Vikings Art Analysis - Research Paper Example

VIKINGS ART Historical Background This was the referring to the work of the inhabitants of the people in Scandinavia and the Viking settlement living in the British Isles and Iceland. Viking art also referred as Norse art happened during the Viking age between the 8th and 11th centuries CE. Most of the design element bore some similarity with art in Celtic, Germanic, and the Romanesque. The region is in the Scandinavia the end of northern part of the Europe continent. The name Viking people has many alternatives such as Norse, Norsemen or North many which is a clear indication of their location geographically. Their first entry is recorded to be around 793 CE during which they ambushed the Christian monastic community who were residing in the Lindisfarne Island. There well designed long ship helped them move around the coast invading and attacking inhabitants of the Europeans coasts, in harbors and other river settlements. However, the aim of the paper is to describe in details the ‘Vikings art’ during the period between 800 CE and 1100 CE. Material the VIKINGS used for art The Vikings artist focused majorly on the durability of the material they used hence most of their artwork are made of stone, wood, metal ,bone, ivory and textiles. In some cases, they use human skin to present their art inform of Tattoo’s. Wood: This is the material that dominates the Vikings art due to the well-known advantages of wood to the art industry like easy to carve, durability, cheap cost and availability. Evidence of the extensive use of wood is in the Oseberg ship burial carvings in the 9th century, and the Urnes stave church (Grancsay, 21). Stone: use of stone began late in Scandinavia and a few memories of its use are like in the Gotlandic stone pictures and the royal monuments at jelling in Denmark though most of its use came late in the middle of 10th century. The spread of use of stone in the Viking art is related to the spread of Christianity (Grancsay, 59). Metal: Various archaeological evidences showed the presence of various decorations especially of metallic ornaments. The use of metallic art was also reflected on the jewelry that was worn by both men and women. The respectable women were identifiable from the matching brooches that were used just below their shoulder. Therefore, the evidence of the metalwork decorations were in the regained artwork in various designated graves. This is because they believed in accompanying the dead with material possessions. Therefore, it was common to extract jewelry, tools, household goods and weapons from the Vikings graves. Other evidence could be found in the decoration of the coins and the hidden treasures that were either hidden by owners who could not trace them back or were meant to be an offering to the Gods (Grancsay, 71). Vikings art styles The Viking age that runs from 800 CE to 1100 CE experienced six different styles of art among the Vikings that came at different times but seemingly overlapping in some occasions. This Vikings art phases run from oseberg style around 800 CE to Urnes style around early 1100 CE. The styles phases were: a) Oseberg style: This was the initial phase of the Vikings art. The oseberg style derived its name from the regained oserberg ship that was found buried near Tonsberg in a town called Vestfold Norway. The region also had other work of wood art that were well decorated and had some quality work done on them. The Viking style is distinct from the styles that followed by the gripping beast motif features. The style is characterized by the gripping paw (Barnard and Henry, 84). b) Borre style: This style represents the work of the Viking artist that was recovered from a ship grave. The artwork was located in Borre mound cementary around the village of Borre, vestfold Norway. The Borre style was dominant in the Scandinavia from the time around late 9th century to late 10th century. The Borre style is characterized by the gripping beast with ribbon-shaped configuration. The art during this period had a geometric pattern with the animal used interlaced which is a contrast to the next style. The style is more symmetrical with interlaced ring chains. The style features a lot such as mask headed animal head, bodies with pretzel shape and gripping paws. It has a difference to other types of Vikings art that appeared to have external influence, but the Borre style is local and looks created in Norse homelands. Though fully local it hit the market running, and evidence was visible in Iceland, England and Russia (Barnard and Henry, 111). c) Jelling style: This occurred during the 10th century and was originally done in a place called Jennings in Denmark. It is characterized by the use of animal carvings on the piece of artwork. d) Mammen style: It takes its name from the location of the place the artwork was identified. This was at a place called Mammen in Jutland Denmark, and it is known that the wood used in this piece of artwork felled between 970 and 971. Mammen style focused on both sides of the object hence both sides of the artwork was decorated. It is characterized by features like a large bird that circular eye, upright head, crest and a pelleted body. The semi-circular edges are typical of the Mammen designs or style. e) Ringerike style: The name ringerike was derived from the place the reddish sandstone used in the artwork was found in a district north of Oslo, Norway. This reddish stone were used for carving the various styles, and the best evidence remains the over 2m high carved stone in Vang Oppland. The Ringerike style is in the inscription that were tendril ornament filled with pear shaped motifs located at the Centre of the loops. The Ringerike style and the Mammen style possess similarity in their use of animal’s features in the design. The Ringerike style was also applied on metalwork with the best evidence seen on the copper-gilt from Kallunge, Gotland.It has loops that have a snake form that is symmetrically placed with a pigtail and pear-shaped eyes. Therefore, the Ringerike can be said to be an animal style dominant in Scandinavia between 1000 CE to 1100CE, and it evolved from its predecessor style Mammen style (Grancsay, 43). f) Urnes style: Urnes style form the last part of the Scandinavian animal style of art that came in the late 11th century, and it was named following a church in northern Norway called Urnes stave church. However due to the use of style mostly in Runestones in the Sweden, some academicians feel it is necessary to call it Runestone style. The style is better identified by the slim animal that is interwoven into congested patterns, and they have slender shaped eyes with a curled nose and neck (Grancsay, 69). Critical analysis The timing and the quality in terms of sophistication and beauty make the artwork of the Vikings be highly rated. Unfortunately at the time the aim of the group that was involved in the artwork did not view it work but had the main aim of decorations and to make various things around them beautiful. They were aimed at decorating with most of what they made being used as human adornment and jewelry. Their work shows level of intelligence that is not reflected by how they were perceived especially by the Christian analysts who portrayed the Vikings as uncivilized and men who lacked principle through work and character show they were not as rough as their contemporaries (Grancsay, 115). The ability and the complexity in term of design consideration of their ship show a high level of intelligence and understanding (Sorabella, 22). Apart from the decoration the overall design considering it needed to float and have speed meant they had knowledge. It is reported that their ship had great speed, was flexible, able to maneuverable, light and relatively quick hence they managed long distance in short days. Therefore, the people who criticized their ability and sophistication only appear rude since the Vikings craftsmen so much excelled in woodwork and metalwork making great weapons, adorning brooches, implements and complex ships made from timber which had some animal form abstracted from them. Their design is beautiful to watch especially the elaborate interlace patterns, the running texts, riddling phrases, contemporary scenes inscribed on stones and rock faces. Work Cited "Brooch [Vendel]" (53.48.6) In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/53.48.6. (October 2006) Barnard, R. and Henry, F. (1968). Irish Art during the Viking Invasions (800-1020 A.D.). Art Education, 21(9), p.37. Grancsay, S. (1959). A Viking Chieftains Sword. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, 17(7), p.173. Sorabella, Jean. "The Vikings (780–1100)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vikg/hd_vikg.htm (October 2002) Fig 1: Copper alloy with gilding; Diam. 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm) Source (Brooch, 2000) Fig 2: The Oseberg Viking Ship Source (Brooch, 2000) Fig 3: Axe head / Iron with silver engraving. Source (Brooch, 2000) Read More