Early Christian and
Byzantine Art
Greeks, and especially Romans produced art that was very
realistic.
Remember the beauty of the Greek and Roman sculpture
Whereas, early Christian art was more
concerned with Symbolic Representation.
Early Christian Art 300AD1000AD
Three key points of Early Christian Art:
 Symbolic- express a religious thought or
idea
 Found on frescoed walls of catacombs
outside Rome
 Acceptance of the Christian religion created
a need for new architecture- starting in the
4th century
Catacombs
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The catacombs are the ancient
underground cemeteries, used by the
Christian and the Jewish communities,
above all at Rome. The Christian
catacombs, which are the most
numerous, began in the second
century and the excavating continued
until the first half of the fifth.
Christians did not want to cremate
their dead (as done by the Romans)
due to their belief in bodily
resurrection
In the beginning they were only burial
places. Here the Christians gathered to
celebrate their funeral rites, the
anniversaries of the martyrs and of the
dead.
http://www.catacombe.roma.it/en/storia.html
During the
persecutions
(until 313
A.D.), the
catacombs
were used
for refuges
for worship.
Frescos were
painted on
the ceilings
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Sarcophagus- A coffin, usually of stone, although
sometimes made of wood, metal, or clay. In ancient
times they were often decorated with carvings of the
deceased or with some religious or mythological subject.
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Constantine
Constantine was the first Roman ruler
to become a follower of the Christian
religion.
Before Constantine's reign Christians
were often punished for their religious
beliefs.
This changed when Constantine gave
religious freedom to all Christians
living in the Roman Empire. He also
allowed members of the Christian
Church to take part in the Roman
government. The new freedom of
worship helped spread Christianity
into many regions of Europe.
Arch of Constantine
Byzantine 324 C.E.
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The Byzantine Empire, founded when the capital
of the Roman Empire was transferred from Rome
to Constantinople (today Istanbul) in 324 CE.
Constantinople remained as the geographic and
symbolic center of this cultural and political sphere
until its conquest and collapse (1453).
With the edict of Milan, promulgated by the
emperors Constantine 313 CE, the Christians were
no longer persecuted. They were free to profess
their faith, to have places of worship and to build
churches both inside and outside the city, and to
buy plots of land, without fear of confiscation.
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The early churches were called basilicas.
San Piero a GradoPisa. Italy
Santa Costanza,
Rome, Italy ca 350
A basilica is an early type of Christian
cathedral or church. Basilicas have a very
open floor plan and high ceilings.
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Outside of the churches may appear plain
but they are filled with beautiful mosaics
(made of glass-tesserae)
Much of Byzantine architecture was created
to express religious experience and mediate
between the believer and God
Therefore a high ceiling stressed the
heavens above and created awe among it’s
viewers
Light was also an important feature
Gradually the exterior also became
imaginative with the onion-shaped domes of
Russian churches
The Byzantine tradition of art and
architecture lasted over 1000 years
Early St.
Peter’s
Below: reconstruction
drawing of St. Peter’s,
Rome c. 333-390 CE
plan of St. Peter’s, Rome
right: elevation of
interior of St. Peter’s
Rome.
St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, Rome, 385 C.E
-alter placed on the raised portion,
covered by a canopy of carved and
painted wood called a baldachin
-a triumphal arch separated nave
from the apse, symbolized the
victory of Christ over eternal death
-interior (symbolized richness of
spirit) highly decorated with
mosaics of coloured glass and
gold, and marble inlaid floors.
-eighty granite columns in four
rows direct the view to the
triumphal arch (also covered in
mosaics)
-exteriors –plain brick
Sculpture- not much was produced and
most have been destroyed
Archangel Michael -sixth century AD ,British
Museum, London
 Small ivory (42 cm)panel from a diptych.
Draped figure of an archangel standing with
orb in right hand, staff in left.
 Although the precision of the Archangel, his
classical robes and the architectural elements
framing the figure embody a focus on the
realism of antiquity.
 -the angel seems to hover over the staircase,
barely touching the stairs.
 Painstaking classical realism has been
abandoned in favour of added emphasis on
symbolism.
 -architectural setting is symbolic and
ornamental not realistic
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Golden Age Of Byzantine Art
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Hagia Sophia
(Church of the
Holy Wisdom)
Constantinople
(Istanbul), 532-537
AD
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Architects: Anthemius of
Tralles and Isidorus of
Miletus
http://www.mcah.columbia.edu/ha
/html/byzantine_turkey_hag_ahm_2.
htm
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pendentive - A concave, triangular piece of
masonry (a triangle section of a hemisphere),
four of which provide the transition from a
square area to the circular base
of a covering dome. Although
they appear to be hanging
(pendant) from the dome,
they in fact support it.
