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Art History Unit 5: The Roman Empire

2 / 20 4th century CE. Catacomb of Santissimi Pietro e Marcellino, Rome Early example of Christian painting. Stylistically similar to Roman wall paintings of Pompeii, which Christian motifs.

The central figure is a shepherd and represents Jesus Christ.

3 / 20 Jacopo Grimaldi. Interior of Old St. Peter’s, Rome. 1619 Original building at St. Peter’s square, Vatican City. Early Christian Art such as this represents the

styles formulated in Rome and the West.

4 / 20 Old St. Peter’s, Rome. Basilica floor plan.

5 / 20 Interior (view through ambulatory into rotunda), Santa Costanza, Rome. ca. 350 CE

6 / 20 Santa Costanza, Rome. Central Floor Plan

7 / 20 Interior of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome. ca. 440–442 CE Interiors of Christian worship buildings were decorated using mosaic, which are small stones arranged into a picture.

The overall effect is a glittering jewel-box, one that symbolizes the divine..

8 / 20 The Parting of Lot and Abraham and Shepherds in a Landscape. Mosaic. ca. 432–440 CE

9 / 20 Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus. ca. 359 CE Commissioned for a prominent Roman official, this sarcophagus has the appearance of Ancient Roman Art sensibilities,

with representational, three-dimensional, human forms. Yet, the images all represent Christian stories from the Bible.

10 / 20 BYZANTINE Art: Exterior, San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy Byzantine is a style of early Christian art that derives its inspiration from Constantinople, and the church leaders from the east.

11 / 20 Interior (view from the apse), San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy

12 / 20 Emperor Justinian and His Attendants. ca. 547 CE Byzantine Art represents government leaders in Christian roles and motifs. Where in Rome,

the papacy controlled the Church, in Constantinople it was ruled by the Emperor and a Patriarch.

13 / 20 Empress Theodora and Her Attendants. ca. 547 CE

14 / 20 Exterior, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul The Hagia Sophia is a Byzantine Church originally built in Constantinople. It survived the Turkish invasions

that led to the fall of the Eastern Christian Empire, and was converted into a Mosque. Today, it is a museum.

15 / 20 Interior, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

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Jacob Wrestling the Angel. Page from the Vienna Genesis. Early sixth century CE

• Manuscript Illumination played a key role in Early Christians leaders ability

to teach the masses about Christian doctrine.

• These manuscripts are works of art, carefully and methodically crafted

using precious materials to express the utmost in beauty.

• Advancements in paper making during this time led to the discovery of

parchment, a paper made from animal hide and strong enough to bound into

books.

• The image on this page is a continuous narration, which means this one

picture represents the progression of the story as it travels along the road,

rather than one brief moment of time.

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Christ Icon. Sixth century CE

• Creating images of Christ during the Early Christian Age was controversial,

due to the 2nd Commandment, thou shall not worship idols.

• Idols represented the pagan Roman sculptures of the gods and goddesses.

• To resolve this issue, the image of Christ was controlled in order to

represent Him in one way, which is why these early images are so

recognizable today.

• The halo, the manuscript, the gesture of the hand are all symbols of

Christianity. These icons represent the Divine nature of Christ.

18 / 20 The Crucifixion. Late eleventh-century mosaic The crucifixion was another visual reference used in Early Christian Art.

19 / 20 Madonna Enthroned. Late thirteenth century Images of Mary, Mother of Christ, symbolizes her role as the Matriarch of Christianity.

20 / 20 Anastasis. ca. 1310–1320 CE Anastasis is another popular motif in early Christian Art. It represents the moment when Christ

releases Adam and Eve from their physical burial tombs so they can ascend to Heaven.

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