Early Christian / Byzantine

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Important Concepts You MUST Know About Section 7
The Shift From Realism to Religion
After the Fall of the Western (Roman Empire), the
style of art changed dramatically. Creating
ideals proportions took a backseat to teaching
the narratives and symbolism of Christianity.
The Parts of the Christian Churches
The terminology of the churches is used
throughout the AP Test. Know all of the terms
associated with this presentation.
Central Plan vs. Basilica Plan
Originally, there were two basic types of
Christian Church plans. Knowing these plans (and
why they were designed as such) should aid you in
learning how the needs of Christianity affected
these layouts.
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Late Antiquity / Early Christian
330 - Constantine moved his capital to Byzantium
and renamed it CONSTANTINOPLE. Most pieces of
Jewish Art were destroyed, and the Jewish people
often faced special taxes, restrictions and even
persecution. 395 - The Roman Empire split
permanently by Emperor Theodosius I into two
parts The WESTERN EMPIRE (Roman) The EASTERN
EMPIRE (Byzantine) 410 - Rome is sacked by the
Visigoths. 476 - Romulus Augustulus, the last
Western Roman emperor, is deposed by the German
Odoacer. 527 - Justinian becomes Eastern Roman
emperor. Constantinople covers eight square miles
(Manhattan covers twenty-two square miles) with
at least 500,000 inhabitants. 53237 - Justinian
builds the church of Hagia Sophia in
Constantinople. 726 - Byzantine Emperor Leo III
orders all icons in the Byzantine Empire
destroyed.
Quick Timeline
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Early Christian
Like their pagan contemporaries, wealthy
Christians preferred to be buried in marble
sarcophagi. The richly carved Sarcophagus of
Junius Bassius was made for an important Roman
official who converted to Christianity before his
death in 359. This tends to be an important
piece as it combines Christian themes with
Classical architectural and figural elements.
Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, c 359.EARLY
CHRISTIAN
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Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, c 359. EARLY
CHRISTIAN
Two registers, 10 panels of OLD and NEW Testament
scenesChrist is depicted in center with Roman
themes.
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Early Christian
Sarcophagus with philosopher, Rome, Italy, ca 270
Sculpture
Jesus is represented by two figures on the right,
the small child being baptized and the Shepherd
to his left. The future ministry of Jesus is
represented by the turned head of the young boy
to the Shepherd and by the placement of his hand
on one of the sheep.
This is Jesus as a child receiving a baptism in
the River Jordan even though he was baptized at
age thirty. Baptism was significant in the
early centuries of Christianity because so many
adults were converted to the new faith in this
manner.
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Early Christian
Suicide of Judas and Crucifixion of Christ,
plaque from a casket, ivory, ca 420
Ivory Carving
The narrative on the box begins with Pilate
washing his hands, Jesus carrying the cross on
the road to Calvary, and the denial of Peter, all
compressed into a single panel. The plaque that
is illustrated here is the next in the sequence
and shows, at the left, Judas hanging from a tree
with his open bag of silver dumped on the ground
beneath his feet. the Crucifixion is at the
right. The Virgin Mary and Joseph are to the left
of the cross. On the other side Longinus
thrusts his spear into the side of the "King of
the Jews." The two remaining panels show two
Marys and two soldiers at the open doors of a
tomb with an empty coffin and the doubting Thomas
touching the wound of the risen Christ. The
figure of Christ does not appear to be in pain
because he is displayed on the cross, rather than
hung from it, as though he has conquered death
and does not suffer.
The contrast of Jesus whose body remains strong
on the cross contrasts with the body of his
betrayer, Judas, hanging from a tree with a limp
body and a snapped neck. Visually and
symbolically, this image was meant to show Jesus
as a strong leader and not prone to pain or
complete death.
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Early Christian
BASILICA-PLAN CHURCH (West) See Santa Sabina,
p.170.
Narthex Side Aisles Clerestory Nave Apse Triforium
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Late Antiquity / Early Christian
Santa Sabina, Rome, c422-432 AD EARLY CHRISTIAN
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Late Antiquity / Early Christian
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, c425-26 AD
EARLY CHRISTIAN
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Late Antiquity / Early Christian
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, c425-26 AD
EARLY CHRISTIAN
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Byzantine Art
When Emperor Justinian decide to build a church
in Constantinople (the greatest city in the world
for 400 years), he wanted to make it as grand as
his empire. He assigned the task to two
mathematicians, Anthemius and Isidorus. They
created theHagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) Nearly 3
football fields long, and the dome is 180 in
diameter! This architectural feat was
accomplished with the use of pendentives.
Hagia Sophia, 532-537.Istanbul, Turkey.
BYZANTINE
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Byzantine Art
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Byzantine Art
Large, decorated pendentives inside the Hagia
Sophia
Hagia Sophia, 532-537Istanbul, Turkey. BYZANTINE
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Byzantine Art
Byzantine Mosaic Basics Three Fs and a G
Although the artist includes some shading,
figures appear flat, lacking volume that was
common with Classical Art. Figures appear to
hover over the ground. Note the pointed
45-degree angle of the feet. Unlike the
realistic overlapping seen in most Classical art,
Byzantine figures are usually turned toward the
viewer. Byzantine Art shows very little
interest in a background. Byzantine art focuses
more on conveying Christian teachings and
depicting important figures than on representing
the natural world.
FLAT FLOATING FRONTAL GOLD
BACKGROUNDS
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Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, c425-26
AD EARLY CHRISTIAN
Emperor Justinian and his Attendants, Church of
San Vitale, c547. BYZANTINE