History of Art – Chapter 8 – Earlly Jewish, Christian and
Byzantine Art.
·
Byzantine – The Eastern Roman empire.
·
Jews were a Semetic people descended from the
ancient Hebrews.
·
Christians were persecuted by the Romans until
300 C.E.
o
Until Constantine.
o
Constantine:
§
Promoted Christianity.
§
Placed himself as head of the church and the
state.
o
This was the fusion of the Christians and Romans
that would affect all of European history.
o
Led to the division of the
§
Western or Catholic Church and
§
Eastern Orthodox Church.
·
Distinctions in Art
o
Early Christian – Any art produced within five
centuries of Jesus’s birth.
o
Byzantine – Art form the Eastern Empire, and a
specific culture and style linked to the imperial court of Constantinople.
o
Constantinople being Rome’s counterpart in the
east.
·
Early Christian Art
o
Concentrated on symbolic representation, using
physical means to express a spiritual essence.
o
Stylized and abstracted art forms of the late
Roman empire into a visual language that could express spirituality and secular
power.
·
Constantine marks the beginning of the middle
ages while the renaissance marks it end.
·
Early Jewish Art:
o
Jewish and Christian art affected each other.
o
Each seem to be interested and stimulated by the
other.
o
Both Jewish and Christian art developed within
the Roman environment and culture.
o
237.
·
Wall paintings/murals
o
Illustrate scenes from the Hebrew Bible (237).
o
Floor mosaics – reminiscent of Roman mosaic
work.
·
Early Christian Art
o
Christian art before Constantine.
o
Roman Catacombs – the only sizable body of
material to study earliest Christian art.
o
Can reflect roman style of painting and murals.
§
Use of linear devices to separate scenes
§
Differed in that the Christian works were from
less natural observation.
§
Portrayed scenes of Jesus.
§
Used Jewish and Pagan culture to dominate and
supplant it.
o
Played a secondary role.
§
Moved away from spatial depth and naturalism in
an effort to stay away from creating false idols.
o
Lots of references to the good shepherd and Adam
and Eve.
§
Indicate a general concern with issues of death
and retribution, resurrection and salvation. 245.
o
The rise of Christian churches occurred after
Constantine’s official recognition of the church.
o
A clear shift to the glorify god.
o
The basilica became the basic model for the church.
§
They design the romans used worked, but had to
be redesigned.
§
A fusion of Roman and Christianity.
§
The alter became the focal point.
o
Constantine continued to follow Roman imperial
traditions, even thought he practiced Christianity.
§
He selected spots important to Jesus’s life and
buildings were constructed with heavy Roman influence.
o
Christian Mosaic pieces were made of glass that
had more brilliance as they reflected light and many more colors, including
gold, were possible.
o
** 248 The challenge of inventing a body of
Christian imagery produced and extraordinary creative outpouring.
§
Large Pictorial styles were selected from the
Hebrew and Christian Bibles.
o
*** 249 Books were held in esteem as early
Christians considered themselves people of the books.
§
Books would become critical in Christianity.
§
Valuing books would were traits shared by Hebrew
and Muslim faith.
o
*** 250 – Images of Christ were removed from
naturalism as he was represented as being human and of spirit, living beyond
this world.
o
*** Note
§
The Greeks celebrated virtue.
§
The Romans celebrated action and achievement.
§
The Christians represented salvation.
o
Large wall depictions could have come from
illustrated bibles and books.
§
This may account for some similarity.
o
Judaism and Christianity were based on the Word
of God as revealed in the Bible. 252
o
Vellum Codex replaced Papyrus.
§
Allowed for rich colors and pigments.
·
Byzantine Art
o
Not a lot of difference between Western and
Eastern early Christian art.
o
However, between 527-565, the Western Empire
declined and Constantinople became the cultural and political center.
§
Western art were dominated by Celtic and
Germanic peoples.
§
Eastern did not have that break.
o
Sculptures consist mainly of reliefs in ivory
and silver.
§
Reminiscent of classical ivories.
§
Hellenistic aspects of Winged Victories from
detail in the robes.
o
Icons
§
Jesus, Madonna, and saints were objects of
personal and public veneration.
§
They were considered portraits.
·
There was concern about hem being considered
idols, again the second commandment, and attributing power to them.
·
Again, the portrayal of Christ as both God and
Man.
·
These became the originals in which many, many
copies were made.
·
Icons functioned as living images to instruct
and inspire the worshiper. *** 263
o
Iconoclastic Controversy
§
726 ce and lasted over 100 years.
§
Huge feud over the representation of icons as a
form idolatry.
§
Lots of destruction of works.
§
Wanted only to use symbols, plants and animals
to project Christianity.
·
Middle Byzantine art
o
There was a rapid recovery from the iconoclastic
Controversy.
§
Also a return to secular art.
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