This exhibition explores the presence of violence in the Middle Ages and examines how images of violence were used to teach viewers moral lessons and appeal to their emotions.
The Dangers of Daily Life
Brute force was accepted and even respected in the Middle Ages. Violence played a major role in family disputes, in the justice system, and even in education and entertainment. In the late Middle Ages, a father’s money and power passed to his eldest son upon his death. This often caused deadly family rivalrie.
The Art of War
War shaped much of the history of the Middle Ages. Nations clashed over land, vassals revolted against lords, and crusaders waged holy wars in the name of religion. Medieval politicians often pointed to warlike behavior in biblical and ancient history to justify their violent schemes.
Master of the Jardin de vertueuse consolation (active ca. 1450-1475), Alexander Fights in the Town of the Sudracae, from Book of the Deeds of Alexander the Great, ca. 1470-1475, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Christian Suffering
The martyrdom of saints, the torments of hell, and the suffering of Christ were all popular subjects in medieval art. Vivid images of pain reminded the faithful that Christ’s suffering was essential to the possibility of salvation.