedia - scaliger tombs)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Nefertiti Bust

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Pulpit of Sant' Andrea - Pisano


We just learned about the Fontana Maggiore.

Another Gothic art sculpture is the Pulpit of Sant' Andrea in Pistoia Italy, sculpted by artist Giovanni Pisano in 1301 AD.

Giovanni Pisano is the son of the famous sculptor Nicola Pisano, who sculpted the Siena Cathedral Pulpit that is a lot like this pulpit.

There are many sculptures carved into the pulpit, and on each side they tell a different stories, like Jesus as a baby, the wise men visiting Jesus, or Jesus on the cross.




(from: wikipedia - pulpit of sant' andrea, pistoia (giovanni pisano))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tutankhamun's Mask

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Fontana Maggiore - Pisano


We just learned about the Siena Cathedral Pulpit.

Another gothic sculpture is the Fontana Maggiore made in Italy in 1278 by the famous sculptors Nicola and Giovanni Pisano.

There are twenty five sides of the fountain basin, and they have sculptures of many things from the Bible like prophets, saints, stories from Genesis, and also signs of the zodiac.


(from: wikipedia - fontana maggiore)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Statue of Gudea

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Siena Cathedral Pulpit


We just learned about the Portals at Reims Cathedral.

Another gothic art sculpture is the Siena Cathedral Pulpit.

This pulpit was carved by a famous artist named Nicola Pisano.

It tells seven different stories, one on each face of the pulpit.
All the stories are about the life of Christ, from his birth to death and the last judgement.

(from: wikipedia - siena cathedral pulpit)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cylinder Seal

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Portals at Reims Cathedral


We just learned about the Portals at Chartres Cathedral.

Another set of Gothic sculptures are Portals at Reims Cathedral built in France, year 1211 AD.

These portals are large sculpted doorways with arches and columns full of figures that tell stories.
The only cathedral that has more sculptures is the Chartres that we just learned about.

One of the portals tells the story of Mary the mother of Jesus.
Another tells the story of Jesus and the last judgement.
The third portal tells the story of the prophets and apostles.
There is also a famous sculpture of a smiling angel that was damaged in war, and then fixed later.


(from: wikipedia - reims cathedral)


(from: wikipedia - reims cathedral)


(from: wikipedia - reims cathedral)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lyres of Ur

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Portals at Chartres Cathedral


We just learned about the Pórtico da Gloria.

After the Romanesque time of sculptures, a new type of sculpture came around, called Gothic.
This was a lot like the Romanesque, but the statues and buildings were taller, had more windows, and were more pointed to the sky, like they were celebrating heaven.

One type of Gothic sculpture was the large sculptures above doorways, called portals at the Chartres Cahtedral.
There were three different entrances to the Cathedral, and each of them had three arch ways full of sculptures.
From the tympanum over the doorway, to the pillars holding the doorway up, there are hundreds of sculptures.

They all tell many stories from the Bible, from King Solomon, to John the Baptist, to Mary the mother of Jesus.





(from: wikipedia - chartres cathedral)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Copper Bull