Asher.p2.t1.medieval period
by Brianna Loo, Calvin Chan, Christina Yang, Jane Lu (Period 2, Team 1)
During the Medieval Period, small communities, where a central lord offered protection to all the peasants working his land, were formed. As the feudal system grew, it brought a unifying order by creating an orderly structure. Likewise, the fact that there was only one church—the Catholic Church—furthered unified the continent of Europe during this time period. This directly contrasts the Anglo-Saxon era where there was a sort of religious crisis as, although the Anglo-Saxons stated they believed in Christianity, many still held onto their Pagan beliefs.
Consequently, this order allowed peddlers, the earliest merchants, to go from village to village selling their goods to the peasants and lords who were also able to expand their farms. These merchants were one class of tradesmen and after they became familiar with the complex ways of trading and accounting, they rapidly became savvy businessmen who reaped in the wealth. Other tradesmen, such as the blacksmith or barber, also became quite wealthy by forming guilds that regulated prices and controlled quality, and acquiring higher levels of education to become true masters of their trade in order to complete the vital tasks that normal people could not perform but could not live without either.
This flourishing of the tradesmen class is demonstrated by Petrus Christus’s The Goldsmith (circa 1449), a painting where a goldsmith (another type of tradesmen) is negotiating the price of a wedding ring with a young couple of noble standing. Although the goldsmith’s outfit is a simple, the gown’s scarlet color and the fact that it is lined with fur is a clear depiction of his economic prosperity and wealth.
Great entry! We agree that with the growth of the feudal system, an orderly structure was formed. It is interesting that your team brought into play a religious aspect which was doing the same. The middle class consisted of tradesmen who were specialized and experts in specific industries. That is the driving reason for their ability to become savvy and wealthy businessmen. And as they were able to specialize, their guilds and price regulation came into play. This was obviously a more efficient way for everyone to live because businesses were specialized and good at what it made, so the quality of items were higher. The transaction between buying and selling was easier with the increase in overall pay and spending ability. In addition to working hard, this class was able to find free time to play instruments and read for pleasure. They began to experience a truly balanced lifestyle and living. The desire to live more lavishly and expensively also occurred. Prosperity was shown through the way one dressed, decorated one’s home, and types of food one ate. Your example of art with The Goldsmith emphasizes this. The jewelry, fine details in the man and woman’s clothing, and the reflection of the town exemplify the time period. An interesting point we found is that people were able to afford nice pieces of artwork for their homes because they started to become duplicated. As the demand for art increased, so did the ability for many copies to be produced. This era is truly fascinating with its shift in power and higher standard of living.
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