Late antique Europe and Byzantine art form function context and content

FORM: - Vienna Genesis - the oldest well-preserved painted manuscript containing biblical scenes is the early 6th century Vienna Genesis - product of a Constantinopolitan workshop produced using the most costly materials. -The pages are fine calfskin (vellum) dyed with rich purple, the same dye used to give imperial cloth its color. The Greek text is in silver ink, and the illustrations are the works of painters of the highest quality. - First book of the Bible. Preserved some of the earliest narrative illustrations. A process similar to making leather. The parchment is dyed purple. The text was originally silver, now tarnished which is why it is black. Old Testament patron Jacob's transformation to become Israel. The angel touches Jacob's hip joint and he hobbles away. CONTEXT: - The capital is moved to Constantinople - Christianity becomes the official religion - Emphasis on flatness and mystery - Used the church to back the authority of the emperor - Iconoclast controversy (726-843): Destroyed all art with icon, most of the early byzantine art. Sinful nature of making graven images -Origin is guessed to be from Constantinople. CONTENT: - Codex: Ancestor of the modern Book - Miniature imagery accompanying text Folio: sheet of paper Rotulus: Papyrus Scroll (Ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians had used this for text and illustration Vellum: pages of sturdy calf skin Parchment: pages of flat sheets of lambskin - A continuous narrative- Two episodes of the Rebecca story appear in a single setting filled with classical motifs - jacob:Jacob leads his family across a river over a bridge. Then, Jacob has to fight with an angel. Upon fighting with the angle Jacobs name becomes Israel. The importance of this story is the renaming of Jacob to Israel. There is an attempt to display a transition within a single image Calls back to the Romanesque Looks as though it could be a freeze Roman colonnade on the bridge The form of the bodies under the drapery Typical of Byzantine art Skewed perspective Mixing up of space in an intentional way - rebbecca: Abraham wanted to find a wife for his son (Issac) and sent his servant, Eliezer, to find one for him. On the journey, Eliezer is in need of help and Rebecca comes to the rescue. Rebecca ends up being the perfect girl for Issac. This is a story about God intervening to ensure a sound marriage for Abraham's son. In this continuous narrative, there are two episodes. Rebecca is shown twice. Once leaving her town to get water and another helping Rebecca. Classical elements. Roman colonnades. Reclining nude next to the river. Serves as a personification of the well's water Not a realistic showing of space (very Byzantine) FUNCTION: - Depict the first book of the bible -Not sure who would have been reading this book; Probably a royal individual's Illuminated manuscripts not only aimed to depict stories of the bible but be a symbol of the owner's piety

Rebecca and eliezer at the well and jacob wrestling the angel, from the Vienna genesis. early byzantine europe. early sixth century CE. illuminated manuscript (tempera, gold, and silver on purple vellum).

FORM: - Icons: Small, portable paintings depicting Christ, the Virgin or Saints or a combination of all 3. - The icon shows the Virgin and Child flanked by 2 soldier saints, St. Theodore and St. George. - The painter uses the classical style inherited from Rome. The faces are modeled, the space appears compressed, almost flat, yet there is evidence of special recession - Composition: special ambiguity - places a scene in a world that operates differently from our world "Hierarchy of Bodies" CONTEXT: - Some icons came to be regarded as wonder working and believers ascribed miracles and healing powers to them. Icons were not universally accepted from the beginning. Many Christians were deeply suspicious of the practice of imaging the divine whether on portable panels, walls of churches or as statues that reminded them of ancient idols. - The Old Testament prohibited images - Respect of and prayer to an icon became confused with idol worship, and this brought about an imperial ban on the making of icons, and sacred images ICONCLASM: edicts ordering the destruction of existing images of the divine. The consequence: many Byzantine images were destroyed, and for about a century, portrayals of Christ, the Virgin, and the saints cease. - certain political leaders objected the production of icons possibly because the monasteries were gaining too much power and wealth. icons were produced in the monasteries and were under attack because they were gaining power. CONTENT: - Above these are 2 angels who gaze upward to the hand of God, from which light emanates, falling on the virgin The painter uses the classical style inherited from Rome. The faces are modeled, the space appears compressed, almost flat, yet there is evidence of special recession Shadow cast, Virgin has a twist to her body, architecture helps to create and close-off the space of the holy scene Composition: special ambiguity - places a scene in a world that operates differently from our world "Hierarchy of Bodies" Theodore and George stand erect feet on the ground and gaze at the viewer - lifting of the heel - stepping towards us. This icon is the earliest representation of mother & child. 2 saints are intercessors - intervene by prayer placed closest to the viewer. They are available as transmitters for prayers to the virgin. FUNCTION: - A personal, intimate medium for spiritual transaction with holy figures

