How did the black plague affect art during the medieval ages?
First of all, in order to understand the changes brought forth by the plague, one must understand what life was like before the plague, and what it caused immediately after its arrival. Eventually the plague did disappear, but it left Europe with great cultural changes. In art, the changes were extreme. During the pre-plague times noble lords were shown in full health, in their best clothes and armor, holding their swords. Afterwards, half-decomposed bodies with parts of skeleton clearly visible were shown. The clothes draping the body were old dirty rags, and some sculptures showed worms and snails burrowing in the rotten flesh. Suffering became a favorite theme. Northern art had always shown harmony between man, reason and nature. Tuscan art, as well, had been warm and sympathetic, stressing personal relationships. Yet, after the plague it was obsessive with cruel aspects of pain and suffering. Paintings focused on skeletons mixed in with living men in everyday life. It was a very cr
