Sign-In
Cart
Fragments: Medieval Makers, Modern Responses
Hardcover
Series: Signa: Papers of the Index of Medieval Art at Princeton University
Art Criticism & TheoryArt HistoryEuropean Art
ISBN13: 9780271100029
Publisher: Penn State University Press
Published: Jan 13 2026
Pages: 180
Weight: 2.01
Height: 0.68 Width: 8.26 Depth: 10.20
Language: English
Fragments are central to the work of medievalists. Whether caused by destruction, decay, or the loss of context, fragmentation shapes how scholars reconstruct and interpret the Middle Ages. In the study of medieval visual culture especially, fragments evoke lost monuments, damaged manuscripts, and vanished rituals--yet their evidentiary role is often overlooked or assumed rather than critically examined.
This volume brings together seven essays that examine the risks and rewards of working with fragments in the study of medieval culture. Developed from a scholarly conference at the Index of Medieval Art, the chapters examine how incomplete material, pictorial, textual, ritual, and conceptual objects have been interpreted, reconstructed, or newly understood over time. Topics include the medieval reframing of earlier fragments, the politically motivated interpretation of fragments to rewrite a lost past or fabricate a new future, market-driven deceptions of the consumer, and the challenges of decoding how fragments of all kinds speak to those who view and study them today.
A valuable resource for scholars of medieval art, history, and material culture, this collection addresses the fundamental methodological challenges of studying the Middle Ages through incomplete evidence. Offering fresh insights into how fragments are perceived and repurposed across time, it encourages critical reflection on the fragment as both obstacle and opportunity in reconstructing medieval worlds.
In addition to the editors, the contributors include Patricia Blessing, William Diebold, Shirin Fozi, Silvia Gianolio, Gregor Kalas, Henry David Schilb, and Susanne Wittekind.
Also from
Fernandez, Catherine A.
Also in
Art History
The Secrets of Art: Uncovering the Mysteries and Messages of Great Works of Art
Mancoff, Debra N.
Hardcover
Progressive Design in the Midwest: The Purcell-Cutts House and the Prairie School Collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Olivarez, Jennifer Komar
Paperback
Sabine's Notebook: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Continues
Bantock, Nick
Hardcover
Paint by Sticker (Official): Works of Art: Re-Create 12 Iconic Masterpieces One Sticker at a Time!
Workman Publishing
Paperback
Paint by Sticker (Official): Masterpieces: Re-Create 12 Iconic Artworks One Sticker at a Time!
Workman Publishing
Paperback
Oliver Byrne's Elements of Euclid: The First Six Books with Coloured Diagrams and Symbols (Art Meets Science Edition)
Art Meets Science
Hardcover
Stupid Faces in Stunning Paintings: A Serious Exploration of Art History's Silliest Expressions
Mierlo, Matthijs Van
Hardcover
The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland
Young, Michelle
Hardcover
Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It
Ramirez, Janina
Paperback
Paint by Sticker (Official): Portraits: Re-Create 12 Historic Paintings One Sticker at a Time!
Workman Publishing
Paperback
The Secrets of Painting: The Hidden Art of the Masterpiece from Prehistory to Today
Goudie, Lachlan
Hardcover
Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the World's Greatest Museum
Sciolino, Elaine
Paperback
The Short Story of Queer Art: A Pocket Guide to Key Movements, Works, Themes & Breakthroughs
Hoskin, Dawn
Paperback
Flashes of Brilliance: The Genius of Early Photography and How It Transformed Art, Science, and History
Burgess, Anika
Hardcover
The Annotated Mona Lisa, Third Edition: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to the Present
Strickland, Carol
Paperback
AP Art History Premium, Sixth Edition: Prep Book with 5 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice
Nici, John B., M. a.
Paperback
Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart: What Art Teaches Us about the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive
Ramsey, Russ
Hardcover
The Art of the Unknown: A Visual Treasury of the Esoteric, Uncanny and Unexplained
Elizabeth, S.
Hardcover
Weaving at Black Mountain College: Anni Albers, Trude Guermonprez, and Their Students
Thomson, Julie J.
Beggs, Michael
Hardcover