Selected online resources for the study
of medieval wall paintings
A growing number of website provide access to thousands of images of
medieval art. The following overview concentrates on websites where access
is free to images of medieval wall-paintings.
Of related interest:
IMAGING DOGMA, PICTURING BELIEF -
Late-Medieval Mural Painting in Parish Churches across
Europe. Conference at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London. 6-7
November, 2009.
Central Europe
(Germany, Austria, Czech Republik, Slovakia, Hungary, etc.)
REALonline - A digital image-server. A database of medieval images
compiled by the
Institut für Realienkunde des Mittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit (Krems)
of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.
The database is indexed several ways, it
contains images of wall-paintings, altarpieces as well as everyday objects.
Search based on location is possible. High-resolution images can be
ordered for further use.
Example:
 |
Crucifixion, beg. of 14th century
Dravce, Slovakia (formerly Szepesdaróc)
|
FARBDIAARCHIV
- A collection of archival color photos of wall paintings and ceiling
decorations from Germany, Austria, Poland, Bohemia. Photos taken between
1943-45. The collection was made available online by the Photo Collection
of the
Zentralinstitut für Kunsgeschichte, Munich. Searchable in many ways.
Example:
 |
Detail from the medieval
wall-decoration of the Wenceslas chapel. Prague, St. Veit. c. 1372. |
BILDINDEX
-
Bildarchiv Foto
Marburg
With about 2 million images, this is the largest single
image collection available online. It contains images of every period, and
not only from Germany, but from other countries as well. Apart from a
large collection of prewar images, it also contains newer photos as well.
If you are looking for a specific location, this is worth a try. Images
can be ordered.
Example:
 |
Frescoes on the north wall of the
former Dominican church, Krems an der Donau, c. 1280 |
Treasures of
Szeklerland
A new
website provides a number of very-well done virtual visits (360°
panoramas) to Transylvanian sites. The site includes several medieval
churches with important fresco cycles.
History of Arts in Romania:
A selection of
Gothic frescoes from Transylvania and
a few Byzantine
frescoes
For more images of Hungarian medieval churches, see my page
on chief works of Hungarian medieval art.
GERMANY
WAND- UND DECKENMALEREI IN LÜBECKER HÄUSERN 1300 BIS 1800
Database of all currently known wall and ceiling paintings from about
400 town houses in Lübeck,
from the period from around 1300 until around 1800.
DENMARK
KALKMALERIER
- A database of Danish medieval wall paintings
Full database with thousands of images. Zooming in only
works for subscribers.
Example:
 |
The
Deadly sins from the church of Birkerød,
Roskilde diocese, c. 1325 - 1350
|
The
Mills-Kronborg Collection of Danish Church Wall Paintings
Made available by the
Index of Christian Art,
Princeton
Example:
 |
The
Deadly sins from the church of Birkerød,
Roskilde diocese, c. 1325 - 1350 |
Panoramas
Church Wall paintings in Denmark, fullscreen panoramas
Example:
 |
Gjerrild, wall-paintings.
Panorama will open up in a separate window.
|
ENGLAND
MEDIEVAL WALL
PAINTING IN THE ENGLISH PARISH CHURCH
A developing catalogue, maintained by Anne Marshall
Example:
 |
Saint Christopher at Pickering
15th century
|
Medieval Wall
Paintings in English and Welsh Churches
A site by Roger Rosewell,
author of a new book on this topic.
Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Corporal Works of MercyA searchable database of British wall paintings
(University of Leicester).
Example:
 |
Good man surrounded by the Seven
Corporal Works of Mercy. West wall, Trotton, Sussex |
The churches
of East Anglia
Consisting of
Suffolk Churches and
Norfolk Churches, a growing collection of photos of medieval churches,
including many images of wall paintings as well.
Example:
 |
Devil at St Mary, Harkstead, Suffolk |
There is also a Flickr group dedicated to
English Medieval
Wall Paintings, with many good photographs.
Our churches -
Information on wall paintings on the website of The Churches
Conservation Trust
Information on 341 historic churches - there are wall
paintings in
over 80 of them
Example:
|
|
St.Mary's Church, Moulton, Norwich,
Norfolk
|
BELGIUM
Institut Royal du Patrimoine Artistique/Koninklijk Instituut voor het
Kunstpatrimonium (Royal Institute for the Study and Conservation of
Belgium's Artistic Heritage)
The online photo library contains several images of
painted churches (enter 'fresco' as technique in your search)
Example:
 |
Sint-Huibrechts-Hern
Frescoes of the life of St. Hubert
from 1260 to 1290 |
FRANCE
Art-Roman.net
This rich website also includes a large number of
photos of Romanesque wall-paintings.
Example:
 |
Figure of a knight from Areines
|
Medieval wall-paintings in the south of France
Material from a CD-ROM, with several images of the
fresco-decoration of small chapels.
Example:
 |
Sanctuary
Notre-Dame des Fontaines,
La Brigue
Cycle of Christ's Passion: Saint Peter's denial
|
Peintures murales en France
Information and images of wall paintings in France. The site does not
fully function, several links are broken.
Example:
 |
Saint-Lizier, cathedral (Ariege, Midi Pyrénnées)
Visitation
|
Murals of the XIIIth to XVIIth century in France and elsewhere
Bilingual website, maintained by Yves Impens
Example:
 |
Brinay, St. Aignan
Nativity
|
FRANCE/ITALY -ALPINE REGION
PREALP - Peintures des Régions Alpines
Database of medieval wall paintings (1200-1530/40) preserved in churches
and secular buildings of the Alps.
Example:
 |
Maiestas Domini
Cunaccia di Fervento, cappella della Madonna del Ponte, 1462
|
ITALY
ART
RESOURCE
This commercial image library
offers the best selection of images of Italian fresco cycles. Digital
images can be ordered for further use. Search by the name of the painter
or by location.
Alternatively, you can use the
Italian site of
Scala
archives.
Example:
 |
Giotto di Bondone:
Examination of the Stigmata (or death) of St.
Francis.
Cappella Bardi, S. Croce, Florence
|
Interactive overview of the frescoes of S.
Francesco, Assisi:
Guide to the Basilica
The website
Haltadefinizione.com
now includes a virtual tour of Giotto's Paduan Capella degli Scrovegni.
CATALONIA
ARS PICTA - Analysis and Research on Late Antique and Medieval
Painting and Iconography
Website of the documentation center
for Catalan Romanesque painting, with database and images.
Example:
Sant Climent de Taüll.
Central apsis, Christ in Majesty
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
Medieval wall paintings in the Middle East
An illustrated article by
Mat Immerzeel
