Both David Jacoby and Maria Georgopouluo have written comprehensive essays concerned with the evolution of art during the age of the crusades. An in-depth analysis of their works reveals that the two scholars took entirely different approaches to the subjects of art and crusades. In the current paper, attention will be directed towards comparing their methods. Specifically, it will to elaborate on the questions that each author tries to solve and the evidence presented in support of the arguments made in connection to evolution of art during the crusades.
Comparison
On the one hand, Jacoby seeks to examine the evolution of Acre’s society with particular emphasis on the interactions it had with multiethnic and multicultural populations. The examination expands to a determination of the impact that these interactions had on the culture, artistic trends, and the economies of art production during the time of Frankish rule. Jacoby’s method is an integration of exploration and attempts to discover answers to specific questions concerning the cultural and artistic life of Acre’s society. Such an approach suggests that he might have been looking for evidence that would culminate into further research and investigation into the culture and art of the Acre’s society. It is clear that many scholars have attempted to study this society but none of them have been able to undertake exhaustive studies owing to lack of evidence.
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On the other hand, Maria’s approach integrates archaeology and art history under the context of economic circumstances of the time. As an art historian with a vested interest in economics, Maria chose to concentrate her study on artistic objects that were produced for sale. Additionally, her investigation also concerns products that were traditionally associated with high arts. Essentially, her approach is that of an art historian with attention directed towards exploring the historical circumstances surrounding the mentioned works of art.
The two scholars are puzzled with the circumstances concerning development and production of art during the crusades. Their points of inquiry merge at the point where they investigate the factors that inspired artists during this period to produce various works of art. For example, Maria is clearly concerned with the way in which the economic conditions of the time affected production of objects such as monuments. Similarly, Jacoby seeks to discover how multiethnic interactions between the population of the Acre society impacted on the artistic trends. Maria, on her part, seeks answers as a historian interested in understanding how material culture during the crusades can be understood by collaborating evidence from history and archeology. She is also curious of how the economic conditions of the time could have either promoted or prevented certain pieces of art from surviving and thereafter, discovery. On the flip side, Jacoby seeks answers as a social scientist interested in knowing how the interactions between the crusaders could have affected the nature of art produced. He observed that Acre consisted of multiple ethnic groups; a condition which could have potentially influenced the trends followed in art production and changes the nature of the objects. In supporting his approach, Jacoby notes the arts and crafts associated with the Frankish era demonstrate originality and traces of fusion and blending.
Conclusion
The paper has compared the approaches taken by Maria Georgopoulou and David Jacoby who have both written comprehensive articles on art and the crusades. It has found that Jacoby wrote his essay from a social sciences perspective and was therefore, interested in determining how art was influenced by interactions in the Acre society. On the other hand, Maria’s approach is based on art history and economics as she attempts to discover how production of artistic pieces interplayed with the economic conditions of the era.
