DOORS OF BISHOP BERNWARD

Artist: N/A

Location: Abbey Church of St. Michael, Hildesheim, Germany

Aprox. Date: 1015 CE

Medium: Bronze

These doors are one of the most complex projects ever taken.  Each door was cast as a single sheet and chiseled to add finer details, such as the lion heads which are also the door handles.  Each section of the door portrays a different scene from the Bible, ranging from the formation of Adam and Eve, to the Nativity scene, to Jesus' crucifixion.  These doors were as magnificent as they were massive.
Website acquired from:  http://academics.ivc.edu/arts/visual/history/projects/bishopbernward/doors.html

ROYAL PORTAL, WEST FACADE, CHARTES CATHEDRAL

Artist: N/A

Location: Cathedral of Notre Dame, France

Aprox. Date: 1145-1155

Medium: Columns on the Chartes Cathedral

Each column depicts either a king, queen, or a prophet from the Hebrew Bible.  They are carved into the columns to help show the closeness of the Church and the royalty of France.  Each figure is portrayed as calm and serene and was meticulously carved to show intense detail.

Website acquired from:  https://www.oneonta.edu/faculty/farberas/arth/arth212/royal_portals.html

BAPTISMAL FONT, NOTRE-DAME-AUX-FONTS

Artist: N/A

Location: Liege, France

Aprox. Date: 1107-1118

Medium: Bronze

In this work, each part of the font is very symbolic.  It has been decided that the 12 oxen on the base of the baptismal font are supposed to symbolize the 12 apostles.  On the main part of the font, there are scenes of St. John the Baptist baptizing Christ while preaching, St. John the Evangelist baptizing  Crato, and St. Peter baptizing a Roman soldier.  The figures on the sides are more idealistic, portraying the perfect bodies. 

Website acquired from:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptismal_font_at_St_Bartholomew%27s_Church,_Li%C3%A8ge

DAVID BATTLING GOLIATH

Artist: N/A

Original Location: Constantinople

 Current Location:  The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Aprox. Date: 629-630 CE

Medium: Silver

This silver plate shows the famous story of David and Goliath.  On the top of the plate, the challenge between David and Goliath occurs.  In the middle of the plate, the fight between the two is shown.  Due to its large size in relation to other things on the plate, it is obvious that the scene being shown is important.  At the bottom of the plate, the viewer can see the outcome of the conflict between David and Goliath, David killing Goliath.  

Website acquired from:  http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/17.190.396/

SARCOPHAGUS OF JUNIUS BASSUS

Artist: N/A

Location: Grottoes of St. Peter, Vattican, Rome

Aprox. Date: Second Century CE

Medium: Marble

This sculpture is actually a sarcophagus made for Junius Bassus.  Bassus was a Roman who was baptized before his death.  On the side of the sarcophagus are very intricate carvings of  Christian related scenes.  Many scenes portray Jesus surrounded by followers.  Though the scenes show Jesus as powerful and strong, it also portrays him as humble and kind.

Website acquired from:  https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/medieval-world/early-christian1/v/sarcophagus-of-junius-bassus-marble-359-c-e

PORTRAIT HEAD OF AN ELDER FROM SCOPPITO

Artist: N/A

Location: Museo Nazionale, Chieti

Aprox. Date: First Century BCE

Medium: Marble

Roman sculptures were very different from Greek and Etruscan sculptures.  This is so because Roman sculptures did not focus on ideal beauty but focused more on realism.  Many of their sculptures captured imperfections in the face and body as to show what the person really looked like. That can be seen in this sculpture of an elder, in the wrinkles in his forehead and the sagging of his face.

Website acquired from:  https://www.studyblue.com/#flashcard/view/7995640

CAPITOLINE SHE-WOLF

Artist: N/A

Location: Museo Capitalino, Rome

Aprox. Date: 500 or 800 BCE

Medium: Bronze

The statue shown above is a recreation of the story of how Rome was founded.  The story talks about Romulus and Remus, who were abandoned as babies and raised by a she-wolf.  The two boys later grew up to create the city of Rome.  It is speculated that the two infants were added later and were not a part of the original statue.  

Website acquired from:  https://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/italy/rome/capitolinemuseumone/shewolf.html