Virgin (theotokos) and child between saints theodore and george. early byzantine europe. sixth or early seventh century CE. encaustic on wood.

FORM: - Catacombs: underground burial places made up of passageways and niches for holding the sarcophagi. Some catacombs contained chapels and meeting rooms of the early Christians. - The earliest surviving Christian art known are frescoes that decorate the ceilings and walls of the chapels within the catAcombs. CONTEXT: - Before the era of Constantine, the Christian religion was outlawed. Believers were persecuted and to escape being tortured they inhabited the tunnel-like catcombs. Here they met for worship, buried their dead and lived in protection. Catacombs became intricate underground tombs cut in rock. Because Roman law forbade burial within the city, these tunnels are found outside the old city walls. The use of catacombs was abandoned after Christianity became the official religion. CONTENT: - 10 km or more than 5 miles wide At least 40,000 tombs Multiple sarcophagi for family members Concept originated in ancient Egypt Small table Scenes from Old and New Testaments (on the walls) Depiction of figures suffering on account of their faith Book of Daniel Divine intervention - young Jewish men told to worship a Pagan golden idol, they refused, were sentenced to be burned alive but then saved Originated under the papacy of Pope Zephyrin (199-217) Location where most important pontiffs of the 3rd century - This fresco is similar in format to the painted vaults of some third century apartment houses in Ostia. they both have a circular frame with a central medallion and semicircular frames around its circumference called lunets. - key episodes from the biblical story of Jonah are shown. here sailors throw jonah overboard so that a storm sent by the lord would subside. - in the central christian motif, the sheep on christ's shoulders is not a sacrificial offering. instead, it is on of the lost sheep Christ has retrieved symbolizing a sinner who has strayed and been rescued. - here jonah is depicted resting under a gord vine that the lord later caused to shrivel up and die. the appearance of the vine speaks to God's compassion for all mankind. it also alludes to the temporal world or Christ's brief presence on earth as a vine. - the figures with their arms raised in a gesture of prayer are known as orants. they may be generic portraits of family members buried below. FUNCTION: - Burial location for the actual members of Priscilla's family NOT a place of worship or prayer (to God), not really a chapel

catacomb of priscilla. rome, italy. late antique europe. c. 200-400 CE. excavated tufa and fresco.

FORM: - In scale, Hagia Sophia rivals the architectural wonders of Rome. In exterior, the great dome dominates the structure. The building's external aspects are much changed from their original appearance. The huge buttresses are later additions to the Justinianic design and after Ottoman conquest of 1453, when Hagia Sophia became a mosque the Turks constructed four towering minarets at the corners of the former church. The building is now a museum. CONTEXT: - While invasions and religious controversy racked the Italian peninsula, the Eastern Roman Empire prospered. Under Justinian and Theodora, Byzantine Political power, wealth and culture were at their peak. -Justinian erects hundreds of churches, libraries and Public spaces throughout the Empire. -In Constantinople, Justinian and Theodora embark on A spectacular campaign of building and renovation But little remains of architectural projects, or of the old Imperial city. - HAGIA SOPHIA- HOLY WISDOM CONTENT: - The feature that distinguishes Hagia Sophia from equally lavish Roman buildings is the special mystical quality of light flooding the interior. The canopy-like dome that dominates the inside rides on a halo of light from the windows in the dome's base. 40 windows at the base of teh dome create the illusion that the dome rests on the light pouring through. - Procopius observed that the dome looked as if it were suspended by a golden chain from heaven Hagia Sophia has a vastness of space shot through with light. Pendentive construction made possible Hagia Sophia's dome. - To achieve the illusion of a floating dome of heaven, Anthemius and Isidorus used pendentives to transfer the weight from the great dome to the piers beneath, rather than to the walls. With pendentives, the space beneath the dome could be unobstructed, and windows could puncture the walls. Pendentives created the impression of a dome suspended above, not held up by walls. - They combined two architectural traditions - central planned with basilica plan. Creating - a domed basilica! - The capital OF THE COLUMNS is a derivative of the Classical Ionic order via variations Of the Roman capital and Byzantine invention. -The decoration makes the capital appear light and more elegant; Church and state symbolically made one; the church building was then the earthly image of the court of Heaven FUNCTION: - Cathedral Mosque Museum - est. 1934

