Early Christian Art: Introduction The Mediterranean world in Late Antiquity.

Dura-Europos Outpost of Roman empire; population of fortified town was evacuated and Duras building largely left intact; Pompeii of the desert Interior of Synagogue at Dura-Europos, 245-256 Tempera on plaster; Remarkable for its existence in Roman garrison town and extensive cycle of mural paintings depicting biblical themes Private house w/ central courtyard converted into a synagogue Paintings seem to be defiance of 2nd commandment prohibiting graven images God never depicted in paintings , except as a hand emerging from the top of the panels Stylized gestures and figures with expressionless features Lacking both volume and shadow Characterize art of Rome during 3rd & 4th centuries Christian Community house at Dura-Europos, c, 240-256 Remodeled private residence w/ central courtyard; main hall could accommodate 70 people w/ platform at one end where leader of congregation sat or stood Room w/ canopy-covered font for baptismal rites Communal dining room upstairs for celebration of Eucharist Christian communities remained small in number and attracted poor classes in society, to whom promise of an afterlife in which rich and poor were judged on equal terms was especially appealing Tansey , Richard & Fred Kleiner. Art Through the Ages, 258-259 Diocletian concerned by growing popularity of Christianity in the ranks of Roman army 303 to 305, Diocletian ordered round of persecutions; Alien beliefs of Christians that God had been incarnated in the body of a man and that the death and resurrection of the god-man Christ made possible the salvation and redemption of all Fear of destabilization of Roman authority Roman emperor Constantine believed that Christian god was his source of power that ended persecution The Catacombs and Funerary Art Catacombs 2nd to 4th centuries; most significant Christian monuments preceding Edict of Milan Subterranean networks of galleries and chambers in Rome and other cities designed as cemeteries for the burial of the Christian dead; principal function was mortuary Places of concealment for fugitives in times of persecution w/ blocked and cut-off staircases, secret embrasures (openings) and passages, and concealed entrances and exits

Tunneled out of granular tufa

Loculi (openings cut in the walls of galleries to receive bodies of the dead); placed one above another; hewn out of bedrock Cubicula (small rooms carved out of rock to serve as mortuary chapels) Other galleries cut at right angles to them; Some systems extended as deep as five levels Gallery and loculi of the Catacomb of Callixtus, Rome, 2nd c. Painting Cubiculas were decorated with frescoes that were Roman in style but Christian in subject Painted ceiling of cubiculum in the Catacomb of Sts. Peter and Marcellinus, Rome, early 4th c. Similar to design of vaulted ceilings in Roman houses and tombs Polygonal frame of Ostian spoke-wheel design, akin to the Dome of Heaven, inscribed w/ symbol of Christian faith, the cross Jonah, popular figure in /early Christian painting and sculpture, especially in funearary contexts, was honored as prefiguration of Christ, who rose from death as Jonah had been delivered from belly of ketos (Greek for sea-dragon) Orans figures (man, woman and child with arms raised in attitude of prayer) Central medallion shows Christ as good shepherd Style of catacomb painters Quick sketchy impression that compares unfavorably with best roman frescoes because catacombs were entirely unfit for elaborate compositions or painstaking executions Sculpture All Christians rejected cremation; welathier Chritians had impressive marble sarcophagi Compendium of themes of Chrsitian sigificance Sarcophagus with philosopher, orant, and Old and New Testament scenes, c. 270 Marble, approx. 23 x 86 Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, c. 359 Marble, approx. 46 x 96 Tansey , Richard & Fred Kleiner. Art Through the Ages, 259 Decorated only on the front; deceased not depicted instead ten niches devoted to stories from Old and New Testament Christ enthroned, c. 350-375 Marble statuette, approx. 28 high Early Christian idols Architecture and Mosaics

