Art History 2001 Exam #2 Questions and Vocabulary- The Ohio State Univeristy

Transept

(in a cross-shaped church) either of the two parts forming the arms of the cross shape, projecting at right angles from the nave.

How are Christian basilicas different from their earlier Roman counterparts?

- Christians wanted to distinguish themselves from their earlier Roman counterparts and they did this by building their temples with a different idea. - Roman temples have decorated and over the top exteriors, for example, the Pantheon is a Roman temple that has an elaborate exterior design. - Christian basilicas, however, are simplistic on the outside with fancy decoration on the interior. The insides of Christian churches were decorated with mosaics, symbolic imagery, and strips of paintings that told the stories in the bible for the illiterate.

What is the story of the Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity? Why was this so significant?

- During Constatine's rule, he took over the Roman Empire through battles. In a dream, he apparently spoke with God and the connection with religion helped him defeat Maxentius and other battles. - His conversion to Christianity is mostly attributed to his military success when conquering other areas of the Roman Empire.

How did early Christianity spread, how was it codified, and how/when did it gain legitimacy?

- Jesus was born in Bethlehem and lived from 0-33 CE. After Jesus' death, there was a period of time known as the Apostolic Age (33-110 CE) where there was a rise in Christianity and religious practices partly due to the four "evangelists" Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. - The Apostolic Age was when people who knew about Christianity were going around spreading word about the religion. - The apostles went around Europe and spread the religion. The Christian church was organized in a manner that was very similar to the Roman Empire.

In what ways does this work both adhere to and depart stylistically from the art of Classical Greece?

- On the Parthenon, the figures in the procession are unknown people who represent Greek's idealism, however, on Ara Pacis, there are known historical figures shown. - Another difference is the presence of kids in the Ara Pacis decoration. Showing youth helps convey the theme of family and peace in Rome, which were not values that were emphasized in Ancient Greek art.

How is the Augustus of Prima Porta both similar and different in comparison with a Classical Greek statue like the Doryphoros?

- Similarly to Doryphroros, the leg and foot position (contrapposto) is almost identical and also the idea of "arete" is present in the Augustus of Primaporta. - Some differences between the two sculptures is that Doryphoros is nude while Augustus is marked by clothing.

What is spolia? How and why does the Arch of Constantine use it?

- Spolia is the act of reusing sculptures. Artists will take someone out of its original context and put it into a new one, - The Arch of Constatine relies heavily on the reuse of Roman Empire sculptures. In particular, he uses pieces of sculptures relating to the rule of Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius. - The use of spolia has many functions like practicality because it is economical and fast to reuse sculptures, however, it also serves an ideological function. The use of sculptures from Rome's "best" rule

Describe the overall program of decoration on the Ara Pacis. How do the various parts work together to promote a particular agenda? How does it express the Roman idea of a kind of "civic religion"?

- The Ara Pacis represents many ideas of peace as it was a statement made by Augustus that he brought peace to the Roman Empire. - There is a statement on the front of the temple from Augustus which states that he is the one who brought liberty to the republic. - The panels on the East and West side of the structure also work towards this theme of peace and Augustus' rule. - The East panel shows a maternal figure surrounded by animals, plants, and other earth symbols. - The North and South side show a procession of the imperial family. The procession shows recognized historical figures, which contrast greatly with the unknown figures on The Parthenon. - The Ara Pacis represents the idea of "civic religion" by combining political and religious themes. On the temple, there is a reference to Venus and other religious themes, however, there are also the senators and statements about Augutus' rule in the republic.

Discuss the Arch of Constantine in relation to its urban environment, and the way that Constantine used it and other monuments to promote certain ideas about his reign. What other objects/monuments was it in dialogue with?

- The Arch of Constatine is near the Colosseum and the statue of the Son God. The Arch of Constantine would frame the sculpture of the Sun God from some angles and then at other angles, it would look like Constantine was riding out of the sun. - The Arch of Constatine was placed in honor for the victory of Constantine. The arches were placed in areas where a triumph parade would walk through the city of Rome. The parade route was set so various arches would be placed into the route to honor rulers.

Describe the form and construction of the Colosseum

- The Colosseum is a giant amphitheater and it is built in the middle of Rome surrounded by the city. - The location of the Colosseum was the former location of Nero's Domous Aurea, a spot claimed for his personal pleasure. - Vespasian decided to take this spot where a structure was built for the king and turned it into a space for the public, an amphitheater. - With elements like the sun shade, it is evident that the Colosseum was made for the people. - In the amphitheater there were lots of battles, performances, and more. The building makes use of arches to provide support and create the modern-day stadium set up. - The building was made using cement and aggregate, which is pieces of rock and rubble that are mixed into the cement.

What was the Edict of Milan?

- The Edict of Milan is a legal document issued by Emperor Constantine the Great, proclaiming religious tolerance and bringing an end to the persecution of Christians that lasted three centuries. -The Edict of Milan was intended to bring peace to the Empire

What was the symbolic importance of the form of the Pantheon? What kind of experience was the interior meant to evoke?

