Year 1300 represents the apex of the cultural and economical expansion of the Midle Ages with Europe being adorned by sets of new monuments in different styles: gothic in Salisbury and Reims, oriental in Palermo and Toledo. Italy is the centre of artistic innovation and production thanks to a rich class of merchant conducting business all over Europe and the Orient. From the Cathedral, the focus shifts to the city and specially the Piazza. Major works are commissined to adorn private and civil buildings, such Simone Martini’s frescos in Sienna’s Communal House. But in 1348, the Black Plague epidemic brings the artistic expansion to a grinding halt. This marks the introduction of a macabre element in art. The serene smiles of the angel on the portal of Notre Dame is no more. At the end of the XIVth century, people have two obsessions: death of the body and the unrestrained enjoyement of the short-lived pleasures of life. This episode also profiles the works of Giotto.
Credits: Director, Roland Darbois ; writers, Roger Stephane, Roland Darbois, photography, Roland Dantigny.
Cast: Narrated by Georges Duby.
Content notification
Our collection comprises over 40,000 moving image works, acquired and catalogued between the 1940s and early 2000s. As a result, some items may reflect outdated, offensive and possibly harmful views and opinions. ACMI is working to identify and redress such usages.
Learn more about our collection and our collection policy here. If you come across harmful content on our website that you would like to report, let us know.
How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
X000701
Language
English
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
16mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)