Private community houses Roman emperor Constantine discreetly drew upon imperial patrimony to contruct elaborate basilicas, memorials, and mausoleums Rome Constantines dual role as emperor and champion of Christian faith is reflected in his decision to locate the new chuches of rome on the outskirts of the city, so as to avoid any confrontation of Christian and pagan ideologies Restored cutaway view (top) and plan (bottom) of Old Saint Peters, Rome, Italy, begun ca. 319 (John Burge). (1) nave, (2) aisle, (3) apse, (4) transept, (5) narthex, (6) atrium. Old St. Peters, begun c. 320 Built on th espot where it was believed that Peter had been buried Plan and elevation resemble those of basilicas and audience halls; Christians did not want their houses of worship to mimic the form of pagan shrines and Greco-Roman temple type designed to house only the cult statue of the deity; the rituals conducted outside of open-air altars Roman basilicas was ideally suited as a place of congregation Wide central nave, flanked by aisles and ended in an apse; preceded b colonnaded courtyard; entered through a narthex, or vestibule; transverse aisle, or transept, which housed the memoria of the saint that also took the symbolism of the cross Not adorned with lavish exterior sculptures Austere brick walls Interior frescoes and mosaics Marble columns taken from pagan buildings Huge marble baldacchino (canopy) supported by spiral columns that marked the spot of St. Peters tomb Timber-roofed Likened to ideal Christian, with a somber exterior and a glowing and beautiful soul within Interior of St. Sabina, 422-432 Purloined Corinthian columns of nave Apse frames the altar and contains seats for the clergy Cathedral (Latin cathedra, the bishops chair) Nave drenced with light from clerestory windows Timber roof Exterior brick walls Central Plan Building A round or polygonal domed structure Used generlly for structures adjacent to the main basilicas, like maisoleums, baptisteries, and private chapels, rather than for actual churches Interior of Santa Constanza, Rome, c. 337-351 Built as mausoleum of Constantia, daughter of Emperor Constantine, later converted into church; immediate predeessor are domed structures of the Romans, like the Pantheon

Interior of pagan Roman buildings modified to accomodate an ambulatory (a barrel-vaulted corridor separated from the central domed cylinder by a ring of a dozen pairs of column (12 apostles) Severe brick exterior Interior adorned with mosaics of Old and New Testament themes Detail of ambulatory vault mosaic of Santa Constanza Portrait bust of Constantia placed amidst a rich vine scroll inhabited by putti and birds Reminder of how important a role of mosaic decoration played in the interior s of Early Christian buildings Sriptural narrative and symbolism on acres of walls (its dogma to advertise new faithand to instruct and edify the believer Tesserae of reflective glass, rather than the opaque, marble tesserae preferred by the Romans; color is placed, not blended; bright, hard, glittering texture, set within a rigorously simplified pattern, becomes the rule; designed to be froma distanceseen employed larger stones; surfaces left uneven so projecting edges could catch and reflect Christ as Sol Invictus, Musoleum of the Julii, Rome, late 3rd c. Detail of a vault mosaic A conception far more grandiose than that of the Godd Shepherd

Christ enthroned and the apostles in the Heavenly Jerusalem, Santa Prudenziana, Rome, 410-417 Apse mosaic Point of departure was Roman illusionism; persitene of Roman formsand assimilation of Roman imperial attributes to the image of Christ On an emperors throne, Christ, clad in imperial purple and gold and now bearded and haloed in contrast to 4th century versions of same motif The parting of Lot and Abraham, Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, 432-440 Mosaic in the nave; inon of old naturalism and new symbolism Pantomine (primary method of medieval representation which simplifies all meaning into body attitude and posture) Ravenna After death of Constantine in 337, pace of Christianization of Roman Empire quickened 380, Emperor Theodosius I issued edict finally establishing Christianity as state religion Interior of the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy, ca. 425. Before Late Antiquity, mosaics were usually confined to floors. In the so-called Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (FIG. 8-15), mosaics cover every square inch of the interior above the marble-faced walls. Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, c. 425

