Medieval Art and Architecture
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Medieval Knights in Art
In this brief selection of knights in art from the 11th to 19th centuries, notice how images of medieval knights have changed throughout that time period.
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What’s So Special About the Book of Kells?
I hear a lot of confusion about The Book of Kells, which is apparently not as well-known as I thought. Let me explain what it is and why it’s so special.
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I’ve Learned Not To Take Historic Treasures For Granted
After the Notre-Dame de Paris fire, I appreciate what a miracle it is that any ancient treasures survive. But that doesn’t mean they’ll always be around.
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Up Close and Personal With Illuminated Manuscripts
Taking a close look at the medieval illuminated manuscripts at an NYC book fair reminded me how manuscripts are best enjoyed in person.
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King of the Confessors: a Crazy Story About the Cloisters Cross
Thomas Hoving’s King of the Confessors is about his adventures in acquiring the so-called Cloisters Cross. The story is wild, and I couldn’t put it down.
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High Fashion on the High Altar: Heavenly Bodies at the Met
Heavenly Bodies is an exhibition of high fashion influenced by Catholicism. The fashion appears amongst works of medieval art at the Met and Met Cloisters.
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The Basilica and How It Became a Church
The word basilica is often used to refer to a church, but the two aren’t synonyms. Learn about the basilica’s origins and adoption into Christianity.
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Enjoying a medieval fantasy at the Cloisters
The Cloisters is a museum of medieval art, but I think it’s also more than that. Spending time there is like being transported to another time and place.
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The Oxen of Laon Cathedral
A charming story about Laon Cathedral, an important early Gothic church, and why it has sixteen life-sized statues of oxen on its towers.
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St. Bernard and Gargoyles: A Fun Fact
St. Bernard of Clairvaux wasn’t a fan of gargoyles and grotesques. This tells us something interesting about how they were understood at the time.
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Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts
My thoughts on Meetings With Remarkable Manuscripts, a really excellent and informative book about twelve, world-class medieval manuscripts.
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A Guide to Romanesque Architecture
Romanesque was a style of medieval architecture popular in Western Europe in the 1000s and 1100s. Here’s everything you need to know about Romanesque.
