The Art of Death

These two articles offer differing but equally compelling views of the cultural impact of death in the Middle Ages , as expressed in Italian art . The first article gives a historical account of the years following the Black Death , particularly in Florence and Sienna . The rich historical backdrop , melding religious and social history , provides the context for the emergence of what may be progenitors of Gothic art . The paintings during this period strongly suggest the developing attitudes of people toward death . In part because of the overwhelming plague people fully accepted the naturalness

of death . Yet people also learned to fear death because of Christianity 's doctrine of punishment and guilt . The artworks depict rotting corpses and corpses devoured by animals , to symbolize man 's moral corruption . As the epidemic worsened life became more destitute , until intense paranoia swept Italy . People clamored for the Church 's power to help them get rid of their sins . As acts of penance , people embarked on pilgrimages and offered indulgences in hopes of attaining salvation . It was also at this time that mystics like Catherine of Sienna emerged , but instead of turning guilt into fear these mystics embraced death . Catherine , for instance , believed that the salvation of mankind can be obtained through spiritual death . Spiritual death meant living a life of poverty , penance and prayer . From morbidity to mysticism , the social attitude of death in medieval Italy was culturally apparent in the art of that period

The second article challenges the dominant view of medieval Italian art , focusing on Christianity 's power to influence people 's views and attitudes towards death . As consequence , religion suppressed the latent movement towards earthly subjects and style . In his analysis of medieval Italian art , Millard Meiss offers a view that the religious conservatism and the practice of papal patronage in art are all part of a ploy to limit the already diversifying medieval society . Christianity instigates fear and punishment of death to gloss over the fear of non-Christians and their encroaching cultures . Through art , Christianity taught people to fear death , as well as the gentiles , being bringers of evil...