small, cruciform structure with a dome-covered crossing and barrel-vaulted arms designed to house sarcophagi of Honorius and Galla Placidia and martyrs chapel Latin cross plan; emphasis placed on tall, dome-covered crossing, the building becomes, in effect, a central-plan structure Represents earliest successful fusions of two basic early church plans, the longitudinal (basilican) and the central Christ as the Good Shepherd, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia Mosaic from entrance wall Arrangement of sheeps is rather loose and informal; all forms tonally rendered; three-dimesnional bulk, cast shadows, disposed in depth Roman illusionism Interior of Sant Apollinaire Nuovo, Ravenna, dedicated 504 Rich mosaic decorations of interior nave walls arranged in three zones Miracle of the loaves and fishes, SantApollinaire Nuovo, c. 504 Mosaic from top register of nave wall (above clerestory windows) Stylistic change, Jesus, beardle and in the imperial dress of gold and purple, faces directly toward us as he directs apostles Emphasis on sacramentl character that Jesus is performing miracle by the power of God Important in this scene is presence of almighty power Blue sky replaced by neutral gold which would be standard background color from this point on Saints Onesiphorus and Porphyrius, Church of St. George, Thessaloniki, c. 390-450 Detail of dome mosaic more closely tied to classical past Formality of poses and solemn priestly demeanor of figures become unvarying features of art of Byzantine empire througout centuries of life Luxury Arts Ivory Carving Priestess celebrating life of Bachus, c. 380-400. Right leaf of the Diptych of the Nicomachi and the Symmachi Ivory Ivory plaque, 11 x 5 Exhibits endurance of pagan themes and patrons and of the classical style Diptych (two carved, hinged panels) St. Michael the Archagnel, early 6th c. Right leaf of a diptych Ivory, approx. 17 x 5 Persistence of classical form although subtle deviations from classical rules are apparent Pre-Christian tradition of flowing classical drapery, delicately incised wings, facial type and coiffure

Lack of concern for the rules of naturalistic representation

Diptych of Anastasius, 517 Ivory, each leaf 14 x 5 Stylistic change Illuminated Manuscripts Pictures in mansucripts with Hebrew, Greek, and Christian themes, or combinations of all three Constantine summoned numerous savants and literati from Alexandria, an intellectual center and one of the greatest episcopal sees of the Christian Church; established libraries where these authorities gave instructions; donor of manuscripts Constantinople became center of traditional and Christian learning transmitted by copying and recopying of manuscripts through the centuries Rotulus (long manuscript roll) imortant invention in Early Imperial period that greatly aided dissemination of manuscripts Codex (made much like th emodern book with separate pages enclosed within a cover and bound together at one side) Vellum (calfskin) much durable and replaced papyrus Parchment (lambskin) provided better surfaces for painting These changes in durabilty, reproduction, and format of texts greatly improved the survival of records of ancient civilizations Farmer instructing his slaves, from the Vatican Vergil, early 5th c. Painted parchment, approx. 12 x 12; oldest painted manuscript known Pagan context; Roman idealization of country life and nature Style reminiscent of Pompeiian landscapes Quick, impressionistic touches suggest space and atmosphere Pompeiian style of heavy, dark frame that isolates single episode Rebecca and Eliezer at the well, folio 7 recto of the Vienna Genesis, early sixth century. sterreichische Nationalbibliothek,Vienna. Tempera, gold, and silver on purple vellum, 1 x 9 sumptuously painted book is the oldest well-preserved manuscript containing biblical scenes. Two episodes of the Rebecca story appear in a single setting filled with classical motifs. Christ before Pilate, Rossano Gospels, early 6th c. Painted purple vellum, approx. 11 x 10 ; Earliest illuminated book that contains illustrations of New Testament Text inscribed in silver on purple vellum Cross-inscribed Nimbus (halo) distinguishes Christ and signifies his divinity

RANGE HOOD

REFRIGERATOR

KITCHEN CABINETS, SINK, RANGE & COUNTER