This exercise consists of ten works of medieval art, each one on a separate webpage. Each page will have the work of art at the top. You may click on this image to see a larger version of it
For each--consider what the image tells about the major figures. Is it a divine figure or a human? Male or female? What is the figure's age? What does its clothing and gestures tell you about its wealth and social position (if human) or position in the sacred hierarchy (if divine). How do the lesser figures relate to it? Take a guess about when in the Middle Ages this image was made and who the main figure might be. Write your answer in the space provided.
Then click on the 'Answer' link to see the identification and some suggestions on the iconographical and technical features. Obviously portraits are more interesting when you know who the person is, so identifications are included in the 'answers'. Clearly you could not be expected to know the 'Answer', nor are you expected to learn the identifications of the people. THE SUGGESTED ANSWERS WILL APPEAR IN "POP UP" WINDOWS, SO MAKE SURE YOUR BROWSER IS SET TO ALLOW POP-UPS.
If you are interested to know where the images come from,
you can find identifiers in small letters on the answer page. These
are for information only, do not memorize them.