ch8 late antiquity

CH8 Late Antiquity

Overview

● 235-306 Soldier emperors to Constantine○ Syrian artist paint biblical murals in the

Dura Europos Synagogue○ Late Antique sarcophagi and catacomb

painting exhibit the first efforts at the establishment of a standard iconography of Christian subjects

● 306-337 Constantine○ Roman basilicas instead of temples serve

as models for the first churches in Rome, including Old Saint Peter’s

○ Constantine dedicates Constantinople as the New Rome on the site of Greek Byzantium

● 337-527 Sons of Constantine to Justinian○ Construction of basilican churches as well

as central plan mausolea and martyria continue

○ Luxury arts of metalwork, ivory carving and manuscript illumination flourish

○ A new aesthetic focused on the spiritual rather than the physical world emerges in Late Antique art

○ Theodosius established Christianity as the state religion, and Honorius moves the capital of the Western Roman Empire to Ravenna

Map of Late Antiquity

● Roman Empire splits in half.● Multicultural character of

Roman society became more pronounced as rome expanded its territories.

● Late Antiquity is focusing on the adaptation the empire faced in allowing additional religions and keeping control in that world

● Judaism and Christianity became prevalent. Judaism in the east, as Christianity spread west, Judaism employed no iconography, while christianity developed a rich lexicon of iconography

Map of Late Antiquity

● Very little is known about the art of the first christians.

● When historians speak about early christian art they are speaking about the first preserved objects, not the christians at the time of Jesus, Christianity only has artifact records since 300-410 Ce around the time of the Sack of Rome

Soldier Emperors/Sack of Rome

● Synagogue, Dura-Europos, Syria 245-256 CE

● City called Europos by the Greeks and Dura by the Romans, this city was founded shortly after the death of Alexander the Great.

● By this time 245 CE, this city was in the hands of the Parthians, while previously being back and forth between Roman control and Parthian control

● 256 CE the city fell to the Sasanians.

● known as pompeii of the desert by archaeologists



● Remarkable that this existed in a Roman Garrison town, displaying mural paintings from the Jewish Torah of Hebrew scriptures

● This became a surprising find because scholars assumed that the 2nd commandment from Exodus 20:4-6 forbid jews from worshipping images, precluded the decoration of houses of worship with figurative scenes.

● No other illustrated or Illuminated manuscripts survive to provide any insight



● Dura murals are mostly devoid of action

● Artists told the stories through stylized gestures

● and the figures have expressionless features

● Samuel anoints David, shown right is a repeated scene depicted in the Arch of Septimius Severus and the Arch of Constantine. Showing Rome’s attempt to adapt to the religions within the empire


● Rendering of a Christian community house, Dura- Europos, Syria ca 240-256ce

● This was the layout of a typical Christian meeting house

● They were renovated private residences with a central courtyard.

● 1. central courtyard● 2. Meeting Hall● 3. Baptistery.● The meeting hall could

accommodate about 70 people at a time

● Without approval of the state both Jewish and Christian communities remained small.


● Deeply concerned by the rising popularity of both religions, Emperor Diocletian ordered a round of persecutions in 303-305ce.

● Christianity and Judaism both grew as the Roman state power weakened, both religions refused to pay homage to roman gods.

● 313ce the Edict of Milan by Constantine established Christianity as a legal religion with equal or superior standing to the traditional roman cults

● https://youtu.be/TG55ErfdaeY●

https://youtu.be/TG55ErfdaeY

https://youtu.be/TG55ErfdaeY


● Most Jewish and Christian art in Rome from 3-4th centuries come from catacombs.

● Catacomb- underground networks of chambers designed as funerary complexes, mostly for jews and christians.

● Mural painting● depicts two seven branched

menorahs, modest versions of the grandiose menorah brought back from jerusalem in the arch of Titus

● Center is the ark of the covenant, which housed the stone ten commandments of Moses time.


● Much of Early Christian art draw from Roman and Greek techniques and myths in developing their own iconography.

● The fresco dome in the Catacomb of Saint peter and Marcellinus has reclining figuration very similar to the greco roman tradition, but are telling christian stories mixing old and new testament themes.

● Similar in style to third century ce apartment buildings, that employed a circular frame with medallions (circles) and lunettes (semicircles)

● Scene is depicting Jonah and the whale.


● Christians largely rejected cremation believing in the resurrection of the body.

● The most wealthy christian faithful were buried in marble sarcophagi, as did non christian romans that were wealthy.

● On the surface depicted Christian and Jewish themes From old and new testament rather than Roman religious stories.


● Catacomb of Commodilla 370-385 ce

● Early depictions of Christ were as a boy as a good shepherd or as a teacher.

● However this catacomb were some of the first examples of depicting christ full grown with a beard,

● Only after.. the Edict of Milan by Constantine in 380, did the transformation occurred. Christ became, full grown, with a philosopher’s beard, and with a circular halo and purple robe, depicting his godliness.


● Christ as the good shepherd 300-350 ce

● Christ before the Edict of Milan was always depicted as a child, A shepherd, or a Teacher/Seated Philosopher.

●


● Christ seated 350-375CE● Christ Depicted as a

philosopher.● Not until the edict of Milan

did Christ take on the authority that comes in later depictions.


● Old Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome begun 319ce

● The greatest of Constantine’s churches

● Excavations in the Roman cemetery beneath the church have revealed a 2nd century memorial erected in honor of the christian martyr Saint Peter.

