Art and Architecture in Medieval East Central Europe

Abstract

This chapter presents a cross-cultural analysis of the non-verbal language of medieval East Central Europe’s art. It provides entangled examples of artistic patronage across diverse genres, as well as how visual strategies, technical achievements, and stylistic developments were affected by historical change. East Central Europe has been often discussed as a historical region, but its common narrative as an art historical region has not yet been established. In fact, the region is simply missing from the map of European art in studies of the Romanesque period. This may have resulted, at least in part, from the fragmentary nature of the evidence, language barriers, and political differences, but recently a number of projects have attempted to harmonize research efforts across the area, especially for the Carolingian period. The chapter then looks at the flourishing of Romanesque art and architecture, as well as the Gothic style and royal residences, castles, and courts.