The architects devised a system
where arches were placed in
the four walls and the circle of
the dome rests on the four
arches, a pendentives is formed
in the four corners. The
massive weight of the dome is
supported by this spherical
triangle, which transfers the
thrust to the four huge piers
that support it.
St. Marks –Venice-began 1063
•This is the largest and most lavish decorated church in the Second
Golden Age
•It was built to hold the body of St. Mark
•It is based on a typical Greek cross plan
•Each arm has a dome of it’s own
•The exterior has many mosaics
Fethiye Camii (Church of Pammakaristos),
Interior view, ca. 1100, Istanbul (Turkey)
 http://www.mcah.columbia.edu/ha/related_site
s/fethiye_camii_360/html/1.html
http://www.mcah.columbia.edu/ha/related_sites/fethiye_camii_360/index.html
Byzantine art
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Byzantine art was very religious. Most Byzantine art was created
for the Eastern Orthodox Church. Much Byzantine art was made
by servants of the courts or members of religious orders. Most
of these artists remained anonymous.
Mosaics and Fresco paintings covered the domes of many
churches. They were often made of precious materials such as
lapis lazuli, gold and silver. Byzantine artists had to follow many
rules about subject matter, content, and form. Symbolic
representation was very important in Byzantine art. The subjects
appear flat and fairly abstract compared to the liveliness and
individualism of Western art because Byzantine artists used little
shading or other techniques that would have made their subjects
more lifelike.
Mosaics
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Conveyed messages of salvation through mosaics
They achieved an incredible degree of expressiveness in
this medium
Roman mosaics were made of polished, coloured stone,
but Byzantine mosaics were made of brightly coloured
glass (tesserae) pressed into wet plaster
The glass pieces were set on a slight angle to reflect the
light.
Green and gold are used most often, but there are also
scarlets, purples and blues
The Emperor Justinian and his Attendants
The Empress Theodora and her Attendants,
c. 547 AD, mosaic, Ravenna,
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These mosaics are
companion panels of
depicting the Emperor
Justinian and his Attendants,
and Empress Theodora and
her attendants. Both are
located in the apse, which
flanks the altar, of the church
of San Vitale.
Lots of gold glass tesserae.
 They portray the emperor
and empress as semi-divine
rulers bringing gifts at the
dedication of San Vitale
(The figures are stiff and
stylized, including: full
frontal viewpoints,
elongation of the figure, and
stylization of faces with
large eyes and almond shape
faces, and decorative
costumes.
 Strong use of symbolismbread and wine of
Eucharist. Halo to show
that Justinian is God’s holy
representative on earth and
therefore holy himself.
Mosaic-A picture or design made of tiny pieces (called tesserae) of
coloured stone, glass, tile or paper adhered to a surface. It is typically
decorative work for walls, vaults, ceilings or floors, the tesserae set in
plaster or concrete.
Mosiacs of Hagia Sophia
 The mosaic were scrapped off the wall and covered
with plaster by the Moslems when the converted the
church into a mosque.
 This was due to the fact their
religion does not permit likenesses
of people
 Some mosaics have been uncovered
 Also the Iconoclastic Controversy
happened in the Christian religion
as well for over for over 100 years
(725 to 842 CE) and no art was produced in this
period. After this period we have the second Golden
Age of Byzantine. The plans of churches were based on
the Greek cross, such a St. Marks’ discussed before .
Painting in the Middle Ages
Christ Icon, St. Catherine’s
Monastery, c. 6th cent. CE, Sinai,
Egypt.
They had a strong tradition of painting
 Most paintings were icons (religious
images) painted on wooden panels.
 Often used as worship centers in home
 The interiors of the churches also were
decorated with icons.
 Byzantine painting was colourful and
emotional.
 Artists used egg tempera as their medium
 Figures were painted against a brilliant gold
background
 Triptych (three hinged pieces) Diptych
(two hinged pieces) were examples of the
portable art of the Byzantine era
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Enthroned Madonna and
Child (13th century)(131
x77 cm)
Typical of Byzantine style
The Madonna floats rather
than sits on her throne.
The Christ child seems to be
resting securely on her arm.
Meaning and emotion are
more important than the
depiction of reality.
The use of gold backgrounds
heightens the effect of
otherworldliness and
transcendence
National Gallery of Canada
Jacopo di Cione
Ugolino di Nerio
Triptych of the Virgin and St. Anne and the
Child Enthroned with
Infant Virgin (1330
Saints (1370 - 1380 )
- 1335 )
Migration Art
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ornamental metalwork,
usually pins to hold
garments, often inlaid
with precious stones
Purse Cover (7th
century)-garnets, glass,
enamel and goldgeometric on top- man
between two beasts and
eagles seizing two ducks
Illuminated Manuscript?
