ART AND LITERATURE

ART FROM BYZANTIUM TO THE AGE OF ABSOLUTISM

Art History 101
On-line class covering art from "Renaissance Period to the Impressionistic artists of the late 19th century." Byzantine, Gothic, Italian Renaissance, Mannerism, Northern Renaissance, Baroque, Romanticism, Neo-Classicism, Pre-Raphaelite, Realism.  Simply beautiful and wonderfully informative site. Graphically intensive with long down-load time but worth the wait! Interesting facts on the development of oil painting and various artistic techniques. Timeline of History 1300-1599 and Timeline of History 1600-1899 pages. "It will surely give you some food for thought!"
Diego Velasquez
Spanish painter Diego Velazquez (1599-1660) was one of the history's supreme artists. Broke with tradition by depicting scenes of common life, in addition to court portraits and religious subjects. Click and enlarge the beautiful paintings to learn about the styles/customs of the era.
El Greco
El Greco (1541-1614) - a Greek born artist whose emotional style vividly expressed the passion of Counter-Reformation Spain. One of the National Gallery of Art's wonderful on-line tours of its collection.  Imagery is haunting and particularly heroic given the tenor of the times.
Important Glossary of Medieval Art and Architecture
Medieval Art
Artists, Painting, Illumination, Stained Glass, Sculpture, Tapestries, Cartography, Images. Possibly the best overall Medieval Art site with significant links.  For the art lover, days could be spent here.

LITERATURE

Anthology of Middle English Literature
Wonderful anthologyy including Essays, Articles, Medieval Plays and Lyrics. Includes literary works and brief biographies of Chaucer, Gawain, Langland, Norwich, Kempe, Malory, and Everyman. A treasure of medieval literature. Introductions accompanied by medieval music that set the mood for perusing these fascinating personalities.
Canterbury Tales
"The Middle English Collection at the Electronic Text Center."  Text-based. Downloadable Chaucerian works in Old English. Features "The Canterbury Tales." Links to Online Library and Middle English text search engine. Allows word/phrase searching. Other Middle English authors' works. Links to classic humanities texts in twelve languages. Illustrations,  maps, images, art. Parts restricted to U of VA students - alternative public links given.
Canterbury Tales Project - Major Research Site
Decameron
Brilliant insight into medieval life, the "Decameron" by Bocaccio is a collection of 100 wonderfully human stories shared in 10 days by 10 people escaping the plague in 14th C. Florence. Contemporaneous maps and societal descriptions place the stories in clear historical context. High quality literary site.
EAWC Essay: Literature and the Middle Time
Helpful essay addressing the time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance, when the French language was born. How the Middle Ages got its name. Origins of French literature. "The Renaissance invented the Middle Ages in order to define itself; the Enlightenment perpetuated them in order to admire itself; and the Romantics revived them in order to escape from themselves. In their widest ramifications 'the Middle Ages' thus constitute one of the most prevalent cultural myths of the modern world.
Literature and the Middle Time
" Somewhere between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance there was a middle time. . . . ."  Special essay.  "Addresses time as a conceptual and historical problem, in literary, religious, and practical terms. Valuable information on the origins of French literature, how the Middle Ages got its name, theological and everyday measurements of time, and the relationships of myth and fiction to genealogy in the founding of aristocratic families and feudal dynasties....."  
Medieval Drama Links
Devotee's catalog of myriad links to Medieval drama sites - and not just Shakespearean links, either. Find everything from costumes and music to props, make-up and set design. Very wide ranging. You can truly get lost in here.
Medieval Irish Poetry
Amazing site! Beautiful Medieval Irish poems for your enjoyment. Poems written in Irish language with translations. Techniques used by the poets, what each poem was written for, as well as how you can write your own "dan direach" poems! Gives insights as to what the Medievals were thinking of. A must for all poetry lovers!  
The Planets and Their Children. A Blockbook of Medieval Popular Astrology
15th C. Europe believed strongly in the influence of planets. "Blockbooks," printed entirely from wood blocks, were the paperback of the masses. Authentic images combined with illuminating translations give the viewer real taste of medieval popular culture.