Meanings in medieval art

Medieval culture was highly visual and used multiple codes of position, colour, symbol and allusion to carry complex meanings. This art retains the power to intrigue and baffle. From funerary monuments to gargoyles the meaning and interpretation of medieval art has been contested and mythologised through the centuries. This course uses media such as stained glass and misericords to ponder how meaning is constructed and communicated through visual imagery. It also addresses wider questions of how we can identify legitimate meaning and understand visual codes in a contextual way. 

Aims

This course aims to: 

• survey and explore the range and context of marginal and ludic imagery in medieval art and the emergence of visual codes such as heraldry
   
• consider the purposes such images served and how they were understood in their original context
   
• identify and evaluate art historical approaches and readings of this imagery

Content

From Gargoyles and misericords to marginal images in stained glass and tombs, medieval culture was highly visual and drew on a variety of complex visual codes. This course introduces areas of hidden symbolism focussing on images in marginal or obscured locations and those which draw on sources such as proverbs. 

By studying four types of representations, gargoyles, misericords, monuments and stained glass, you will learn about the range of imagery associated with each of these. Each present a different model of how these hidden or additional meanings were developed and transmitted. Together they offer the opportunity to develop and test broader ‘readings’ of medieval culture and its meaning making. 

You will be introduced to important examples from medieval Europe. Through class readings and exercises you will look at these images through the lens of medieval documents and literary evidence, such as contracts and sermon illustrations. You will be introduced to the various debates about the meaning of these images which have developed in the last two centuries and how their often lewd, disturbing and subversive imagery should be read. As well as learning about particular types of imagery, such as rebuses and exempla, you will develop an understanding of how the study of these marginal and hidden symbols reveals diverse and contested ideas about the character of medieval culture. 

Presentation of the course 

You will be learning in a class, interacting with the tutor and your fellow students. Projected images of medieval art works will be our focus and you will have the opportunity to study these in detail and discuss them in small groups. We will use focussed extracts and readings to develop an understanding of context and historiography and you will be asked to read short extracts and come ready to discuss your ideas and interpretation. You will learn by looking, listening to your fellow students and reflecting on different images and texts. 

Course sessions

1. Meanings of the Margins. In this topic you will be introduced to the range of ways in which medieval hidden and marginal symbolism has been understood and interpreted over the past two hundred years. You will see shifting emphases and intellectual fashions and you will develop strategies for identifying, locating and assessing these. You will reflect on how these ‘lenses’ have shaped this area of study and continue to influence architecture and conservation. 
    
2. Gargoyles and Grotesques. In this session you will look at the range of external and marginal architectural sculpture found on medieval buildings, particularly churches. You will consider the range of meanings attached to obscene and exhibitionist images. You will reflect on whether it is possible to integrate this class of imagery with broader ‘readings’ of a medieval culture 
   and space. 
    
3. Misericords and Mischief. You will learn about the development of a specific form of ‘hidden’ imagery created for a monastic audience. You will study the range of sources drawn on and the possible reasons for the choice of imagery from legend, proverbs and misogynistic tropes. You will consider further the importance of context in the interpretation of hidden symbolism.
    
4. Monuments and Memorials. You will learn about the development of funeral monuments from the 11th century onwards with a particular emphasis on the supporting imagery and the use of emblems, heraldry and rebuses. You will have the opportunity to reflect on how these different types of imagery could be used to fashion an image of the deceased and to focus on their earthly achievements and heavenly aspirations.
    
5. Light and Colour. You will learn about the repertoire of symbols and the use of colour in stained glass. You will focus on the form of windows, the hierarchy of images and the role of marginal and framing details. During the Middle Ages, stained glass developed from an elite and costly art form to one which could be deployed in parish churches. Its forms and conventions reveal a range of expectations around meaning and interpretation and the interplay between patron and purpose. 

Learning outcomes

You are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course. 

The learning outcomes for this course are:

• to understand the range of hidden symbolism associated with medieval art and the different types of imagery associated with different locations and media
   
• to identify significant scholarly and interpretative lenses applied to this diverse corpus of material over the last two hundred years
   
• to evaluate medieval textual evidence for interpretation and subsequent scholarly images in relation to medieval images

Required reading

Camille, Michael, Image on the Edge: the Margins of Medieval Art (London: Reaktion Books 2019, first published 1992) ISBN: 9780948462283 

This work is available as an eBook from the publisher and from Kindle

Typical week: Monday to Friday 

Courses run from Monday to Friday. For each week of study, you select a morning (Am) course and an afternoon (Pm) course. The maximum class size is 25 students.   

Courses are complemented by a series of daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to your learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events. 

Evaluation and Academic Credit  

If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.  

Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £75 per essay. 

For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit. 

Certificate of attendance 

A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically after the programme.