Art History Early Crhistian and Byzantine Art

Earliest continuous surviving biblical narrative cycle

Jewish art, house converted to synagogue, Interior scene of synagogue City of Dura-Europos Syria, 2nd/early 3rd century through 4th

Oldest Place of Christian Worship

House converted into Christian Chapel, city of Dura-Europos, 2nd/early 3rd century through 4th

The location of Dura-Europos….

On the edge of Roman and Persian empires made for mingling of cultural traditions

Many of the oldest known images in Christianity, Judaism, and Polythesim line the walls of this city’s temple, church, and mithraeum

dura-Europos

These lived in relative harmony

Pagan Judaism and Christianity

In Italys catacomb and Catacomb paintings, Christian’s take…

Old Pagan images and assign them new Christian meaning

Christians take Old Testament (Hebrew/Jewish) figures and… (Catacombs Italy)

Assign them new Christian meaning

Italy catacomb paintings dates

3rd - 4th

Early Christian art during this period… also referred to as

Italy Catacombs, Paleo Christian

Is todays Christianity still paleo christian?

No

Christianity was mainly in

urban areas

Written on the walls of both Jewish and Christian Catacombs

Know thy self

This catacomb has vaults (barrel, etc)

Christian Catacombs

One of the paintings showcasing Jonah and the whale

catacombs of St. Peter and Marcellinus

catacomb of St. Peter and marcellinus

Painting Christian Catacombs

Italy, Rome

4th century

OLD PAGAN IMAGES ASSIGNED NEW MEANING

JONAH AND THE WHALE

ORANT

GOODSHEPARD

BANQUET MEAl

ORANT -

Praying figure (shown in St. Peter)

Why chose Christianity over Pagan cults?

Pagan cults were based on myths and legends and possible afterlife, Christianity believed to be historical fact and promised afterlife

___ Martyered christians but protected their funeral areas

Rome

Jonah and the whale-

Jonah is an Old Testament figure assigned new Christian meaning. Jonah prefigures Christ’s resurrection and is an image of individual salvation and resurrection

Good Shepard-

Both pagan and New Testament image. EC now see It as being an image of Christ and his flock.

Only after Christianity becomes an official religion is Christ….

Depicted as imperil ruler of heaven with purple robes, throne, and halo

In EARLY Christian art Christ is depicted as

Young shepherd, youthful Shepard or teacher

St. Peter Funeral banquet meal-

On anniversary of a death meal banquet would be held in the tomb

Good Shepard is both a…

Old Testament and pagan image

Early Christian sculpture - unlike later church art….

EC funerary (catacomb and sarcophagus) art was not meant to be didactic (teaching)

Do we ever see a beard on Christ in early Christian art?

No

Santa Maria Sarcophagus

Sarcophagus Relief sculpture, Rome

Early Christian Sculpture

BEFORE CHRISTIANITY LEGALIZED

CHRISTIANS TAKE OLD PAGAN IMAGES AND GIVE NEW MEANING

JONAH AND THE WHALE

ORANT FIGURE

GOOD SHEPARD

DOVE W JONAH

ABRAHAM AND ISSAC

2. Pieces show Jonah and the whale AND good Shepard

St Peter and Santa Maria

Philosopher (Santa Maria)

Seated figure of pagan (Greek) philosopher. Which to Christian’s is Christ as author of the true word of god

Dove with Jonah (Santa)

Baptism (so is Jonah and the whale), necessary for rebirth and salvation

Abraham and Issac (Santa)

God/Christ sacrifice

Why are there no crusifiction scenes? Why so?

all Christian Churches have an

apse

Sarcophagus of jinius bassus

Early Christian

Sarcophagus relief sculpture

Take Old Testament themes and assign them New Testament significance and meaning

Christ depicted as a teacher with peter and Paul

AFTER CHRISTIANITY LEGALIZED

Christ riding into Jerusalem

Daniel w lions, dam and eve, Abraham and Issac

Why did the early Christian churches use mosaics instead of paint

Reflects light

Early Christian and Byzantine both have

Apses (alter) and clearstory (windows)

Recognized as the oldest place of Christian worship in ROME

Church of Santa Pudenziana

The iconography of the apse mosaic is unique and foreshadows imagery that will be used in Byzantine and early Medieval art

Church of Santa Pudenziana

Showcases a small cruciform cross structure

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

Abstraction and 2D, content over form =

Byzantine

The Parting of lot and Abraham

Santa Maria Maggiore

OT THEMES ASSIGNED NEW CHRISTIAN MEANING

LATE ANTIQUE STYLE

5th century classical

Mosaics early Christian

Combination of EC and Byzantine Mozaics

St Apollinaire Nouvo

Secular

Non religious

What is the name of an early Christian Church?

old saint peters basilica

St. Peter’s basilica

Church was a secular assembly

St. Peter’s basilica

Old St. Peter’s basilica church was what type of plan

Longitudinal (rectangular)

Both of these places were a place for standing in St. Peter basilica

Transept and martyrium

basilica-

Roman architect structure for courts of law and business. Basis for the EC church. Longitudinal plan.

nave-

Center isle of a longitudinal plan.

