INTRODUCTION

The vast period in time known as the Middle Ages is generally marked by the Fall of Rome in 476 BC and continued until about 1450 AD. With the advent of medieval life, secular activity and pagan culture virtually came to a halt. Medieval life, which included the production of art, was centered upon the Gospel. Most early art of this time period was created by monks and nuns of medieval monasteries. The development of monastery workshops, craft guilds, apprenticeships, and workshop treatises offer some of the earliest methods of art instruction in the western world.