● More than likely Saint Peter’s Basilica was built on top of the martyr’s grave.

● Saint Peter’s Follows a Basilica Plan, and is the basis for Christian Church Construction.


● Standard Basilica Plan.● Early Christian basilicas

follow a longitudinal plan● Worshippers entered thru the

atrium and Narthex● Nave where worshipers sat.

Aisle where people moved thru the worship space

● Apse usually held a fresco,, clergy spoke from this part, and was usually the eastern side.

● Transept held Religious Relics.


● Old Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome begun 319ce

● Early churches were Wood Truss roofed

● Clerestory Lighting● Aisles were arcades held up by

rows of columns● Old saint peters could hold

4000 worshippers at one time, the nave was 300 ft long

● Constantine developed the transept.

● Early Christian churches were very sparse on the exterior usually just brick or concrete, with ornate interiors.


Illustration of Old Saint Peter’s Basilica Complex


● Santa Costanza, Rome Italy 337-351.

● Christian Adapted Roman Classical Designs of two types of building plans

● Basilica Plan, (Old St Peters)● Central Plan,(Santa Costanza).● Central Plan Buildings Radiate

from a center point. ● Central Plan Buildings were

adopted on massive scales by the Byzantine Empire, Hagia Sophia in Constantinople(Istanbul)

● Santa Costanza was possibly a mausoleum for the daughter of Constantine


● Building again is a simple brick exterior like old St peter’s basilica and many early christian church examples

●


● Santa Costanza, Rome Italy 337-351.

● Interior of Early Christian churches were richly adorned in mosaics and frescos, depicting iconography of Greco Roman influences with old and new testament scenes.

● Santa constanza mosaics depict putti harvesting grapes and making wine, motifs associated with Bacchus/Romans, but for a Christian come to symbolize the Eucharist and Christ’s Blood.

●


● Suicide of Judas and Crucifixion of Christ.

● Luxury arts were items purchased and around the same time the larger arts of painting, sculpture, and architecture were around.

● Ivory Carving was a luxury ware of the day and depicted Christian themes.

● The depiction of the suffering and demise of Christ’s crucifixion with Judas betrayal and suicide.

● This is one of the oldest passion scenes depicted.

Sack of Rome To Justinian

● Santa Sabina, Rome Italy 422-432 BCE

● https://youtu.be/HjBfBB9r2QM● Its carved doors are still

around and display one of the earliest examples of the the crucifixion in christian iconography

● Iconography- images or illustrations associated with a state or religious structure. Christian Iconography

● Santa Sabina hasn’t adopted the Nave component yet, and will not be pronounced until later in Christian Basilica design

●

https://youtu.be/HjBfBB9r2QM



● Santa Sabina, Rome Italy 422-432 BCE

● https://youtu.be/HjBfBB9r2QM● Its carved doors are still

around and display one of the earliest examples of the the crucifixion in christian iconography

● Iconography- images or illustrations associated with a state or religious structure. Christian Iconography

● Santa Sabina hasn’t adopted the Nave component yet, and will not be pronounced until later in Christian Basilica design




● Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy 425CE

● Cruciform Structure (Cross shaped)

● Originally a chapel to the martyred Saint Lawrence

● It was thought to be Galla Placidia tomb which is why it's called that today

● The cross arms are shorter, which gives the building a longitudinal orientation

● The Crossing tower at the top resembles a dome, this structure combines the basilica and central plan with the addition of the central tower.

● Unadorned brick exterior, with lavish mosaics inside.


● Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy 425CE

● Glass mosaics cover every inch of the inside

● Garlands and medallions resembling snowflakes on a dark blue ground adorn the barrel vaults of the nave and cross arms.

● Representations of saints and apostles cover the other surfaces.

● The end of the nave depicts st lawrence next to a gridiron on which he was tortured and killed. A gridiron was a like a bbq grill that the victim was placed over a bed of hot coals and cooked to death.

● https://youtu.be/qBgo7d8404s●

https://youtu.be/qBgo7d8404s

https://youtu.be/qBgo7d8404s


● Christ as good shepherd, mosaic from the entrance wall of the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy 425ce

● Good Shepherd Christ Mofiff subject of this LUNETTE (Half Circle)

● Christ isn't full grown with a beard, but he does have a halo, denoting his official deity status.

●


● Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna Italy 504 CE

● Modest Brick Exterior, Lavish Interior.

● Mixing of Early Western Christian and Byzantine influences, remember, The eastern Roman Empire is the center of power of this time

● Became rededicated in the 9th century to Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and acquired all the relics to do so

●



● Modest Brick Exterior, Lavish Interior.

● Mixing of Early Western Christian and Byzantine influences, remember, The eastern Roman Empire is the center of power of this time

● Became rededicated in the 9th century to Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and acquired all the relics to do so



● Miracle of the Loaves and the Fishes

● Early Christian Art focused on the miracle scenes noted by christ

● Jesus took 5 loaves of Bread and two fishes feeding 5000 followers. From gospels of Matthew Mark Luke and John, new testament.

● Mosaic is Byzantine influenced, with cross inscribed nimbus, (Halo with cross and purple robe. becoming a byzantine style of representation in christian iconography for 1000 years.

● https://youtu.be/3PszVWZNWVA●

https://youtu.be/3PszVWZNWVA

https://youtu.be/3PszVWZNWVA

ch8 late antiquity

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