Medium as message in Carolingian writing about art
William J. Diebold
Abstract In Erwin Panofsky's classic ‘Introductory’ to his 1939 Studies in Iconology, he proposed that not only a work of art's subject but also its medium, the material from which it was made and way used, could be studied iconologically: ‘A really exhaustive interpretation intrinsic meaning or content might even show technical procedures characteristic certain country, period, artist ... are symptomatic same basic attitude is discernible all other specific qualities style’.1 The art Middle Ages can characterized by broad range media employed exceptional care took working those but, although iconographical/iconological method now dominates study medieval art, few medievalists have examined significance particular media. This because scholars disputed claim regarding has proved exceptionally difficult assemble historical information bring bear on question.
Word & Image