Scandinavian Art

Presentation

Art developed in Scandinavia between the beginning of VIIIe century and the medium of XIIe century. This period corresponds to the great expansion overseas of the people of the shores of the the North Sea, the Vikings. One finds vestiges of their activity in Norway, Sweden, with the Denmark, in Finland, in the north of the France and especially in the British Isles.

However our knowledge of art Viking is very lacunar: indeed, works preceding XIe century reached us only through rare archaeological documents. The sculpture on Bois carried out before XIIe century almost did not survive, except in the royal tombs of the Vestfold in Norway. The Hangings, the fabrics and architecture Préchrétienne also almost entirely disappeared. The observation of the existence of various styles thus rests especially on the Orfèvrerie, the stones runic (engraved blocks of Calcaire) and the steles found in the places of burial. The Goldsmithery, often in Money, sometimes in Gold, comprises Médaillon S, pendentive S, pin S and Boucle S with the complex reasons for interlacing, as well as Collier S braided of wire of Argent, technically very succeeded.

The first Art Viking

Art Viking finds his origin in the works of Orfèvrerie of the center of the Sweden, dating from VIIe and VIIIe centuries. One meets already the animal reasons characteristic but also of the mythological scenes which will disappear thereafter. At the end of VIIIe century, appear, carved on Stèles, the first reliefs describing of the scenes of the domestic, maritime and warlike life. In IXe century, art Viking seems to reach a maturity to which testifies fall it from Oseberg, close to Oslo. The chiefs were often buried in Navires of wood with a varied material (sword S, Hache S, Traîneau X, carriages, beds, etc) sumptuously decorated. With Oseberg, the vessel of the Queen Asa, of an extreme elegance, equipped with a luxury amazing and decorated usual animal sculptures with the sinuous and interlaced forms (horses, Snake S, swan S, dragon S, etc) the existence of a very original princely art and a very high behavior reveals.

The styles Anglo-Scandinavians

The sea links between two banks of the the North Sea caused at the end of IXe century the birth of the styles anglo-Scandinavians, five. The first, style of Borre, defines the productions of the southernmost Norway between 840 and 980, characterized by animal reliefs and decorations of ribbons. Style of Jelling (870-1000) of the name of the royal funerary site in the Jutland watch of the enrubannés animals which one finds on the crosses of the Yorkshire in the British Isles. The most astonishing monument of this style is a block of Granit Pyramidal whose first face carries runes which commemorate the king Harald and the baptism of the Danes. The second face comprises a monster in the middle of volutes and of ribbons and the third a crucifixion. The style of Mammen (Jutland 960-1020) prolongs the precedent by making a more systematic use of the plants. The style of Ringerike (980-1080) and that of the Ballot boxes (1050-1150) derive from the style of Mammen with, for the first, of the reasons for Serpent S and, for the second, of the animals hurled especially present on the gates of Norwegian wood churches.

There remain about nothing the wood architecture of this period. One knows only that between 980 and approximately 1030, of the utility whole of a great regularity and a great width were built with the Denmark, in particular with Fyrkat and Aggersborg in the Jutland. Funerary architecture is summarized with ground tumuli and drawn up stone alignments. Conversion with Christianity in XIe century brought a revival. There remain however only some wood churches in Norway, with the frames of vertical posts and the very slim silhouette. The gates and the frontages are decorated decorations of interlacing or illustrated scenes of a great refinement. About the middle of XIIe century, the Scandinavian artistic originality is choked by the triumph of the Romanesque art.

Structure
















Related articles

Random links:Arizona Wranglers | Joanne Woodward | Swing | Michel Rondet | Jules Bourdais | Boonville_(village),_New_York