Art history Visual (Formal) Analysis Paper

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Art History 131

Early Christian

Map of Early Christian influence
c. 600 CE

Timeline:
History of Early Christianity

Early Christian
(c. 325-550 CE)

catacombs:
era: “Period of Persecution”
function: burial rite
theme: eternal life
significance: new symbolic content
great circle  Dome of Heaven
Cross  basic symbol of faith
Christ the Good Shepherd
gesture  “orant”
figures: modeling resembles Roman prototypes
composition: compartmentalized & simplified

“The Good Shepherd”
Catacomb of Saints Peter & Marcellinus
c. 325 CE

Early Christian

sculpture
secondary role
biblically prohibited by Second Commandment
no “cult” statues
freestanding objects linked w/ false gods of pagans
scale: anti-monumental
monumental scale increasingly uncommon
shallow spatial depth
lacelike surface decoration
sarcophogus:
forms: evolved from pagan sarcophagi
function: funerary resting place for important members of Christian Church
style: superimposed Classicism
doll-like bodies
large heads
themes:
broad range of Old & New Testament
passive scenes calling for dramatic action

Sarcophagus of the Good Shepherd
(c. 350 CE)

(top) Roman Late Empire Ludovisi Sarcophagus (c. 250 CE)
vs.
(bottom) Early Christian Sarcophagus of the Good Shepherd
(c. 350 CE)

Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus
(c. 350 AD)

Early Christian:
sculpture

Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus
patron: senator
history: originally placed in or under Old St. Peter's Basilica
rediscovered in 1597
relief: high
iconography:
embraces Old and New Testaments
composition:
two (2) registers
five compartments each
each framed by columns
narratives:
Christ placed at center of each register
enthroned in heaven
sits above personification of sky god

Early Christian:
sculpture

Christ as the Good Shepherd
date: c. 350 CE
scale: approx. 3’
iconography: appropriated from pagan Mediterranean
aesthetic: Classical
pose: contrapposto
drapery: naturalistic
Roman tunic & sandals
falls according to laws of gravity
clings to body; reveals weight, mass & volume of figure

Early Christian Good Shepherd (c. 350 CE)
vs.
Archaic Greek Calf-Bearer (c. 550 BCE)

Christ as the Good Shepherd
from the Mausoleum Galla Placidia
(c. 425-50 CE)

Detail from mosaic of
Christ as the Good Shepherd

Early Christian:
mosaic

The Parting of Lot & Abraham
date: c. 450 CE
site: nave of Sta. Maria Maggiore (Rome)
subject: OT (Genesis)
composition:
cleaved along CVA
figural groupings assigned by shorthand device of “head cluster”
narrative: assisted by gesture, glance & simplified motion
poses: attempt @ contrapposto

Early Christian:
Illuminated Manuscripts

role:
disseminating religious imagery
models for wall paintings
derived from mosaics

material: parchment (vellum) vs. papyrus

form: “codex”
strong enough to be creased w/out breaking
replaced the roll
permitted use of rich colors, including gold

Early Christian: Illuminated Manuscripts
Vatican Vergil
(c. 425 CE)

Early Christian:
illuminated manuscripts

Rosanno Gospel (c. 500 CE)
significance: earliest preserved illuminated NT book
medium: silver ink on purple dyed parchment
iconography: canon established
Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus
event reported by all four Canonical Gospels
composition: bifurcated
givided by ground line(s)
above apse-like form
below  Jesus vs. Barabbas
figures: Classically formulated
vividly gesturing
attempts at “contrapposto”
color: vibrant, harmonious, & complimentary

“Jacob Wrestling the Angel”
from the Vienna Genesis
(c. 500 CE)

Early Christian

Old St. Peter’s (c. 350 CE)
site: Rome
form: basilica
plan: longitudinal realignment
elements:
atrium  open court in front of church
narthex  entrance hall
transept  crossing placed at right angles to nave
apse  singular, rather than multiple
nave  central longitudinal area
aisles  on either side of nave

Plans for basilicas:
Early Christian vs. Roman Late Empire

Plan & Elevation
Early Christian
Old St. Peter’s Basilica

Early Christian:
Architecture

Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo
date: c. 550 CE
site: Ravenna, Italy
patron: Theodoric the Great
era: Period of Recognition
plan: basilica
lacks a transept
tower added during later period
interior: decorative scheme (preserved)
mosaics of lateral walls
twenty-four (24) columns w/ simplified Corinthian capitals
exterior: opposite of Classical temple
plain brick & unadorned
only a shell shoe shape reflects interior space

