Medievalism

Medievalism is the study of and/or preference for the (European) middle ages.

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It appears not to have become a "movement" before the early 20th century in the UK{{ref|UK}}, allthough it has been argued that a languish for the middle ages was one of the most determining factors in the kick-off of the Romantic movement in the early 19th century: a love for ivy-covered ruins, the Pre-Raphaelite movement, architects like Augustus Pugin and authors like John Ruskin proclaiming the Gothic style the only "true" style for Christian buildings{{ref|neo-gothic}}, and more, appear all symbols for this earlier flavour of medievalism.

Related Topics:
20th century - Romantic movement - 19th century - Pre-Raphaelite movement - Augustus Pugin - John Ruskin - Gothic style

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On the European content similar medievalist tendencies appeared from the late 18th century, likewise furnishing building blocks for what later would become known as the Romantic movement{{ref|Werther}}. In this sense "medievalism" is not to be characterised as a movement in the proper sense, but as an underlying current, one of the many "-isms" that flowed together in making the culture of the 19th century what it was.

Related Topics:
18th century - -ism

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From the 20th century Medievalism was also used as the umbrella name for academic studies of the middle ages.

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;Notes

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• {{note|UK}} see the "What is medievalism?" page from the Medievalism website
• {{note|neo-gothic}} see Gothic revival architecture
• {{note|Werther}} from Goethe's Werther on: this novel contained a host of references to the middle ages, as so many other works by this author.
 
Medievalism: Disambiguating ►