hagia sophia. constantinople (istanbul). anthemius of tralles an isidorus of miletus. 532-537 CE. brick and ceramic elements with stone and mosaic veneer.

FORM: - San Vitale was designed as a central-domed octagon surrounded by 8 radiating exedrae (wall niches) surrounded by ambulatory and gallery, all covered by vaults. A rectangular sanctuary and semicircular apse project from one of the sides of the octagon, and circular rooms flank the apse. A separate oval narthex, set off-axis joined church and palace and also led to cylindrical stair towers that gave access to the second-floor gallery. The floor plan of San Vitale only hints at the effect of the complex, interpenetrating interior spaces of the church, an effect that was enhanced by thE offset narthex, with double set of doors leading into the church. - the three magi are depicted on theordora's robes in order to link the empress to the virgin mary. - to emphasize his spiritual role, justinian wears a nimbus, or halo, - justinian's imperial guard is shown bearing a shield with the chi-ro monogram, known as the monogram of christ. - justinian holds a golden paten, a bowl that would have contained the bread for the eucharist, linking his secular authority with religious power CONTEXT: - At the beginning of the 4th century, Constantine recognized Christianity and became its first imperial sponsor. By the end of the century, Theodosius had established Christianity as the end of the century. Theodosius had established Christianity as Roman Empire's official religion. It was Justinian who proclaimed Christianity the Empire's only lawful religion, specifically the Orthodox Christian doctrine. Orthodox Christianity - the central article of faith is the equality of the 3 aspects of the Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. - Built after the split of the Roman empire - the laws of church and state unified the laws of god CONTENT: - Not a basilica, rather centrally planned church. The dome-covered inner octagon rises above the surrounding octagon to provide the interior with clerestory lighting Eight large rectilinear piers alternate with curved, columned exedrae pushing outward into the 2-story ambulatory. Light filtered through alabaster-paned windows plays over the glittering mosaics and glowing marbles covering the building's complex surfaces. -Theme- holy ratification of Justinian's right to rule. In the apse vault, Christ sits on the Orb of the world at the time of his second coming. On the choir wall to the left of the Apse mosaic appears Justinian. The two are united through imperial purple. - Roman mosaics had been of polished, colored stone, but Byzantine mosaics were made of brightly colored glass (tesserae) pressed into wet plaster Glass increased the color range and could be made to reflect the light. The pieces were set at a slight angle to the surface to create a shimmering effect. The mosaics cover almost every available surface. They sparkle with color. Green and gold are used most often, but there are also purples and blues. Images and symbols covering the entire sanctuary illustrate primarily Biblical subjects. - There are two mosaics flanking the altar which depict contemporary figures. Emperor Justinian, and Attendants on one wall, and the Empress Theodora and Attendants on the other. - A dozen attendants, paralleling Christ's 12 apostles. The mosaic underscores the dual political and religious roles of the Byzantine emperor. The laws of Church and state unified in the laws of God. - Justinian's counterpart on the opposite wall of the apse is his empress, Theodora. Both processions move into the apse. Justinian proceeding from left to right and Theodora right to left in order to take part in the Eucharist. Justinian carries the bowl containing the bread, and Theodora the cup with the wine. - In separate rectangular compositions, Along the curving walls of the apse, Underneath the scene in the halfdome, appear Justinian and Theodora. *** The Royal couple did not attend the Dedication ceremony for the church, Conducted by archbishop Maximianus in There is no evidence they actually set foot in Ravenna, but these large mosaics face each other and picture there presence. -As head of state, haloed Justinian wears a huge jeweled crown and purple cloak. He donates a golden bowl to San Vitale for celebration of the Eucharist. Like Justinian, Theodora has a halo, wears a robe and carries a chalice that held the Eucharistic wine - that she donates. - The central figure of the emperor wears the same royal purple as Christ in the apse. The archbishop Maximian wears a gold cloak and holds a jeweled cross. On Justinian's right are two court officials and his military guard, their large green shield decorated with Constantine's Chi-rho-iota monogram of Christ Bishop is wearing the stole of his office, - he claimed special credit to the church and had his name inscribed in large capitals over his head. Behind him walks Justinian strategically placed in the center. FUNCTION: - Obviously primarily to worship the Christian god (This is a church) Glorify the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora Serves as a reminder for the power of the Byzantine Emperor

