Unit 3 Overview: Early Europe and Colonial Americas, 200-1750 CE

Welcome to Early Europe and the Colonial Americas 🤗 Now that the Roman Empire and ancient civilizations of Unit 2 have fallen (or at least settled down a little bit), we get to discover new and existing countries! This unit will go over the artistic movements of Europe from 200 to 1750 CE. Various historical events and the conversion from polytheistic religions to monotheistic faiths like Christianity and Islam greatly influenced the art. So, now that you're all excited for unit 3, let's get into the contextualization!

Contextualization (AKA The Historical Background) 

Unit 3 is one of the longest units in AP Art History, which means that there's a lot of years and important historical events to cover. Because we could be here all day talking about the contextualization of this unit, we decided to only go over the main events of this time period and a brief overview of their influence on the art made in their respective movements.

Key Events in Early Europe and the Americas, 200-1750 CE

Edict of Milan and the "Peace of the Church" 🕊️

In 313 AD, the emperors of the Roman Empire signed the Edict of Milan, which promised religious freedom to all citizens and ceased the persecution of Christian citizens by the government. The period after the Edict of Milan is now referred to as the "Peace of the Church," and led to the spread of Christianity across Europe. It led to the development of Christian art, as Christians were now allowed to express religious themes and imagery. 

Formation of the Byzantine Empire 

One of the greatest empires of all time, the Byzantine Empire, was founded in 330 CE by Emperor Constantine I. After the Great Schism (splitting of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches), the people of the empire began to practice Eastern Orthodoxy, and this religious influence can be seen in Byzantine art.

Iconoclastic Controversy 

The Iconoclastic Controversy of the 8th and 9th centuries led to the destruction of and hostility toward artworks with icons (depictions of religious figures) on them. This led to political and social conflict between iconophiles (people who supported their use) and iconoclasts (people who were against their use).

Spread of Islam into al-Andalus

As Islam spread, it reached Spain in Europe, and began to influence their art. The art made in Islamic Spain, especially architecture, fused the artistic traditions of the Muslim world with already existing Spanish artistic traditions. Spain eventually became a part of the Umayyad Caliphate, which deepened the Islamic influence, introducing horseshoe arches and intricate decoration featuring geometric patterns and calligraphy. 

Hundred Years' War 

The Hundred Years' War was fought between the French House of Valois and the English House of Plantagenet, in order to determine who had the right to rule over the Kingdom of France. After 116 years of fighting, the House of Valois were allowed to keep the throne, and England was forced to give up part of its territory. As towns and cities were destroyed, it led to an effect on the production of art. As you can imagine, people were dealing with the war and did not have much free-time to partake in extra-curricular activities. There was also a decrease in patronage (financial support) and resources to fund for art. Nevertheless, new forms of architecture and art emerged as structures were being rebuilt and artwork to commemorate the victory was commissioned.  

Black Death of 1348

The Black Death of 1348 (or just the Black Death) was a pandemic across Europe, Asia, and North Africa caused by the transmission of the bubonic plague from fleas to humans. As a result of this event, anywhere from 75-200 million people lost their lives, which caused both social and religious turbulence in the continents. Similar to the Hundred Years' War, there was a decline in the production and patronage of art. 

Italian and Northern Renaissance

Both the Italian and Northern Renaissances were a time of artistic "rebirth" in Western and Southern Europe. In Italy, Renaissance artists were inspired by ancient Roman and Greek works. The Northern Renaissance was influenced by Greco-Roman and humanistic ideals, as well, but was primarily focused on religion.

Protestant Reformation 

Initiated by monk Martin Luther, leaders of the Protestant Reformation challenged the Catholic Church for selling indulgences (donations that are supposed to "lessen" your sins) and engaging in heresy (actions and activities against the Christian doctrine) and simony (selling spiritual privileges or occupations). The Protestant Reformation led to the creation of the Protestant Church and its separation from the Catholic Church. Protestant artwork shifted away from Catholic motifs and figures that dominated Christian art. Thus, giving rise to new forms of art, such as Protestant altarpieces; see the Annunciation Triptych.

Spanish Conquest of the Americas 

After "discovering" the Americas, Spanish conquistadors (conquerors) began to take land from the native people who were already living there. They introduced them to their language, culture, religion, and artistic style. Most pre-existing native art and traditional architecture was destroyed because they were viewed negatively by the conquistadors. Indigenous artists were forced to adapt their style to depict Christian themes and meet the demands of the Spanish colonizers. This led to a blending of Native and Spanish techniques and motifs, which is a process known as syncretism.