Types and Purposes of Medieval Painting. During the period 814—1350, the styles of painting changed dramatically. Using the same terms they apply to the architecture of the period, art historians classify these styles as Romanesque, Ottonian, and Gothic. These categories are, however, modern impositions on medieval styles, and none of the few surviving medieval records describes artists as altering their techniques and topics either suddenly or even over the period of several decades. Medieval authors who discussed paintings focused on their locations, purposes, compositions, and the materials used in creating them. The cost of materials and labor made paintings expensive enough so that they were not generally part of middle- or lower-class households, nor were they usually hung in the private rooms of nobles' homes. Artists rarely painted subjects because of inspiration; instead, a patron contracted for a painting with a specific subject and placement...