Medieval German Art

German art after the fall of Rome was first a lot like Visigothic or Merovingian art. By the 900's AD, German art is often called "Ottonian" after the German emperors who were ruling at that time. Because these Otto emperors thought of themselves as being Holy Roman Emperors, putting the old Roman Empire back together, they liked art that looked Roman, or that at least reminded them of ancient Rome (while still being clearly Christian).

After the Ottonian period in art, between about 1000 and 1200 AD, came the Romanesque, where people built many big stone churches and castles in Germany. These were big, heavy buildings that showed how powerful the Holy Roman Emperors were. The cathedral at Mainz is a good example. The style was not very different from how people were building at the same time in France and Italy, showing how architects often travelled from one place to another.

The last period of German medieval art was called Gothic. Gothic art is also pretty much the same in Germany as in France and Italy - it began in France, but soon spread to both Germany and Italy (much of Italy was pretty much ruled by Germany at this time anyway).