Image and Ornament in the Early Medieval West: New Perspectives on Post-Roman Art

Scholars have traditionally viewed post-Roman art in central and north-western Europe as representative of the pagan identities of the new Germanic rulers. Matthias Friedrich challenges this notion by examining early medieval visual culture through archaeological and art historical approaches, demonstrating how it promoted variety and cross-cultural identities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 300 pages
Publication date: 16 March 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Scholarship frequently views the post-Roman art created in central and north-western Europe as a reflection of the pagan identities of the new Germanic rulers who emerged in the early medieval world. In his book, Matthias Friedrich provides a critical reassessment of the ethnic and religious categories of art that continue to shape our understanding of early medieval art and archaeology. By integrating archaeological approaches with art historical methods informed by contemporary theory, Friedrich delves into the study of early medieval visual culture. He examines the transformation of Roman imperial images, alongside the contemporaneous, highly ornamented material culture exemplified by animal art. Through a rigorous analysis of a diverse array of objects, Friedrich showcases how these pathways resulted in an aesthetic that celebrated variety (varietas), a cross-cultural concept that interconnected the diverse ethnic and religious identities of post-Roman Europe and the Mediterranean realms.

Scholarship frequently views the post-Roman art created in central and north-western Europe as a reflection of the pagan identities of the new Germanic rulers who emerged in the early medieval world. In his book, Matthias Friedrich provides a critical reassessment of the ethnic and religious categories of art that continue to shape our understanding of early medieval art and archaeology. By integrating archaeological approaches with art historical methods informed by contemporary theory, Friedrich delves into the study of early medieval visual culture. He examines the transformation of Roman imperial images, alongside the contemporaneous, highly ornamented material culture exemplified by animal art. Through a rigorous analysis of a diverse array of objects, Friedrich showcases how these pathways resulted in an aesthetic that celebrated variety (varietas), a cross-cultural concept that interconnected the diverse ethnic and religious identities of post-Roman Europe and the Mediterranean realms.

Weight: 690g
Dimension: 183 x 260 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009207775