Important Concepts You MUST Know About Section 7: The Shift From ‘Realism’ to ‘Religion’ After the Fall of the Western (Roman Empire), the style of art.

BYZANTINE ART

Important Concepts You MUST Know About Section 7:

The Shift From ‘Realism’ to ‘Religion’

After the Fall of the Western (Roman Empire), the style of art changed dramatically. Creating ideals proportions took a backseat to teaching the narratives and symbolism of Christianity.

The Parts of the Christian Churches

The terminology of the churches is used throughout the AP Test. Know all of the terms associated with this presentation.

Central Plan vs. Basilica Plan

Originally, there were two basic types of Christian Church plans. Knowing these plans (and why they were designed as such) should aid you in learning how the needs of Christianity affected these layouts.

Late Antiquity / Early Christian

1. 330 - Constantine moved his capital to Byzantium and renamed it CONSTANTINOPLE. Most pieces of Jewish Art were destroyed, and the Jewish people often faced special taxes, restrictions and even persecution.

2. 395 - The Roman Empire split permanently by Emperor Theodosius I into two parts:

1. The WESTERN EMPIRE (Roman)

2. The EASTERN EMPIRE (Byzantine)

3. 410 - Rome is sacked by the Visigoths.

4. 476 - Romulus Augustulus, the last Western Roman emperor, is deposed by the German Odoacer.

5. 527 - Justinian becomes Eastern Roman emperor. Constantinople covers eight square miles (Manhattan covers twenty-two square miles) with at least 500,000 inhabitants.

6. 532 37 - Justinian builds the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

7. 726 - Byzantine Emperor Leo III orders all icons in the Byzantine Empire destroyed.

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Jewish synagogues contained almost no representational sculpture because Jewish law forbade praying to images or idols. Decorative paintings and mosaics were displayed on walls to denote religious concepts. Synagogue Floor, from Maon, Jerusalem. c 530.


Narthex

Side Aisles

Clerestory

Nave

Apse

Triforium

BASILICA-PLAN CHURCH (West)

See Santa Sabina


CENTRAL-PLAN CHURCH (East)

See Hagia SophiaNarthex

Side Aisles

Naos

Apse

Exedrae


Santa Sabina, Rome, c422-432 AD EARLY CHRISTIAN






Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, c425-26 AD EARLY CHRISTIAN






Map showing collapse of Western Empire and Justinian’s reign


1. When Emperor Justinian decide to build a church in Constantinople (the greatest city in the world for 400 years), he wanted to make it as grand as his empire.

2. He assigned the task to two mathematicians, Anthemius and Isidorus. They created theHagia Sophia (“Holy Wisdom”)

3. Nearly 3 football fields long, and the dome is 180 in diameter! This architectural feat was accomplished with the use of pendentives.

Hagia Sophia, 532-537, Istanbul, Turkey. Byzantine


Hagia Sophia, 532-537, Istanbul, Turkey. Byzantine



Large, decorated pendentives inside the Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia, 532-537Istanbul, Turkey. Byzantine

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d7/AyasofyaPendentive.jpg

Suleyman Mosque

Mosque of Selim II


San Vitale

Commissioned by Bishop Ecclesius when Italy was still under Ostrogothic rule, but only completed after Justinian’s conquest of Ravenna.

Octagonal-shaped building with exedrae that extend out from the building.

Most notable is the interior…

Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, c547.

Late Antiquity / Early ChristianLate Antiquity / Early Christian

Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, c547.

Late Antiquity / Early ChristianLate Antiquity / Early Christian

Emperor Justinian and his Attendants, Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, c547.


Empress Theodora and her Attendants, Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, c547.


Rebecca at the Well, from the Book of Genesis, Gold and Tempera on Purple-Dyed Vellum. Early 6th Centruy


Icons were items used as vehicles for prayer to God. Among some of the finest were images of Virgin Mary, known as Theotokos (bearer of God). She was also known as the Seat of Wisdom, often holding a baby Jesus in her lap.

During the iconoclasm of the 8th century, most icons like this were destroyed, but a few like this in Mount Sinai, Egypt, survived.

Virgin and Child with Saints and Angels, icon, Late 6th Century.

Sculpture Sarcophagus with philosopher,Rome, Italy, ca 270

Early Christian

Jesus is represented by two figures on the right, the small child being baptized and the Shepherd to his left. The future ministry of Jesus is represented by the turned head of the young boy to the Shepherd and by the placement of his hand on one of the sheep.

This is Jesus as a child receiving a baptism in the River Jordan even though he was baptized at age thirty.

Baptism was significant in the early centuries of Christianity because so many adults were converted to the new faith in this manner.

Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, c 359. EARLY MEDIEVAL Two registers, 10 panels of OLD and NEW Testament scenes…

Christ is depicted in center with Roman themes.

Miracle of the loaves and fishes, Mosaic from the top register of the nave wall (above the clerestory windows) or St’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, c504. Early Christian

Ivory CarvingSuicide of Judas and Crucifixion of Christ,

plaque from a casket, ivory, ca 420

The narrative on the box begins with Pilate washing his hands, Jesus carrying the cross on the road to Calvary, and the denial of Peter, all compressed into a single panel.

The plaque that is illustrated here is the next in the sequence and shows, at the left, Judas hanging from a tree with his open bag of silver dumped on the ground beneath his feet. the Crucifixion is at the right. The Virgin Mary and Joseph are to the left of the cross.

On the other side Longinus thrusts his spear into the side of the "King of the Jews."

The two remaining panels show two Marys and two soldiers at the open doors of a tomb with an empty coffin and the doubting Thomas touching the wound of the risen Christ.

The figure of Christ does not appear to be in pain because he is displayed on the cross, rather than hung from it, as though he has conquered death and does not suffer.

The contrast of Jesus whose body remains strong on the cross contrasts with the body of his betrayer, Judas, hanging from a tree with a limp body and a snapped neck. Visually and symbolically, this image was meant to show Jesus as a strong leader and not prone to pain or complete death.

Important Concepts You MUST Know About Section 7: The Shift From ‘Realism’ to ‘Religion’ After the Fall of the Western (Roman Empire), the style of art.

Documents

ad early christian slide

late antiquity

christian narthex

christian churches

christian map

christian santa sabina

santa sabina slide

justinians reign slide