san vitale. ravenna, italy. early byzantine europe. c 526-547 CE. brick, marble, and stone veneer; mosaic.

FORM: - Exteriors: Simple, plain, brick - The early Christian basilica was a long brick building with a timber roof. Connected to the front of the structure was an atrium (courtyard) with a covered walkway around it. Entrances were at the rear of the atrium on the corners. - The design of this early christian structure demonstrates the influence of a roman basilica, or law court in that it has a nave. - likely reason why santa sabina was built on the avenue hill is that it validates the arrival of new religion. - a likely reason why santa sabina was designed based on a roman basilica, or law court, is that christ has the role as judge. -one reason why the interior of the structure originally was decorated throughout with mosaics was to make people feel like they are in a spiritual place. -the use of spolia is evident in the construction of santa ssabina in its columns. CONTEXT: - On site of Saint Sabina (300s in Rome,) who was stoned to death for converting to Christianity The building was originally a classical Roman administrative building Ordered interior served to manage large numbers of visitors and to impose the government's authority Thick columns and classical decor create structural stability - Constantinian architects were the first Roman Christians; they chose the ancient Roman basilica to serve as the basis of their new churches Spolia: recycling old buildings or architectural materials for another purpose The architects reinvented a formerly governmental space into a religious one Manipulated the light from the windows so that the space became well-lit Added mosaics on the walls CONTENT: - Connected to the front of the structure was an atrium (courtyard) with a covered walkway around it. Entrances were at the rear of the atrium on the corners. Worshipers stood in the nave (central part of the basilica) On each side of the nave were side aisles. They were separated by a row of columns usually taken from pagan temples. - Interiors: Highly decorated To symbolize the richness of Christian spirit. Shimmering, sparkling mosaics of colored glass and gold covered the walls. Floors were decorated with inlaid marble designs. - The long nave with its rows of columns leads the eye to the altar, the focal point of the church. Windows were located above the columns to flood the interior with light. The apse, was a semicircular area at the front of the nave. Above the apse was a half-dome. The altar was placed on the raised portion of the apse and had a canopy or baldachin over it made of carved and painted wood or stone. A triumphal arch symbolizing the victory of Christ over eternal death, separated the nave from the apse. Crypts were sometimes placed under the raised apse to provide burial space for bishops or church leaders. The general plan enlarged and elaborated as time passed, became the basis for European cathedrals of later centuries. - Elaborate baldachins or canopies were placed over an altar. FUNCTION: - Early Christian church To respect Sabina, who supposedly died on the location Roman Emperor from the 300s and Christian convert Martyr for Christianity To impress the viewer and inspire them to follow Christianity

santa sabina. rome, italy. late antique Europe. c. 422-432 CE. brick and stone, wooden roof.