Comparison of plans:
(left) Old St. Peter’s Basilica vs. (right) S. Apollinare

Interior (nave and apse)
of Sant’ Apollinare
c. 550 CE

Early Christian: mosaic

Sant’ Apollinare (con’t.)
element:: apse
frames the altar
drenched w/ light
choir windows
clerestory
medium: mosaic
effect: utmost richness
shimmering light
brilliant glitter
iconography:
Christ as Good Shepherd
Cross  not a Crucifixion scene
twelve (12) sheep
NT  disciples
OT  tribes of Israel

Early Christian:
architecture

Santa Costanza (c. 350 CE)
site: Rome
patron: Constantine
form: circular
plan: centralized
elements:
cupola (dome)
22.5 m diameter
supported by twelve (12) pairs of double columns
clerestory
paired columns (w/ Corinthian capitals)
ambulatory
ring-shaped, vaulted aisle
encircles central space (nave)
decorated w/ mosaics

Santa Costanza
Elevation & Plan
c. 350 CE

Santa Costanza (con’t.)
ground plan:
narthex (entrance)
ambulatory
double columns (Corinthian)
Aisle

elevation:
cupola
clerestory
ambulatory
narthex

Interior of Santa Costanza:
double columns & barrel vaulting of ambulatory

Vintage mosaic
vaulted ambulatory
Santa Costanza

IMAGE INDEX

Slide 2: Map of Early Christian influence c. 600 CE
Slide 3: Timeline of Early Christian history.
Slide 5: Catacomb of SS. Pietro e Marcellino (4th century CE), Painted ceiling, Rome, Italy.
Slide 7: Jesus the Good Shepherd (mid-3rd century CE), marble, height 39 in., Vatican Museums, Rome.
Slide 8: Comparison between (left) Early Christian Good Shepherd (c. 350 CE); and (right) Archaic Greek Calf-Bearer (c. 575 BCE).
Slide 9: Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus (c. 350 CE), marble, 3’ 10 1/2” x 8’, Museo Storico del Capitolino di S. Pietro, Rome.
Slide 10: Detail from Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus.
Slide 11: Jesus the Good Shepherd (mid-3rd century CE), Marble, height 39”, Vatican Museums, Rome, Italy.

IMAGE INDEX

Slide 12: (Top) Late Roman Empire Sarcophagus of Ludovisi (c. 250 CE); and (bottom) Early Christian Jesus the Good Shepherd (c. 350 CE)
Slide 13: Good Shepherd (c. 425-50 CE), mosaic, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy.
Slide 14: Detail of head of Christ from Good Shepherd mosaic at Mausoleum of Galla Placidia.
Slide 15: The Parting of Lot and Abraham (c. 430 CE), mosaic, Sta. Maria Maggiore, Rome.
Slide 17: Miniature, from the Vatican Vergil (early 5th century CE), Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Rome.
Slide 18: “Christ before Pilate,” folio 8 verso of the Rossano Gospels (c. early sixth century), Tempera on purple vellum, 11 x 10 ¼ in., Museo Diocesano d’Arte Sacra, Rossano.

IMAGE INDEX

Slide 19: “Jacob Wrestling the Angel,” from the Vienna Gospel (early 6th century AD), tempera and silver on dyed vellum, 13 ¼ x 9 ½ in., Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna.
Slide 20: Reconstruction drawing of elevation section of Old St. Peter’s.
Slide 21: Aerial view of S. Apollinare (c. 550 AD), in Classe, Ravenna, Italy.
Slide 22: Comparison between (left) Early Christian plan of Old St. Peter’s and (right) plan of S. Apollinare.
Slide 23: Interior (view toward apse), S. Apollinare.
Slide 24: Mosaic in apse at S. Apollinare.

IMAGE INDEX

Slide 25: Exterior view of Sta. Constanza (c. 350 CE), Rome.
Slide 26: Plan and elevation of Sta. Constanza.
Slide 27: Interior of Sta. Constanza.
Slide 28: Vintage mosaic in vaulted ambulatory at Santa Costanza.
Slide 29: Plan of Old St. Peter’s
Slide 30: Comparison between (left) plan of Old St. Peter’s (begun c. 333 CE) and (right) plan of the Basilica of Constantine (c. 300 CE).