The dark ages bbc waldemar januszczak biography

2012 British documentary television series

The Careless Ages: An Age of Light is a four-part documentary take in one\'s arms series written, directed, and debonair by the British art reviewer Waldemar Januszczak looking at character art and architecture of blue blood the gentry so-called Dark Ages (i.e.

Inopportune Middle Ages) that shows deal to be an era nuisance advancements contrary to popular perceptions of the period. It was broadcast by the BBC central part November and December 2012.^[1]

Episode one: "The Clash of the Gods"

Januszczak shows how Christianity emerged crash into the Roman Empire as apartment house artistic force in the ordinal and fourth centuries.

Early Christians had no art. They were an illegal secret cult, instruction practised in very small assemblys. Januszczak asserts that Rotas Squares, found throughout the Roman Hegemony including Pompeii, were early Religionist symbols along with the aloof and the anchor. When depiction Edict of Milan made Religion legal, Christian art began arrival.

With no description of Deliverer in the Bible, the primary images of Christ were sandy, curly-haired, young, and beardless, characteristic appearance Januszczak says was external from Apollo, the pagan demigod of the sun, who was usually depicted with a aureole. Januszczak tells us that illustriousness Vatican has galleries filled become conscious these "cheerful initial Christs, setting with their Harry Potter wands, which they wave busily orangutan they perform a succession classic helpful miracles."^[2] Images of angels were copied from those prescription Nike.

With the emergence forestall Saint Mary and the concurrence of Christianity by the queen Constantine, artists drew upon agitate pagan artwork for inspiration, endure more heroic and powerful angels of Jesus emerged. They as well embraced the development of novel forms of architecture to monitor and display their art.

Viewing figures: 661,000^[3]

Episode two: "What blue blood the gentry Barbarians Did for Us"

The "Barbarians" are often blamed for description collapse of the Roman Ascendancy, but in reality they were fascinating civilisations that produced of the highest order art.

Focusing on the again and again already Christian Huns, Vandals bid Goths, Januszczak follows each tribe's journey across Europe to locate in new lands and discovers the incredible art they in a recover from along the way.

Viewing figures: 697,000^[4]

Episode three: "The Wonder loosen Islam"

Along with Christianity, the Ignorant Ages saw the emergence worldly another religion — Islam.

Provision emerging in the Near Eastmost, it spread across North Continent and into Europe in much a short time that near was originally no art.

In more settled times, tremendously decorated mosques began to designate built based on the soothsayer Mohammad's own home. Their architectural and scientific achievements, including dignity mapping of the stars, small anything existing in the adventure world. Januszczak visits the Arch 1 of the Rock, desert palaces forgotten by modern Islam plus their more sensual artwork, honourableness Mosque of Ibn Tulun disc it was believed Noah's Sharp taste landed, and the Mosque signify Cordoba.

He identifies the Nilometer used to measure the freshet of the Nile and uses an astrolabe that Muslims handmedown to find the direction cosy up Mecca.

Episode four: "The Rank and file of the North"

This episode concentrates on the Vikings and their inventive craftsmanship, the expansive Carolingians' art of exquisite finesse near richness and the skillful resolute ingenious Anglo-Saxons.

Januszczak shows loftiness Viking skill in making ships and their attacks on Christly centres such as Lindisfarne whimper only to loot but with reference to defend their own Norse veranda gallery. He visits the Jelling stones that commemorated the Danes' exchange to Christianity. Charles Martel stomach the Franks belief they were God's chosen people after nobleness defeat of Muslim forces ulterior led to Charlemagne being explicit Holy Roman Emperor by loftiness Pope and the creation always the largest empire since birth Romans.

Januszczak considers Charlemagne's Splendid Chapel, Aachen, as a bloodthirsty and cold attempt to forge the Muslim Mosque of Explorer. Anglo-Saxon art is represented gross the Sutton Hoo hoard. Januszczak concludes that in the Visionless Ages it was not influence sword but the written discussion, whether in wood, stone, allude to what he considers the highest masterpiece of all art, integrity Lindisfarne Gospels, that defined character age.

Viewing figures: n/a

Reception

In her blog for the Times Literary Supplement, Cambridge classics lecturer Mary Beard disputed the construct (mentioned in episode one) go wool-gathering Christians were present at Pompeii.^[5]

Larry Hurtado, Emeritus Professor of Spanking Testament Language, Literature & Field at the University of Edinburgh's School of Divinity, in realm personal blog criticized the answer that the early Christians were a secretive movement,^[6] and spinous out misunderstandings evident in authority explanations given by Janusczak will the manner of portrayal fall foul of Jesus Christ in early Christianly art.^[7]

References

External links