Clearstory-

Row of windows above

Side isles-

Isles of both sides of the nave

Transept-

The arms of the basilica or church. It’s intersection (+) (longitudinal portion) called the crossing

Apse-

Semicircular area at the east end of a church, type of triumphal arch.alter in front of the apse

Cathedral-

Place for bishops chair

Liturgy-

Rite or body of them prescribed for public worship.

In EC churches women and men sit..

Women- north side men- south

In EC, men and women sit in the

Side aisles

EC churches have… (8)

Basilica (longitudinal rectangular plan)

Nave

Side aisle

Clerestory

Transept

Apse

Cathedral

Liturgy

Men cant sit with each other on the

East

You accommodate a dome to…

A noncircular base by means of a pendentive

Haggis Sophia, Constantople

Early Byzantine Architecture

LONGITUDNAL AND CENTRALIZED PLAN (basilica and centralized)

Historic contribution to world architecture

Dome carried by pendentives

Built 6th cen, 537

2, first one failed, first version was a fuse of both plans

Second one longitudinal with centralized vaulted shapes

GALLERY - men and women sitting

Pendentive-

Byzantine, comes from Latin “to hang”. First used on a large scale in the construction of Hagia Sofia

In the Hagia Sophia … men and women sit

Men 1st floor, women 2nd (gallery)

Ambulatory-

Walkway, needed for the gallery

Pier-

Architectural member that carries concentrated load

buttress-

To support

Byzantine church have….. (9)

Apse

Clerestory

Pendentive

Buttress

Nave

Side aisles

Ambulatory

Gallery

Pier

Does anybody get to see the service in the Hagia Sophia?

No, curtains. Emperor and priest only

We leave constantople, the east, and return west, why?

Constantine contributes to weakening the Roman Empire

San vitale-

best example of a centralized Byzantine longitudinal plan. Clerestory, ambulatory, piers, gallery

2 more features in Byzantine art

Gallery and ambulatory

Tesserae-

Small pieces used to make mosaics

Early Byzantine mosaics- its mass was _ held in full view of the faithful

Not

Gold background =

Byzantine

Compare and contrast mosaics of EC Galla Placidia with Byzantine Saint Apollinaire among sheep

Galla far more 3D and indicated naturalistic space and appropriate shadows. St, app has animals and saints with little to no volume. Appear stacked and 2D. Both share similar elements however

Why are the positions of figures and placement of mosaics important in Byzantine?

They represent a fusion of the protocol of the court and the liturgy of Eastern Orthodox church.

here political and religious rule are united, which was tradition in the east

San vitale, Ravenna, italy

Byzantine San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy is a stylistic combo of…

Early Christian, classical, and Byzantine. Theme of mosaics salvation of the world and reenactment of the Eucharist

Justinian with bread and attendants + bishop Maximianus

San Vitale

6th century

God given right to be emperor

Early Byzantine

North wall of apse

Space doesnt matter

Theodora with wine and attendants

San vitale

6th century

Early Byzantine Mozaic

South wall of apse

Wine offering of liturgy ceremony.

Space doesnt matter

Are there any icons in the west?

No, strictly eastern orthodox religious creation

Did Justinian change laws to be with Theodora

Yes

Icons at st Catherine are rare, why?

Few survived

Mt. Signal Christ Icon

550 6th cen

early Byzantine icons

NATURALISM< BEFORE 8TH CEN CONTROVERSY

Icon meant to be a window to Christ, means to establish a link between him and the viewer.

Mt. Sinai Icon, Virgin and Child

625 7th cen

Early Byzantine

Reflects growing tensions with icons, therefore eye contact is lost

Far more stylized and flat

Less naturalism= less change of idoltary

Icons and religious art = , condemned it as such

idolatry, iconoclastic

Theotokos (she who bore christ) image is only

Byzantine (both Sinai images and Vladimir show this)

best example of rejection of iconoclasm

Vladimir Virgin icon

Vladimir Virgin icon

MIDDLE BYZANTINE

BEST EXAMPLE OF REJECTION OF ICONOCLASM

12th century

Tempera on panel

Marks end of Roman Catholic rule

Late Byzantine, deesis, turkey, Hagia Sophia 13th cen

Iconostasis-

High screens with doors and tiers of icons

Because of Constantine, Ravenna Italy….

Became an outpost of the Byzantine empire on western soil

In 5th century art…

Transition from EC to Byzantine style was gradual

Who wants to destroy icons

Leo the third

Old St. Peter church has a

Timbered roof

Condemns icons as idoltry

Iconoclastic movement

Who made Christianity legal

Constantine