Western Art Movements I Art Movements    

Lesson 4: Romanesque - The Morgan Leaf: Scenes from the Life of David (Circa 1160-1180)

by Unknown

Directions

Study the artwork for one week.

Over the week:

• Examine the artwork.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Recite the artist and artwork names.
• Read about the artwork's movement.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

Circa 1160-1180, an unknown artist created 'Scenes from the Life of David' for the Morgan Leaf of the Romanesque Winchester Bible. This illustration depicts six scenes from King David's life. 1) In the upper left, the young shepherd David swings a stone in a sling while battling the giant Philistine Goliath. David ultimately triumphs over Goliath, striking Goliath's head with a stone. 2) In the upper right, David beheads Goliath with a sword. 3) In the middle left, jealous of David's victory, King Saul points a javelin at David. 4) In the middle right, David is crowned King of Israel. 5) In the bottom left, King David's son, Absalom, is killed. 6) In the bottom right, King David covers his face and mourns the death of Absalom.

Vocabulary

Winchester Bible: An illustrated Romanesque English Bible housed at Winchester Cathedral Library.
Morgan Leaf: A sheet from the Winchester Bible.
Leaf: A sheet of a book, magazine, etc. (consisting of two pages, one on each face of the leaf).
Philistine: A person from ancient Philistia, an ancient pentapolis (group of 5 cities) in southwestern Levant (countries bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea).
Sling: An instrument for throwing stones or other missiles, consisting of a short strap with two strings fastened to its ends.
Javelin: A light spear thrown with the hand and used as a weapon.

Concepts

Featured Movement:

1. Name - Romanesque
2. Timeline - 11th century to the 12th century

Movement Characteristics:

1. Bright primary colors

2. Flat, two-dimensional paintings with little depth

3. Frescoes

4. Stained Glass

5. Decorated Manuscripts Including Bibles

6. Elaborate Metalwork

7. Sculptures of Wood, Plaster, Ivory, and Stucco

Movement Subjects:

1. Often Biblical, Commonly Featuring Christ

2. The Nativity and the Three Kings

3. The Creation of Man (Adam, Eve, the Serpent, and the Garden of Eden)

4. The Crucifixion

Architecture of the Time:

1. Semicircular Arches

2. Apses

3. Barrel Vaults

4. Spirals

5. Entwined Animals

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Find the following in the artwork:

• Sling
• Stone
• The giant Philistine Goliath
• King Saul
• Young David
• Javelins
• King David
• Crowns
• Someone Mourning
• King David's Son
• Sword
• Shields
• Armor
• Crosses

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

• After studying the artwork, narrate the scene shown aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: See the Winchester Cathedral

• The featured artwork has been housed for the past 800 years at the Winchester Cathedral.
• Examine the picture of the Winchester Cathedral.

Activity 4: Map the Artwork

• The Winchester Cathedral and the featured artwork are located in Winchester, England.
• Zoom in to find Winchester, England on the map of the United Kingdom.

Activity 5: Classify the Artwork

• This artwork belongs to the Romanesque art movement.
• Find the Romanesque art movement on the timeline.
• During which (estimated) years did the Romanesque art movement flourish?
• Which art movement followed the Romanesque art movement?

Activity 6: Recreate the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 7 of 'Fourth Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the artwork?

1 / 4

Answer 1

Characters include King David, King Saul, the giant Goliath, Absalom, and soldiers.

1 / 4

Question 2

To which western art movement does this artwork belong?

2 / 4

Answer 2

This painting belongs to the Romanesque art movement.

2 / 4

Question 3

Which elements of the artwork characterize the Romanesque art movement?

3 / 4

Answer 3

The artwork is an illustration from a decorated manuscript of the Bible, it features bright primary colors, it is mostly two-dimensional, and it shows a Biblical event.

3 / 4

Question 4

During which century did the artist create this artwork?

4 / 4

Answer 4

The unknown artist created this artwork in the 12th century.

4 / 4

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the artwork? Characters include King David, King Saul, the giant Goliath, Absalom, and soldiers.
2. To which western art movement does this artwork belong? This painting belongs to the Romanesque art movement.
3. Which elements of the artwork characterize the Romanesque art movement? The artwork is an illustration from a decorated manuscript of the Bible, it features bright primary colors, it is mostly two-dimensional, and it shows a Biblical event.
4. During which century did the artist create this artwork? The unknown artist created this artwork in the 12th century.

References

'Romanesque art.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Winchester Bible.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'The Morgan Leaf, from the Winchester Bible: Opening for the Book of 1 Samuel.' The Met. Metmuseum.org. n.p.