Review Outline

Early Europe and Colonial America

Late Antiquity
(29-526 CE)
2018-2019 edited June 29, 2018

Birth of Jesus 6-4 BCE

Death of Jesus 30-36 CE

Enduring Understanding
3-1. Art of this period studied in chronological order, geographical regions,
governing cultures, identifiable styles with considerable overlap in time,
geography, heritage of art; associated but distinctive artistic traditions
3-1. Numerous religions (Jewish, Christian, Islamic) and languages (Greek,
Latin, Arabic) have created fragmentations of medieval art

Essential Knowledge
• Influence of Roman art and tribes of Eastern Europe, West Asia,
Scandinavia, Islam
• Architecture is primarily religious in nature
• Figure work was primarily religious, avoided naturalism and
incorporated text until late medieval period
• 3-1a. Contextual information comes primarily from literary, theological
(secular and religious) records
• Overall, in Mediterranean region Christian themes proliferated after
Constantine converted the empire leading to established standards of
imagery (Christ) and building (basilica church). Classical style was
rejected in favor of non-naturalistic style with hieratical images that
brought focus on the spiritual as opposed to natural worlds

Geographic/Cultural Context

By end of Roman Empire a diverse populace had rejected polytheism

(multiple gods) in favor of monotheism (single god)
 Key!- Edict of Milan 313 declared end to official mistreatment of
Christians
Key!-325 Christianity became official religion of Roman Empire;
Constantine baptized at his death 337
Key!-476 the end of the Roman Empire (Romulus defeated in the
west due to Germanic invaders) which had a more intellectual, Greek
classical feeling to it. Eastern Empire more of a magical, mystical
focus-what we can’t understand. The empire in the east would last for
a 1000 more years ‘til 1453.
395 Roman Empire collapses; no longer under single ruler of east and
west
1453 Byzantine Empire falls to Ottoman Turks

• Military, political, economic weakening, plague

Judaism

Trace origin to Semitic people (the Hebrews) in Canaan eastern

Mediterranean
Forbade idol worship but did portray Jewish themes with Greek, Roman
qualities

Wall with Torah Niche, house synagogue, Dura Europos, Syria 244-245

Christianity

Christan belief - One God

• Three manifestations - father, son, holy ghost
• Story recorded in two books-New and Old Testaments
Recorded between 70-100 CE by 4 gospels-Matthew, Mark,
Luke, John
End with revelations-description of end of the world
Old Testament – the person and teachings of Jesus and the first
century of Christianity
New Testament – the giving of God’s law: creating the world,
people turning away from God, people coming back to God
• Keys to Christian worship
Miracle of God in Christ and salvation
 • Keys to Christian ritual
Bread and wine (symbolizing body and blood of Christ); at the
Eucharist (Holy Communion)
Ritual began in homes grew to large format and more formal
locations, such as churches and baptisteries

Christian Art

Earliest Christian art early 3rd century from Jewish, Roman tradition
(including art forms and styles). For example, figures with arms outstretched
Conveyed via:
• Narrative-story that contains moral, theological message
• Iconic-images that convey message
Both require some understanding/interpretation of
Christian teaching
Christ
• As young man spread gospel; then was executed by crucifixion; rose
from the dead after two days
• Earliest teaching was to Jews but spread to gentiles throughout Roman
Empire; rituals teachings became more elaborate

Little is known of Early Christian art – art with Christian subjects (vs. art by
Christians at the time of Jesus)
What is known was found in the catacombs-subterranean networks of
galleries, chambers that served as cemeteries for burying the Christian dead
Dated from 3rd – 4th centuries

Terms
Catacombs-subterranean networks of rock-cut galleries and chambers
designed as cemeteries for the burial of the dead
Syncretism-assimilation by artists of images from other religious traditions;
creation of new meanings assigned
Orant-figures that take pose of outstretched arms in prayer
Clerestory - the topmost zone of a wall with windows in a basilica
extending above the aisle roofs. Provides direct sunlight into the central
interior space (nave)
Mosaic-images made using small pieces of stone or glass embedded in
cement; usually on walls or floors
Illuminated Manuscripts-text with added decorative border, imagery and
lettering

Two basic church designs:

1) Basilica-plan church-a Christian church, rectangular in plan, and usually
entered from one end with an apse at the other
• Atrium-open colonnaded court in front of and attached to a
basilica
• Narthex- porch or vestibule of a church, precedes the nave
• Portal-entrance
• Nave-central area of church, demarcated from aisles by piers or
columns
• Apse- a recess, usually semi-circular or polygonal, in the wall of a
Roman basilica or at the east end of a church; contains the altar
• Transept-part of a church with an axis that crosses the nave at a
right angle
2) Central-plan church-a Christian church (often known as a Greek-cross
plan) with two similarly sized “arms” intersecting at their centers. Axis is
vertical
• Naos– a central room
• Ambulatory-ring like barrel vaulted corridor separated from
central domed cylinder by a dozen pairs of columns