Chapter 8

Late Antique and Early Christian Art

-A Greco Roman/Christian Iconography relationship can be seen in the "Good Shepard" -The image of the young man carrying a sheep to be sacrificed was a theme often seen in Greek sculpture. -The stance of the figure is "contrappasto", but the proportions are no longer classical.

Centrally Planned

-Centrally planned, or round and polygonal, buildings were also favored by early Christians. -They radiated from a central point and where surmounted by a dome, and was often attached to a larger structure. -These buildings were used as Baptisteries( For performing Baptism, or Mausoleas (Large architectural tombs.)

Catacombs I

-Christian memorial services were held in catacombs located on the outside of Rome. -It was the ruler Constantine who issued the Edict of Milan, granting tolerance to all religions. -Catacombs: Underground cemeteries

Basilicas

-Christians worshipped in private homes until the Edict of Milan. -None of the early Christian basilicas have survived, however a floor plan of St. Peter's has been reconstructed. -It was famous for having just one apse located on the western end, because Christ was thought to be facing the west during crucifixion.

Justinian and Byzantine Style

-During the fifth century, the western part of the Roman Empire was overrun by Germanic Tribes from Northern Europe, The Ostrogoths occupied the Italian port of the city of Ravenna until the Byzantine emperor Justinian. -Under Justinian's rule the Eastern Empire rose to political and artistic prominence.

Christianity

-Had a major influence on the western world after the fall of the Roman Empire. -In Rome Christianity was reserved for the lower and middle classes while the aristocracy still worshiped pagan gods. -Remained a relatively underground religion for nearly three hundred years.

St. Peters Basilica

-In Early Christian Apses Christ was depicted as a judge. -This depiction of Christ alluded to the old Roman law courts and Christian belief in last judgement.

The Codex II

-In the eighth and ninth centuries the very nature of subject matter became an area of dispute. -This was referred to as the iconoclast controversy ( In which the virtues and dangers of religious imagery were hotly debated) -The "Iconoclast" followed a biblical injection against worshiping graven images, and many of them destroyed works of art.

Maximian's Throne

-Is the largest Christian ivory from Justinian's reign. -It was carried as a ritual chair in religious processions. -The chair is comprised of a wooden core faced with ivory plaques carved in low relief.

The Monastery on the Slopes of Mount Saint Catherine

-It contains a large apse mosaic of the Transfiguration -In this mosaic all traces of landscape have been eliminated -In this depiction Christ is depicted as "the light of the world" -Unlike previous mosaics this has a mystical quality that transcends time and space.

San Vitale

-It was Ravenna's most important early Byzantine Church -It was dedicated to San Vitalis a Roman Slave and Christian Martyr -It is a centrally planned octagon -The gold background of Justinian's mosaic removes the image from nature and gives it a spiritual realm. -The importance of light in Christian art is expressed in Byzantine mosaics by the use of gold backgrounds and reflective tesserae.

The Katholicon

-It was a church that contained relics of St. Luke -It is known for its good state of preservation.

The Codex I

-It was a practical and easy to manage text, its flat sheets of parchment or vellum (calfskin) were bound together and covered like a book -The codex was the ancestor of the modern book. -It was also possible to illustrate richer colors on the pages

Santa Costanza

-It was built for Constantine's daughter Contantina who died in 354 AD -her sarcophagus was placed opposite the door so it could be viewed upon entering the building.

Mausoleum of Galla Placidia

-It was located in Ravenna and built for Empress Galla Placidia. -It contains "Blind Niches" in which there are only slight recesses in the walls. -The rich dark blue ceiling and the barrel vaults represent the dome of heaven blanketed with brightly lit tears.

Catacombs II

-Niches were cut out of the rock in the catacombs which contained bodies of the deceased which were closed with slabs. -Some of the earliest Christian art can be found in catacombs.

Hagia Sophia II

-The center dome rest on four pendentives( four triangular point with concave sides) -Pendentives are the principal contribution to monumental architecture. -Hagia Sophia was a personal church of the emperor and his court rather than a church or the community that of San Vitale. -Hagia Sofia served as Justinian's desire to unite Christendom under his leadership and express his mission as Christ's representative on Earth.

The late Byzantine depiction of Christ

-The depiction of Christ during this period was "Pantokrator" (ruler of all) -In the depiction of Pantokrater in Monreale, Palermo Christ is given a stern overpowering treatment with harsh modeling and emphasis on surface patterns. -The swirling designs in the face and hair enhance the stern character.

Hagia Sophia I

-This is the undisputed architectural masterpiece of Justinian's reign -Justinian commissioned two mathematicians Anthemius and Isidorus to plan the Hagia Sophia. -They combined the elements if the basilica with enormous rising vaults

The Transfiguration

The very image of the transfiguration in a church located on Mount Sinai is imbued with typological meaning, for it was there that Moses had been transfigured by the light after receiving the law from God.