Visual Studies

Early Christian
Art

Presentation by Nitin Kulkarni NIFT

Mumbai

Early Christian art

The last phase of Roman Empire became
corrupt.
The Roman Empire came to be divided into two
parts; eastern and western ruled by different
emperors.
Barbarian tribes overran west from the north.
The east survived another thousand years as
Byzantine Empire.
Christianity emerged after Christ.
First Romans didnt accept Christian religion.

Early Christian art

Entire Europe was in constant danger.
Christian monasteries helped the common
people.
Civilized the barbaric people.
Created strong faith in peoples minds.
Slowly Romans started believing in Christianity.
Declared Christianity as their official religion.
(Constantinople accepted Christianity as state
religion)
Monastery: residence of community of monks.

1. PAINTED CEILING 4 c. A.D

Catacomb of S.S. Pietro eMerrcelino Rome.
The division of the ceiling into compartments as in roman
painting.
Symbolic content.
The great circle suggests the dome of heaven with cross
the basic symbol of faith.
In center a youthful shepherd with a sheep on his shoulder
GOOD SHEPHERD.
The semi-circular compartments tell the story of Jonah. On
the left he is on the sheep, on right he emerges from the
whale, on bottom he is safe again on dry land.
The standing figures may represent as members of church
with raised hands in prayer, pleading for divine help.

Catacomb paintings
Underground cemetery long passages on the
walls there are carved niches.
On remaining walls around niches have paintings of
Images of the Christ and symbols.
And also the images of the soul of the dead person
called ornate.
The Christ symbols which are used are: 1.Dove, 2.Cross,3. Anchor: - stands for hope and
salvation as well as for the cross. (Crucifixion was
rarely shown directly until Constantine made it an
emblem of victory.) 4. Grape wine. 5. Fish carrying
a basket of bread. 6. Lamb (because Christ was a
Shepard)
The symbols appear also in terracotta and bronze
lamps, which were found in catacombs.

Sarcophagi
After decline of catacomb burials carried marble
sarcophagi were used by wealthy Christians.
A sarcophagus is the word derived from the original word
sarcophagis, which is a particular type of limestone, which
has the quality of disintegrating the contents.
Beautified with designs, in the center the portrait of a dead
person was carved.
Sometimes the carvings are done on the horizontal stripes.
Subjects were almost not religious. Sometimes the
Christian iconography is used, in linear decoration.
Senses from life of Christ are also used as prayers for the
dying to liberate the soul.
All the pictures on the walls and ceilings are like a
continued communion of the soul with god.

Architecture
During the period the Christians could not develop
architecture.
The meetings for the commemoration of the last
supper were kept secret and held in private houses or
sometimes in the catacombs.
In the 4th century these were free to worship in public
then they developed buildings suited to their needs
they used Roman Formulas as a model.
The Christian house for worship is called a church.
The model used here was the roman court called
basilicas certain elements were added like the
atrium (main part of the private roman house)

2. A PAGE FROM THE VIENNA

GENESIS
Jacob wresting the angel early 6th c. A.d.
Tempera and silver on dyed vellum, 13 X 9
The oldest illustrated Bible manuscripts
discovered thus for apparently belong to the 6th
century in Greek translation.
Influence of Hellenistic Roman style.
It was written in silver, now it has turned black. On
purple vellum (calf skin fur).
With coloured miniatures, of story of Jacob.
In foreground we see him wrestling with the
angel, then receiving the Angels benediction.

 Sculpture
The wealthier Christians buried their dead
in sarcophagi sculpture decoration is
done on them.
The subjects were similar to the wall
paintings in catacombs.

3. CHRIST ENTHRONED
Detail of Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus.
359 A.D.
marble
310 X 8
on of the finest amongst early sarcophagus.
Its colonnaded front divided into ten square
compartments.
The figure carving reminds of Greek and Roman tradition
.
The bodies look like dolls; heads big and bodies small.