Transcript Document

Gardner’s Art Through the Ages,
12e
Chapter 11
Pagans, Christians, and Jews:
The Art of Late Antiquity
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Europe and the Near East in Late Antiquity
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Goals
• Understand how Roman art and architecture is changed
as a result of Christianity and the decisions of
Constantine
• Understand the concept of “synchonism” in early
Christian art.
• Understand the different media used to create early
Christian art.
• Know and cite artistic and architectural terminology
from the period.
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Late Antiquity: Duros Europos
Why was the town of Duros-Europos important?
• It was a Roman garrison town in Syria with both Jewish
and early Christian communities.
– The Synagogue: Narrative wall paintings: [246-256 CE]
• How do they get around the proscription against
“graven images”? [2nd commandment]
• “Yaweh” is shown as only a hand.
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Late Antiquity: Duros Europos
Moses and the
Burning Bush
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The Christian community
house: [240-256 CE]
** A modest secondhand house -- Meeting
area, baptistery and
upstairs dining room.
** persecuted until
Constantine; often the poor of
society.; wouldn’t even pay lip
service to official Roman gods.
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Catacombs [3 & 4th cen. CE]
• Subterranean networks of galleries and chambers
designed as cemeteries for the Christian dead, many
of them sainted martyrs. [They also housed the graves of
Jews and other groups, to a lesser extent.]
• Placed outside the city walls, hollowed out of “tufa”
bedrock. “ad catacumbus” – “in the hollows”
– May have run for 60-90 miles underground.
– Source of early Christian paintings.
– Elements: Galleries, loculi [shelves], cubicula
[chapels/house of the living]
– Would build a new gallery when the first was full
etc…
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Catacombs [3 & 4th cen. CE]
• Similar to painting in
“spoke-wheel” vault
at Ostia.
• Lunettes contain story of
Jonah? Why?
– Prefiguration of
Christ’s resurrection.
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Jewish Subjects in Christian Art
• Why are there so many Old Testament references?
– Jesus was a Jew.
– Used as prefiguration of the coming & life/death of
Jesus
– Jesus himself used these stories in his parables.
• Examples:
– Jonah: prefiguration of Christ’s resurrection.
– Abraham & the 3 angels: taken to symbolize Holy
Trinity
– Sacrifice of Isaac: Prefiguration of sacrifice of
God’s only son for us.
– Daniel: A salvation tale, precursor of Christ’s
triumph over death.
– Adam & Eve: “Original Sin” led to Christ’s sacrifice.
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The Changing Image of Christ
Period of Persecution:
• “The Good Shepherd,” a youthful and loyal protector
of the Christian flock.
• A teacher or learned philosopher.
Period of Recognition:
• Halo
• Purple robe
• Throne.
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Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus: ca. 359
Identify the stories …
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Christ Seated ca. 350-375
• What is unusual about this
statue?
– Retained Greco-Roman
habits – “idols” or
statues of the gods.
– Early & rare “in the
round” statue.
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Architecture: From Basilica to Church
• Once Constantine recognized Christianity, the need for
churches arose. Located on outskirts to avoid conflict with
the official religion.
• The early
churches
took over
the form
of the
Roman
basilica or
meeting hall.
Old St. Peter’s
Rome, ca. 320
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Santa Constanza, ca 337-351
How does the Church of Santa
Costanza differ from basilican
churches?
• It has a central plan, where the
building’s parts are all of equal
dimension around the center; in
this case round.
• Byzantium takes over this model
and develops it fully.
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Santa Constanza, ca 337-351 -- MOSAICS
• Christ as Sol Invictus.
[pagan sun god]
represented in a vineyard –
another pre-Christian
reference to harvest
festivals.
• From Bacchus to the
Eucharist
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Abraham & Lot: Santa Maria Maggiore
ca. 432-440
• Part of an Old
testament cycle– first
major church in the
West dedicated to the
Virgin Mary after the
Council of Ephesus
that named her “Mother
of God”
• Departure of
Abraham’s son, Lot
for Sodom.
– Uses “head cluster”
and unambiguous
gestures and glances.
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Ravenna’s Mosaics
• After founding of Constantinople in 324, the empire
begins to fall apart.
• After Constantine’s death, Christianity grows and in 380 is
named as state religion.
• Under threat of barbarian invasion, capital of the West
Empire moved from Milan to Ravenna.
Mosaic: First made from beach pebbles.
• Romans used marble; creating complex volumes and
images.
• Christians used glass “tesserae” [Latin for cubes or dice] to
imitate the brilliance of paintings.
– Size could be adjusted as desired.
– Color was placed, not blended.
– Larger pieces because viewed at a distance.
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Mausoleum of Galla Placida ca. 425
• Cruciform [cross shaped] structure; barrel-vaulted “arms”
and a tower at the crossing.
• Fusion of central and longitudinal plans.
• Mosaics cover the interior.
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Mausoleum of Galla Placida ca. 425
• Above the entrance: Christ, The Good Shepherd
– What elements of Christian iconography do you see?
– What is still rooted in the Greco-Roman tradition?
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Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, 504
• Theodoric’s Palace-Church: Upper two zones of
Mosaics date from his time.
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Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, 504
Loaves & Fishes: Stylistic changes from Galla Placida:
• No details of event – focus has shifted to the holy
character, the power of Christ’s divinity
• A “miracle” takes
it out of time and
events.
• Almighty power
rather than narrative
is the focus
• Least number of
figures.
• Placed in a shadow
box, no landscape
• Heavenly gold, not
sky blue
• Roman illusionism is
gone. [cf. less folds]
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Illuminated Manuscripts – Luxury Goods
• Vienna Genesis is the
oldest well-preserved
manuscript. [early 6th
cen.]
– Made from calfskin,
dyed with rich purple;
Greek text is written
in silver ink.
• Rebecca & Eliezer:
– Used Roman
conventions; water is
personified.
– Simple yet convincing
details.
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Vienna Genesis
• The Temptation of
Joseph [Potiphar’s wife]
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Rossano Gospels: Greek, early 6th cen.
• Jesus being brought
before Pilate:
– Christian
iconography is
more developed by
now.
– Christ as a bearded
adult.
– Presented as a
continuous
narrative. [multiple
events placed in the
same frame]
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Ivory Carving
• A century before The
Rossano Gospels ivory
panels were made with
carved scenes from the life
of Christ, most often placed
on boxes.
• Suicide of Judas &
Crucifixion: What message
would you get viewing this?
How is Christ represented?
• The two Marys and two
soldiers at the open door
of the Tomb.
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Yet the pagan gods endured …
Diptych ca. 400:
• possibly
commemorating a
marriage.
• Woman on right is
sacrificing at an
altar to a pagan
god.
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Discussion Questions
 Why are the wall paintings at Dura Europos
important to understanding the art of the Late
Antique (Roman) and Early Christian time
periods?
 What visual characteristics of earlier pagan
funerary art are seen in Christian art from this
period? Does the context change?
 What might one speculate as reasons for the
absence of a crucified Christ in Early Christian
art?
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