Art

The Carolingian manuscript discusses and attempts to explain a variety of different questions beginning with the relationship of mutual understanding and support between the Pope Leo III and the first Christian emperor, Charlemagne, to the difference between the artistic and cultural understanding of the word  gothic  and the changes in outlook that came about in art with the decline of religion and upswing of science of the last two centuries. The article mentions examples of art like York Minister, the Chartres Cathedral and the San Vitale in Ravenna to emphasize the difference between Gothic architecture and the style in which the Aachen temple was built. The author also brings up the topic of the representation of saints in the bibles of Charlemagne s era and their authenticity. Charlemagne explains that the earliest representations of these saints were drawn out of second hand evidence or testimony and are thus all merely copies of copies none which accurately capture the real people they seek to illustrate.
Through the article, the author wants us to believe that the revival of Roman art and culture, something that had been dormant under the Goths even though they sought to behave like the late Romans, began and flourished during the period of Charlemagne s reign. At the same time, he also highlights the barbaric methods the emperor employed in order to unite the European continent under one banner. The interview style in which the article is written and the supporting artistic references provided by the author lend it an element of authenticity. He concludes by defining the major difference between the time of Charlemagne and the conditions that spawned the creation of the Post-Romantic art. He credited it to the issue of belief and the extent of knowledge available to the modern man as compared to the medieval one. The writing style employed by the author is simple, but at times, the flow of questions seems a bit disconnected. Nonetheless, he manages to bring out the main theme of the piece, Charlemagne s rule and the revival of the arts in an interesting and readable manner.