German Art and Architecture

Carolingian style art and architecture is generally considered as one of the first visible signs of what would later come to be called German art. Examples of this influence are the impressive palace chapel in Aachen, built in the 9th Century, or the paintings and sculptures created during the Saxon Dynasty (late 10th Century to early 11th Century): the manuscript illustrations and miniatures of the era are especially interesting.

Between the mid 13th Century and the late 15th Century a strong gothic style marks the evolution of art, with significant examples in the magnificent sculptures that adorn the halls of the castles of Strasbourg and Naumburg, or in the Cologne Cathedral, where French influence is evident.

Still, German artists and craftsmen modified the overly-elaborate French style in favour of more simple and less ornate works of art.