- The Pantheon has a dome with an oculus which allows light to pour into the building. - The interior space is almost emotional as the light floods the buildings providing a beam of light. - Airy, open, and light

Describe the form and construction of the Pantheon.

- The Pantheon is a building that was built during Hadrian's rule, but is dedicated to Marucs Agrippa who built the previous Pantheon. - The building has lots of similarities to the conventional Greek temple, with columns and a pediment, however, the dome shape is truly what makes it unique. - The building is quite average on the outside, with its true beauty lying in the inside with its decoration and oculus. - The engineering of this massive temple is quite notable because of the heavy columns and the use of different materials in the building process. The builders used lighter materials like pumice to lessen the load on the top of the dome. They also made the thickness of the walls decrease as it got closer to the top of the oculus.

What are the main features of an early Christian basilica? How does the form of this building respond to its function? What are some of the practical, associative, and symbolic reasons why it looks the way it does?

- The early Christian basilicas would have a long rectangular hall with a round end of the building known as the apse. - The architecture connects directly with the Christian practices because the long rectangular hallway allows for rows to be placed so people could gather and face towards the altar. The emphasis on gathering and community in Christianity greatly affected the look of early basilicas. Also, the rectangular hallways made it easy to grow the church in order to fit more people. - The practical functions of the early basilica are that the windows allow light into the building and light is a popular symbol in Christianity. - The Christian church wanted to distinguish themselves from the Roman empire so they constructed their worship spaces to look different from Roman temples. - - Finally, there are symbolic connections between religion and architecture present in the early basilica. The Christian church utilized arches over the altar to symbolize Christ's triumph over death. Also, early churches were built in the shape of a cross for symbolic purposes.

What kind of political messages was Augustus trying to send with the "Augustus of Primaporta" and "Ara Pacis"?

- The political messages sent out by Augustus can be viewed as a propaganda piece because of his portrayal of himself. - In the Augustus of Primaporta, he is shown as a symbol of power and force. He is shown specifically as a military leader leading and inspiring the troops to victory. -Some other notable features are his gestures, as it is an oratory gesture that shows his power, another feature is the Cupid that is holding onto Augustus' leg. This is a symbol of divine lineage as August claims he is the son of Venus. - Overall, through this statue he conveys the idea that he was a powerful ruler who did lots of good for the Roman Empire.

What is the stylistic transition that we see in the 4th century reliefs on the Arch of Constantine, compared to the earlier ones?

- The reliefs and depictions of Constantine are very different from previous artwork of rulers in Ancient civilizations. -The frieze in the Arch of Constantine vividly shows the change in style. Constantine, and the other figures in the sculpture, almost have a puppet and mechanical look to them, which is very different from the realism shown during Hadrian's rule. - The style is more rustic and less elite, which became the general style of Christianity artwork.

Basilica

A large scale administrative building and it now used a word to refer to Christian Church

Apse

A large semicircular or polygonal recess in a church, arched or with a domed roof, typically at the eastern end, and usually containing the altar.

Edict of Milan

A legal document issued by Emperor Constantine the Great, proclaiming religious tolerance and bringing an end to the persecution of Christians that lasted three centuries. The Edict of Milan was intended to bring peace to the Empire.

How were tombs incorporated into Christian basilicas, and what purpose did they serve?

ASK MR.YAN!

Barrel Vault

An architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve. Used heavily in the Colosseum

Longitudinal Axis

Architectural feature that allows people to have a sight-line to see the altar

Basilica

Building similar to a Roman basilica, used as a Christian church. The Roman basilica was used for government and administrative purposes.

Aggregate

Pieces of rock and rubble that are mixed with the cement

Coffers

Sunken decorative panels that lessen the domes weight without weakening its structure

Spolia

Taking pieces of art from one context and putting it into another for purposes of paying homage and even asserting dominance and triumph

Nave

The central part of a church building, intended to accommodate most of the congregation. In traditional Western churches it is rectangular, separated from the chancel by a step or rail, and from adjacent aisles by pillars.

Oculus

The open circle at the top of the dome where light is let in

Pax Romana

The peace which existed between nationalities within the Roman Empire.

Typology

The study and interpretation of types and symbols, originally especially in the Bible.

Clerestory

The upper part of the nave, choir, and transepts of a large church, containing a series of windows. It is clear of the roofs of the aisles and admits light to the central parts of the building

Drum (of a dome)

The upright part of the building where the dome is raised

Chi-Rho

A symbol of Christianty that held great importance to Constantine because he saw it in a dream and he believes it led him to victory

Groin Vault

Produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. The word "groin" refers to the edge between the intersecting vaults.

Arcade

Series of arches

Apostolic Age

Time period after Jesus' death where there was rise in Christianity

Aquilae

"eagle;" which was a prominent symbol of Roman legion. Seen in Augustus of Primaporta

Where did the earliest Christians worship?

-The earliest Christian worship (before Constantine legalized Christianity) took place in house churches, which were the first floor of Roman homes. The Christian Roman would convert half of their home as a worship space. They were very private and small.

Aisle

A passage between rows of seats

Colossus

Statue that is much bigger than life sized