Transcript Early Christian & Byzantine Art

Early Christian &
Byzantine Art
330 - 1453 A.D
Catacombs of Rome
In the first century, Rome's Christians did
not have their own cemeteries. If they
owned land, they buried their relatives
there, otherwise they resorted to common
cemeteries, where pagans were buried also.
By the beginning of the second century, the
Christians started using underground burial
tunnels called catacombs to inter their dead
and to practice their faith in secret.
•The early Christians lived in a mainly pagan and hostile society. The Christians were
mistrusted, suspected and accused of the worst crimes. They were persecuted,
imprisoned, sentenced to exile or condemned to death. Unable to profess their faith
openly, the Christians made use of symbols, which they depicted on the walls of the
catacombs and, more often, carved them on the marble-slabs which sealed the tombs.
• Early Christian art was created to inspire & teach their faith. Although the images were
similar to Roman art, symbolic (religious) content was the aim rather than depicting
beauty.
The Christians were very fond of symbolism. While Christianity was still
outlawed, symbols could be used to disguise the teachings of their faith
from the Roman authorities.
Byzantine artists had to follow many rules about subject matter, content, and form.
Symbolic representation was very important in Byzantine art.
The Good Shepherd with a lamb around his shoulders represents
Christ and the soul which He has saved. This symbol is often found in
frescoes and relief sculptures.
Ceiling fresco of the Catacomb of Saints Peter & Marcellinus. 4th c.
Christian Symbolism
FISH: Another common symbol was the fish. Sometimes it depicts
men who have been caught by Christ and his apostles. The Greek
word for fish is ichthus. Greek letters, also became a symbol of
Jesus himself, each letter standing for a word that explains who
he is.
ANCHOR: A third common symbol in the catacombs is a boat
anchor. It expresses the firm expectation of eternal life that
we Christians enjoy. The anchor was also used as a disguised
cross in a day when the cross itself was seldom used for fear
of persecution. The crosspiece or "stock" at the top of the
anchor reminded Christians of the cross on which Jesus died.
Funeral Art
FUNERARY ART was carved with symbolic scenes, that advanced the Christian
belief of the soul’s life after death because of Christ’s resurrection. As time
passed, the realistic figure proportions & the skill of the sculpting of Roman times
deteriorated. Symbolism became more important than realism & design.
King of Heaven
The oldest images of Christ as King are from the 4th century and are
consistent with conventional portrayals of the Emperor, centering
him in his "court" of saints, his head outlined by an architectural
element or a halo.
Images of Christ as a youthful good shepherd expanded to
depictions of Him as King of Heaven.
Creation of an Empire
In 313 AD, in a dream the night before an important
battle, Constantine the Great, claimed he had a sign
from the God of the Christians. Constantine won this
battle and thereafter, showed his gratitude to the
Christian God by legalizing their religion thus ending
the persecution of Christians. Thus, began a new era of
expansion in both members of the faith but also of the
expression of Christianity in the arts.
The Divide
By the end of the fourth century AD the
Empire had been permanently split into
two parts, each with it’s own emperor &
capital. The Western part was the biggest. It
needed a huge army to defend it. Many of
the tribes the Romans called the Barbarians
joined forces to attack parts of the Empire.
The Roman army could not deal with all of
these attacks.
Early Christian Architecture
In Milan (313 AD) began a monumental period of church building because there
was a demand for public places for Christian worship.
The old temples of the Roman gods were too small to hold large congregations.
Also the Christians did not want to worship in pagan temples.
Therefore, the early Christian builders copied the design of the large Roman
assembly hall: the BASILICA.
Basilica: An ancient Roman floor plan for a style of large building that was used as a meeting place and
a hall of judgment. The plan consisted of a central nave, which ended in an apse, flanked by two side
aisles. This design became very influential early in Christian architecture and the term Basilica now
describes any church with a long nave ending in an apse, with two side aisles.
Most Early Christian architecture was plain on the exterior. The interiors were
richly decorated in mosaics and sometimes frescoes. Interiors were also decorated
with bits & pieces from the ruins of old Roman buildings. Marble, columns, richly
carved capitals, & other stone decorations were now used to glorify God's house.
Mosaics
Walls were richly decorated with mosaics (a
decorative style made with small pieces of glass
and stone set in cement). From those churches
that have survived, it is clear that they served as
the basic model for church architecture in western
Europe for centuries.
Central Plan Churches
The Byzantine style in their churches was based on
the hall-like basilica plan in the West and central
plan in the East.
The Hagia Sophia(532-537, Istanbul, Turkey) was
built by the Emperor Justinian as the crowning
glory of the Byzantine capital, Constantinople.
It’s most impressive feature is its dome, which
rests on four huge piers (massive vertical pillars)
that support arches made of cut stone.
Hagia Sophia (Continued)
This construction allowed for thinner walls housing many windows to light the interior.
It also created the illusion of a lighter weight. The dome itself, seems to soar over a
row of windows placed around its base.
The MOSAICS create a dream-like setting due to the abundance of glimmering
surfaces.
The interior of churches of this large size were required to be elaborately decorated
inside. Works of art had to have bright colours and be large enough to be seen from a
distance.
Mosaic of San Vitale
This mosaic entitled Justinian and Attendants (547 A.D) found in the San Vitale
Church in Ravenna, Italy. It is found on one side of the apse (altar) and includes the
Emperor Justinian with the archbishop, deacons, soldiers and attendants. Those
bodies of most importance overlap those of lesser importance.
The archbishop beside Justinian places his leg in front of the emperor’s cloak, to
depict in spiritual matters that the archbishop was the leader of all people, including
the emperor.
Byzantine Icons: Sacred Paintings
ICONS are the combination of art and prayer under a set of
stylistic rules that evolved in the Eastern Roman Empire. This
type of Icon painting remains important in the Eastern Orthodox
church today.
Icons have width and height. Depth is absent. The "third"
dimension of an icon goes beyond what the eye can see, as it is
spiritual.
Icons were usually painted on hardwood, sometimes elaborately
framed or encased in precious metals and stones. Egg tempera
was the primary medium--water colors mixed with egg yolk.
Monks & lay artists who painted icons were thought to be
divinely inspired. The profession had considerable prestige,
since Saint Luke was believed to have painted icons.
Icons were often used as worship centers in homes but best
decorated the interiors of churches especially the large wooden
screen (iconostasis) that separated the holy sanctuary from the
nave of the Byzantine church.
Byzantine Style Features
FIGURE REPRESENTATION had set style characteristics:
The FIGURES appear flat and fairly abstract because Byzantine artists used little
shading. Bodies are elongated (tall & slim) and with hanging feet that do not
appear to touch the ground (sort of, tippy-toed). Clothing appears flat & linear
(seems to be hung on hangers rather than covering 3-D bodies). Large, dark eyes
stare directly at the viewer from small, oval shaped faces.
Faces appear expressionless and generally are not exact portraits. Little
suggestion of space as figures only overlap to show depth yet all are the same
height.
Byzantine Fashion
WHATS IN:
PEARLS, SILK & GOLD
Purple…. But only for the rich &
royal & patterns everywhere
MUST HAVES:
Unisex :
TUNICA a long undergarment.
The poor wore only this. The
wealthy accessorized.
DALMATICA worn over the
tunica, belted or unbelted
MANTLE or CLOAK
Embroidered & jewel studded:
Boots, Belts and collars