The arrows symbolize the Black Death causing chaos and death to the people of Italy. Devils, almost disguised as cherubs, murder people below with bows and arrows. It is a tiny image from a page in the Medieval art manuscript, and is full of action and detail. This manuscript was painted in the 14th century in Tuscany where almost half of their population succumbed to the disease. Devils Sent to Kill Illustrated Manuscript, 14th century, via .au People wanted a way to get loose and laugh before dying where they stood.ģ. Dancing with skeletons to appease Death herself reinforces how performing, like dancing, didn’t go away because people were dying. This doesn’t sound funny nowadays of course, but this was considered tongue in cheek for the 14th century. But the Queen of Death isn’t the Queen of Goods and Money, she wants lives and will take as she pleases. People underneath the Queen of Death beg for her mercy as they shower her with gifts and money. The Queen stands on an open coffin which holds the dead bodies of a pope and an emperor proving that no man is safe from this disease. Beside her are two skeleton goons armed with bows and an arquebus (which was an early prototype for the musket). In this work by Giacomo Borlone de Burchis of Clusone, Italy, Burchis depicts people of all walks of life dancing with skeletons for the Queen of Death who stands at the top of the work holding two scrolls. On a different note, the Danse Macabre, or Dance of the Dead, was a popular and entertaining motif of Medieval art. The ‘Dance of the Dead’ Motif The Triumph of Death with the Dance of Death, by Giacomo Borlone de Burchis, 15th century, via Wikimedia Commons Memento Mori works were mostly popular in the 17th century and into modernity, however, this miniature detail above is an example of how fragile humanity is even when we feel like the strongest species on the planet.Ģ. These works were created as still-lives with dead flowers, extinguished candles, clocks, and creepy skeletons. These types of works dedicated to death are titled Memento Mori which is Latin for ‘remember you must die.’ Memento Mori works remind the viewer that death is always on the horizon. When the Black Death hit, skeletons and death were a popular motif. This image is a detail of a miniature in The Chronicles of Gilles Li Muisis in the abbot of the monastery of St. Fear and grief are evident in this work taking inspiration from how people felt during these times. If one were to look closer, the faces of the figures are all unique and full of emotion which was rare for Medieval art at the time (naturalism didn’t become popular until a century later). We see fifteen people carrying the coffins of their loved ones in an extremely small frame. Depicting the Dead Tournai Citizens Burying the Dead During the Black Death, 14th century, via NPRĭuring the reign of the Black Death, victims were buried in mass burial pits and this work depicts a mass grave in the town of Tournai, Belgium. So, without further ado, here is a list of the top 9 artworks created during the Black Death.ġ. After all of these symptoms, it doesn’t take long before the victim dies usually 2-7 days after diagnosis.ĭuring the 14th century, a third of Europe’s population was killed and still, people had the urge to create, including Shakespeare with his little play King Lear. However, victims are covered in boils ready to burst with puss and blood (okay, no more gross talk after this, I promise). Symptoms of the disease are the usual: fever, chills and vomiting. Due to a lack of scientific knowledge and hygiene practices, the Bubonic plague spread quickly and soon twenty-million people in Europe (yeah, you read that right) perished to the disease. The 14th century was full of brand-new trade routes between Europe and Asia where fleas and rats (who were infected themselves by the fleas) had easy access to villages and cities galore. Unlike Coronavirus, Bubonic plague isn’t airborne (meaning it doesn’t travel in the air) but transferred from one host to another by fleas who had contracted the disease from other sick hosts. The Black Death is an infection caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria. The Bubonic Plague, or the Black Death, ravaged Asia and Europe during the 14th century or Medieval Times. Boccaccio, 1313-1375, via Welcome Collectionīefore we dig into the art, here is a brief description of the Bubonic Plague itself. The Black Death The plague of Florence, 1348 an episode in the Decameron by Boccaccio, etching by L.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |