Early Christian Art CATACOMBS Originally just beyond the borders of Rome (it was technically illegal to bury bodies within the city limits). Begun as sites for the burial of pagan Romans. Later, large numbers of Christians (amongst whom burial was by far the most popular treatment for the deceased) were buried in them.

CUBICULI: small rooms orchambers; often for familyburials. Frequently decorated with wallpaintings. LOCULI: wall niches in longpassageways for individual burials. Early Christian Art: Catacombs

Roman fourth-style wallpaintingChristian catacomb painting

Early Christian Art: CatacombsSimple subject matter(Orantes: mans relationship with God)

Simple subject matter(Christ as the Good Shepherd)Early Christian Art: Catacombs

Christian Good ShepherdRoman pastoral painting Early Christian Art: Catacombs

Early Christian Art: CatacombsOld Testament Scenes

Old Testament:Moses drawswater from arock; savesIsraelites

New Testament:Baptism

Both = Salvationthrough water

Parting of the Red Sea,Christian catacombsParting of the Red Sea,Dura-EuroposSynagogue

Early Christian Art: CatacombsOld Testament Scenes

Adam and Eve (Book of Genesis)

Jonah is swallowed (dead) for three days and rises Christ is dead for three days and rises Early Christian Art: CatacombsOld Testament Scenes

NAVEAPSE Early Christian Architecture

BASILICACHURCHES TRANSEPT (Crossing)

ATTRIBUTES: unique characteristics with identifyparticular Christian saintsST. PETER:KEYS(the keys to the kingdom)

ST. MARY MAGDALENE:OINTMENT JAR (annointedChrists feet)

ST. ANDREW: X-SHAPEDCROSS (crucified on across in this shape)

Ravenna

--In 395 the Empire was split according to the will of Emperor Theodosius I; Arcadius was given the east, Honorius the west.--Due to incursions by Visigoths, Honorius moved his capital to Ravenna in 402, which remained the western capital of the Empire until 751.--Due to its political importance and favorable position for trade, it became the most prosperous city in the west.

Ravenna: Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

Architects:Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus the ElderConstruction: 532-537Commissioned by the Emperor JustinianConstantinople (Istanbul): Hagia (St.) Sophia

Constantinople (Istanbul): Hagia (St.) Sophia Basilica style church (west)vs. Domed, central planed church(east)

Constantinople (Istanbul): Hagia (St.) Sophia --An early, wood-roofed basilica, named for Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) was built on the site in 360 AD. It was altered or replaced in the early fifth century.--This church was destroyed in 532 during the Nike Revolt.

Constantinople (Istanbul): Hagia (St.) Sophia Aftermath of the Nike Revolt:--Justinian made building a new Hagia Sophia his top priority. --He wanted a church which would reflect the power, grandeur, and faith of the imperial office.--Built in only five years (532-37), utilizing a work force of 10,000 (100 master masons, each with a 100 man crew).

Constantinople (Istanbul): Hagia (St.) Sophia When completed in 537:--182 feet high, with a dome 102 feet in diameter, supported by 40 ribs.--40 doorways, and external staircase towers providing access to the upper galleries.--The worlds tallest enclosed space.

The dome appeared to besuspended from Heavenby a golden chain.Procopius

Constantinople (Istanbul): Hagia (St.) Sophia First dome: collapsed after an earthquake in 558.

A new, and smaller, domethen built by Isidore of Miletus the Younger.

Original stonework on capitals and spandrels Constantinople (Istanbul): Hagia (St.) Sophia

Constantinople (Istanbul): Hagia (Aya) SophiaChanges and modificationsconversion to a mosque Conversion to a mosque:--Constantinople conquered by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II in 1453.Mehmet II(Mehmet theConqueror)

ICONS: From Greek (eikon = image). Often small paintings depictingChrist, the Virgin Mary, and/or saints. Painted on hard, woodpanels; the medium is usuallytempera (pigment/colors mixed with egg yolk as a binding agent), although early panels often were painted with encaustic (pigments in melted beeswax). A gold leaf background provides a heavenly aura, signifying the sacred nature of the characters. Many icons were painted in monasteries.

ICONS: Not only are they formulaic in form, they tend to adhere to specific categories.

THEOTOKOS: God Bearer/Mother of God (Virgin and Child)

PANTOCRATOR,CHRIST PANTOCRATOR:All protector; he who rules over everything

ICONS: Most were intended as a personal devotion, and considered an important medium of worship. Begin as early as the 4th Century AD, and become increasingly popular during the 6th Century. Many worshippers believed the icons had miraculous powers.

Original icon fromMONASTERY of ST. CATHERINE, MT. SINAI, EGYPT

ICONOCLASM:Destruction of religiousimages

EMPEROR LEO III

ICONOCLASMSecond Commandment:Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above

ICONOCLASMSome theologians held thatbecause in Christ two natures, human and divine, are united, icons involving Christ should be rejectedthey were simply material images which separated his divine from his human nature, and were thus tantamount to a form of heresy.

ICONOCLASM

EMPEROR LEO III:reigned 717-741 AD. In726 he prohibited the use of icons (religiousimages) and began asystematic destruction ofholy images, in part because he had becomeconvinced that the increasing threat of Islam had been sent byGod as a punishment for the Christians idolatrous use of icons.

ICONODULES: Defenders of iconsICONOPHILES: Lovers of icons

Defense of icons:--Tradition and antiquity of their use--The nature of Christs incarnation caused the Old Testament commandment to be revoked

ICONOCLASM

Iconoclastic programssuspended by the EmpressIrene in 780 AD, and in 787 theSeventh Ecumenical Synod in Nicaea affirmed the veneration of icons as positive.

Iconoclastic programs wouldbe revived, however, in theearly ninth century, and only finally cease in 843.

We will use this figure as our entre into xian artin catacombs, burial sites. Romans cremate or bury. Belief that they will be resurrected, end heavenly existence, will need that body again. So burial importatn, and that is where xian art will start, but tentative for many reasonsuntil edict of milan, illegal, so they have to be very careful not to draw too much attention to themselves. Also, biblical thou shalt not create graven images. Also they are not wealthy peoplemeek shall inherit earth appeals mostly to meek, so not a lot of money for art projects, and also new religion, so do not have their own iconographyhave to adapt and borrowso again as we will see, starts as an art of borrowing,.Good shepherd typical in the centerpieceIN TERMS OF SUBJ MATTER TENDS TO BE VERY SIMPLETHESE ORANTES FIGURE ARE COMMON, PRAYING, RELATIONSHIP WITH GODGood shepherd typical in the centerpieceBased on roman pastoral paintingso borrowed imagefind a roman form that also has a correspondence to a xian idea, so borrow the roman form, but then give new meaning.Another place they will borrow is from old testamentborrow from jews, who usually did not make relig imagery, but they did make some, so it is another place for them to start, but again simple ones, and also has recruiting intentionmoses for exAdam and evegarden of eden, so again message of gods paradiseBut to see evolution of xian art at finest, now need to leave romebecause that is what imperial family did, left rome, went north to ravenna, rome gets sacked a couple times, honroisu in fact had already given up on rome and was making his capital in milan, but that came under pressure too.prosperous, mnore than 60 churches built there will capital