Late Antique & Early Christian Art

  • Gallery, Catacombs of St. Callixtus, 4th Cent.
      * carved into Tufa
      * loculi: “little places” for the burial of lower ranking people but able to have community
      * expand by adding corners and aisles
      * Cubicula: Larger burial rooms, often covered in Frescoes
  • Good Shepard, Catacombs of St. Callixtus
      * Contrapposto stance, carrying food and lamb
      * symbolic of Christ as a Shepard
      * Still classical style due to artists’ training
  • Cubiculum, Catacomb of SS. Peter and Marcellinus, early 4th Cent.
      * Central medallion: Good Shepard
      * Surrounding figures: Orans figures, praying
      * Lunettes: Half circle shapes/ half medallions
      * possibly referring to story of Jonah
      * Left H side: Jonah being thrown into jaws of the whale/beast
  • Christ as Orpheus, Catacombs of Domatilla
      * Orpheus convinces Hades to allow him to bring his wife back, but breaks the rules and she is forced to go back
      * Parallels to resurrection of Christ
  • Good Shepherd Sarcophagus, Cata. of Praetextus, late 4th Cent.
      * many little cupids: “cherubs”
      * Putti: another name for cherubs/cupid like figures
      * Putti harvesting grapes for wine
      * Puppet like proportions
  • Good Shepherd Statuette, Rome, ca 300
      * more Classical, but Christian theming
  • Sarcoph. of L. Junius Bassus, Rome, ca 359
      * many romans often baptized right before death
      * many equations of Christ to Dionysus
      * Abraham about to sac. Isaac
      * Adam and Eve after disobedience
      * Daniel in the den of Lions
      * Christ enthroned by apostles sitting over Caelus (god of the sky) for localization
  • St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
      * Atrium: holding area/ courtyard, unbaptized could go here during communion, then could return
      * Catacheumans: unbaptized not allowed to watch transfiguration
      * Everyone enters on the short side
      * Most churches oriented East-West
      * Narthex: Lobby type area
      * Nave: area between side aisles
      * Transept: buffer between nave and apse, placed at R angles
      * Cruciform plan
      * Interior highly decorated
      * Pagan temples eventually converted into churches
  • Mausoleum: Round buildings for tombs
  • Basilica Plan: Longitudinal
  • Santa Costanza, Rome, ca. 350
      * centralized plan: round church plan like tholos, dome roof, bright decoration
      * Ambulatory: aisle w/o beginning or end
      * mosaics of Costanza: covering entire vault, more abstracted, fractured glass
  • Christ Enthroned, Santa Pudenziana, Rome, ca.410-17
      * Beard appears on Jesus, Common depiction features of Jesus becoming more apparent
      * Nimbus: floating halo
      * apostles wearing roman senator garbs
      * 4 flying symbols: Matthew (monkey), Mark (lion), Luke (bull), John (eagle)
  • Nave, Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, ca. 430-440
  • Parting of Lot and Abraham, S. Maria Mag.
      * brothers and their congregations parting ways
      * shepherd looking after flock below
      * Mosaic
      * 3D still late antique style w/ volume
  • Diptych of the Symmachi, ca. 400
      * Diptych: cover for writing panel
      * D. of Symmachi: showing joining of the two families, wedding gift, ivory, heavily classicized style, pagan priest performing sacrifice/ritual