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Chapter 14: Christian Art: From Catacombs to Cathedrals |
Head of Constantine Basilica of Constantine Emperor Justinian and Attendants |
EARLY CHRISTIAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE Christianity was a sect of Judaism. Because it is a messianic offshoot which believes that God came to earth in the guise of his Son, Jesus, there is a recognized visual form of God as Man. This allowed for images of "God" to be made in the likeness of Jesus. Visual forms became important in the development of the Christian Church.
Origen and Clement of Alexandria debated the issue of visual imagery in the Christian Church in the 3rd Century. Most of the resolutions which grew out of these debates regarded painting as being more appropriate for the Church. This was because painting was only an illusion of two-dimensional space and thus not a true representation of three-dimensional reality. -Early Christian period-@ 33-400 AD. Constantine made it acceptable with the Edict of Milan 313 AD, which stated that Rome would tolerate all religions
Symbolism
basilicas
Churches from this era had the apse end of the church facing east so that it would be illuminated in the morning during the Mass (worship service)
Old St. Peter's-Rome, Early Christian basilica, 333-390 JUSTINIAN AND THE BYZANTINE STYLE
San Vitale-540-547 AD, Ravenna, Italy, brick facing mosaics -were made up of small pieces of ceramic called tesserae
The Court of Justinian and the Court of Theodora-apse mosaics,
Hagia Sophia-Constantinople, 537 AD, |
NORTHERN EUROPEAN CHRISTIAN ART
Illuminated Manuscripts
Carolingian Period (under King Charlemagne-Holy Roman Empire) |
The Last Judgement |
ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE
-stylistic name, not historical period
Architecture
Sainte-Foy at Conques, in So. France, c. 1050-1120
Sculpture |
GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE
-primarily an architectural term
Saint-Denis (Notre Dame de Saint-Denis), begun 1137,
Chartres Cathedral (Notre Dame de Chartres), 1134-1220, 40 miles SW of Paris Amiens Cathedral, interior and Rheims sculptures |
Next study guide: Chapter 15 |
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