EARLY CHRISTIAN ART2nd – 5th Century A. D.

• A New Religion: Underground movement for nearly the first 300 years of existence

• Rome fell; Christian Church became powerful influence

• Theatre: Christians forbidden to attend • Church music sung softly- had to be

hidden from authorities• 313 AD: Constantine and Edict of Milan

made Christianity legal

The Catacombs

• Underground passages located on outskirts of Rome

• Places for persecuted Christians to hold religious services and bury their dead

Characteristics

• Little interest in beauty, grace, & strength of human body

• Intended to illustrate the power & glory of Christ

• Meant to tell the story of his life on earth

• Model for people to follow to be saved

Christ as the Good Shepherd

Christ as the Good Shepherd

• Used Roman images but with different meanings

• Shepherd: symbol of Christ

• Sheep and goats: as Christian followers

• Trees with birds: as priests who were paralleled with Christ

Christian Symbolism

• Signs and symbols used to maintain secrecy during persecutions

• After Edict of Milan secrecy no longer necessary and certain images continued to have symbolic importance in art and liturgy

Christian Symbolism• Goldfinch: ate thorns; reminded them of

Christ’s crown of thorns; represented death

• Ivy: always green; associated w/ eternal life

• Fish: followers of Christ

The Most Important Figures in Christian Art

• Holy Family – Mary, Joseph, Christ• Saints – any holy person• Martyr – one who dies for a belief

Frequently Depicted Scenes from the Life of Christ• Christ’s birth and childhood• Christ’s ministry and miracles• Christ’s passion

Early Christian Architecture• After Edict of Milan, could worship in open so

needed place to worship. Took Roman basilica plan and made it their own

• The Christian basilica’s design meets requirements of the Christian ritual.

• Retreats from the real world; spiritual places• Outside plain; inside dramatic- columns,

windows, mosaics• Campanile: bell towers

Christian Basilica

• Altar and Apse- Christian basilica Christ on cross hangs as judge

• Transept- new feature; adds extra space for congregation; isolates clergy from main body and forms shape of cross

• Mosaics- glass squares that reflected light thus light of Christ

Mosaics

• Used tiles of small glass squares which reflected the sunlight so overall effect was to symbolize the light of God

Mosaic: Good Shepherd

Mosaic

Good Shepherd

• Christ as a good Shepherd• Six sheep – followers• Robe of purple and gold is sign of royal status as

future as King of Heaven• He sits on a rock which symbolizes St. Peter

(the rock who established the Church)• Rock is divided into 3 steps which symbolizes

the Trinity

Christian Sarcophagi

• Christian sarcophagus differs from Roman:

1. biblical subject matter

2. omission of the effigy on lid

Sarcophagi

Central Planned Church

• Round or polygonal building developed from Roman baths- associated with baptism. Also used as a mausoleum (tomb.)

• Central altar or tomb and cylindrical core with clerestory windows. Ambulatory (circular barrel-vaulted passageway) ran between the central space and exterior walls

Santa CostanzaCentrally Planned ChurchMausoleum for Constantina, daughter of Constantine

BYZANTINE ART AND ARCHITECTURE

Social and Political Events

1. Roman Empire becomes 2 empires after death of Constantine

2. Center of power moves to east; Constantinople is capital

3. First Golden Age of Byzantine begins with reign of Emperor Justinian

4. Justinian’s building program was one effort to restore unity to Christendom

San Vitale

• Built by Justinian. Visual reminder of his power

• Asymmetrical Central Plan Church

• Interior glows with yellow light from gold in mosaics

• Mosaics of glass become primary means of wall decoration and completely cover interior

Mosaics

• Byzantine art stresses symbolism over naturalism

Court of Justinian

• Located on right of Christ’s image

• Intention - depict Justinian as Christ’s representative on earth and show him as a worthy successor to Constantine- an expression of his power as head of both Church and state

Court of Theodora

• Opposite Justinian’s mosaic

• Theodora, court ladies and 2 churchmen

• Intention - establish her as co-regent with husband but is subordinate to Justinian’s by being on Christ’s left

• Also placed farther back in picture space than Justinian and less imposing

Hagia Sophia- Istanbul, Turkey

• Architectural masterpiece of Justinian’s reign; his personal church in Constantinople.

• Roman domes were placed piers (massive vertical pillars)

• Dome is placed on 4 pendentives- triangular portions at the corner of each arch

• Could have thinner walls and more windows• First built as a Christian basilica and in 1453 Turks

captured Constantinople and converted to mosque. Today state museum

• Christian mosaics in interior covered over and replaced by Islamic decorations

• Minarets- (4) slender towers added by Turks

The Virgin and Child: Mosaic showing the Virgin and Christ between the emperor Justinian and the emperor

Constantine

ICONS

• Icons-panel paintings of an image whose purpose is purely devotional

1. Religious images

2. Used as worship centers in homes and churches

3. Subject matter-Madonna and Christ Child, Saints, Christ

Virgin and Child Enthroned

Madonna and Child Christ