This chapter presents a cross-cultural analysis of the non-verbal language of medieval
East Central Europe’s art. It provides entangled examples of artistic patronage across
diverse genres, as well as how visual strategies, technical achievements, and stylistic
developments were affected by historical change. East Central Europe has been often
discussed as a historical region, but its common narrative as an art historical region
has not yet been established. In fact, the region is simply missing from the map of
European art in studies of the Romanesque period. This may have resulted, at least
in part, from the fragmentary nature of the evidence, language barriers, and political
differences, but recently a number of projects have attempted to harmonize research
efforts across the area, especially for the Carolingian period. The chapter then looks
at the flourishing of Romanesque art and architecture, as well as the Gothic style
and royal residences, castles, and courts.
