![]() ![]() Ottonian art eschews naturalism for a more abstract style, focusing on symbolism to convey deeply philosophical and theological concepts.Ī portrait of Otto II enthroned depicts the emperor wearing a bejewelled crown in lieu of a laurel wreath and a large disc bearing the cross in place of an imperial orb. Portraits are most frequently found in the dedicatory prefaces of illuminated manuscripts. Ottonian ruler portraits usually combine ancient Roman elements with contemporary (medieval) ones. In fact, illuminated manuscripts are the best source of painted imperial portraiture from the Ottonian Renaissance. Surviving paintings from this period exist predominantly in illustrations from illuminated manuscripts and a small number of mural and fresco fragments. Additionally, the Ottonian style exhibits no direct influence from Byzantine art and less understanding of its classical models. The style is generally grand and heavy, sometimes to excess, and initially less sophisticated than the Carolingian equivalents. Ottonian art reflected this desire, fusing traditions and influences from late Roman, Byzantine, and Carolingian art. The Ottonian Dynasty desired to confirm a sacred Roman imperial lineage that connected them to the Christian rulers of Late Antiquity such as Theodoric and Justinian and to their Carolingian predecessors, particularly Charlemagne. ![]() Both combined to create the Ottonian Renaissance (circa 951-1024), a period of heightened cultural and artistic fervour and achievement. This coincided with a period of significant church reform. Ottonian rule was accompanied by a renewed faith in the idea of imperium (Latin, roughly translated as “power to command”), referring to the sovereignty of the state over the individual). Originally a ducal family from Saxony, the Ottonians (named after their first King Otto I the Great) seized power after the collapse of Carolingian rule in Europe and re-established the Holy Roman Empire. ![]()
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