EARLY CHRISTIAN
-during Roman Empire
-Christian subjects
-main function is teaching stories to those who can't read
-stories intended to look heavenly
-not earthly, not life-like, not humanistic
-man & body considered shameful
-Church adopts latin from Romans
Earliest Christian is in the catacombs
-burial tunnels - hidden
-walls & ceilings were painted
-1st examples of Christian art
-popular subject were Christ as a Shepherd
-standing figures with arms in the air meant praying
-catacamb painting style:
-copied after roman art
-show movement, contrapposto
-foreshortening
-shading
-life-like proportion
Great change once Christianity was legalized - 313, Constantine
-start to build churches
-copy churches after Roman basilica
-called a basilica plan
Center space called NAVE
Rounded area called APSE
Side spaces called SIDE AISLES
-provides directional flow to ceremony of mass
-no sitting, everyone stood
-separate mass (in latin) for men & women
-purpose of side aisles: provides waiting areas for men & women
-church exterior is very plain
-church interior is very decorated - story telling
-symoblizes outside as earthly and inside as heavenly
-wooden ceiling is preferred b/c lighter and allows for windows
(unlike Roman barrel vault)
MOSAIC - is preferred medium for story telling
- tesserae made of shiny glass, gold to reflect light
- to look heavenly, glowing
Mosaic Style: simple, less Roman looking, flat, no atmos. perspective,
no contrapposto, stiff drapery, no turning, no foreshortening,
no variety of faces, on interest in human anatomy,
Increased use of symbols:
halo = holy figure
halo with cross = holy figure is Jesus
hands covered = figure holding holy object
purple robe = royalty
sheep & goats = good & evil = judgment day
chi rho = monogram of Christ
(looks like interlocking X and P)
alpha omega = beginning & end
#3 = Trinity (father, son, holy spirit)
birds = souls
grapes = blood/sacrifice of Christ
Martyrs - people who die for a cause
- martyrdom is way to sainthood
- people expected to pray to saints & martyrs- not God
TEST SLIDE - JUSTINIAN & COURT
ANON, EARLY CHRISTIAN
-mosaic
-divided into 3 parts: army, state & church
-figures celebrating mass
-women figures in separate mosaic
-King Justinian shown to rule by divine right (chosen by God to be king)
-halo, purple robe, chi rho
-both king and queen mosaics located in apse
-Jesus above, King at right hand side, Queen at left hand side
-mosaic looks: flat, stiff, frontal, same poses, no foreshortening, very
sparkly with lots of gold to be heavenly
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