The term “manuscript” translates from Latin as “made by
hand”. Illumination comes from the Latin word “illuminare”
meaning “light up”.
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These “illuminated” manuscripts
were so called because of their
frequent incorporation of gold or
sometimes silver leaf onto the
page.
Decoration with drawings, usually
in gold, silver, and rich colors,
especially in the initial letters of
manuscripts, particularly those
done during the Middle Ages. A
manuscript, produced during the
Middle Ages, in which the pages
are decorated this way. Often these
manuscripts contain small pictures
known as illuminations or
miniatures.
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Christian faith was bound
by the authority of sacred
writings, and it placed
increasing importance on
the production of books
and their illumination.
Some fragments of the
biblical text, written in
silver and gold on purple
vellum and sumptuously
illuminated, are still
preserved). Foremost of
these is the Vienna
Genesis, a manuscript of
the first half of the 6th
cent.
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German, Hildesheim, ca. 1170
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1407AD Latin Bible from Belgium
Medieval Scribes
Gothic
European Gothic 1200-1400
Europe
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Peace between England and France
Intermarriage of various royal families
Popes victory over the Holy Roman Empire
13th century culturally belonged to France
Gothic Architecture- Chartes and Riems
Gothic Style
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Gothic art is a term given to an art period that flourished in
Europe during the late medieval period, early in the twelfth
century. Originating from the Ilse-du France (the area now
known as Paris) Gothic art followed the Romanesque time
period and eventually spread across most of Europe before
being succeeded by the Renaissance.
Architecture dominates Gothic art and is particularly
associated with cathedrals and other churches. Throughout this
time period, there is a gradual shift from architecture to sculpture
and painting.
Chatres Cathedral
Pointed Spires- element of Gothic
Architecture
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Unified- but it took 4 centuries to build
West towers similar but different( built
50 years apart)
Huge and important to community
Flying buttresses eliminated the need
for heavy solid Romanesque walls
allowed for huge window walls of stain
glass-situated along the clerestory levelwondrous effect
sculpture faced the outside worldclustered around entrance ways- 2000
carved figures
Gothic style
ARCHITECTURE:
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Gothic cathedrals are
generally very large to portray the
greatness of God and the
magnitude of the world, also
making the viewer feel very small.
There is an emphasis on
verticality suggesting an
aspiration to Heaven or the gods.
New advances in building
technology made these huge
cathedrals possible. It is easily
identifiable because of its unique
vocabulary:
Riems 2011- CB Exchange trip
 pointed arches,
 ribbed vaults,
 flying buttresses,
 cluster piers,
 stained glass windows.
Rose Window and Stain Glass
ribbed vaults
Notre
Dame
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France, 1163
continued 100 years
never completedtwo front towers
were suppose to be
bases for two
impressive spires
•pointed arches
•ribbed vaults
•big clerestory windows
•heavy columns seem Romanesque- visual
rhythm
•huge rose window
•delicate tower at crossing
Flying Buttresses
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Chartes cathedral
the thrust of the vault
transferred to flying arches
to massive towers outside
the building- eliminating
need for heavy thick walls
Notre Dame
Notre Dame- Rose Window
Rose window: A large round window on the west
façade or transept, containing tracery that became
more elaborate as the Gothic era progressed. Usually
placed over the main door. Beautiful examples occur at
Notre-Dame in Paris and Chartres.
Stained Glass
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Stained glass: Colored windows of
Gothic cathedrals made from a
combination of many pieces of colored
and semi-transparent white glass joined
together with lead strips. Colors were
generated by adding specific metal
oxides, which illuminated the glass
with bright red, blue, green, and yellow
tones. The function of stained glass
was to fill the cathedral with light in
windows which also fulfilled a narrative
and illustrative purpose, in representing
Biblical events and the lives of saints.
Patrons and workers guilds who helped
fund the construction of the cathedral
were also portrayed
Gothic style on stained glass windows was
increasing. Stained glass became a narrative
medium, and church windows, and were a ready
source of instruction for the illiterate
population.
Pointed Arches
Notre Dame
Chartes
Arch: Curved masonry construction that spans
an opening such as a portal or window. Pointed
arches were a feature of the Gothic era, that
evolved from the round Romanesque arches.
Allowed for greater height and more open areachanged thrust of vault to a more vertical
direction
Gargoyles: A water sprout terminating
in a grotesquely carved figure of a
human or animal, and projecting from
the gutter of a cathedral such as NotreDame in Paris.
In fact, gargoyles are the little, vaguely-tube-shaped sculptures that direct rainwater away from
the cathedral; they are everywhere on the structure, sticking straight out from the building (in
order to throw rainwater as clear of the cathedral as possible).
Chimeras (sometimes referred to as a "Grotesque". , in contrast to Gargoyles,
are grotesque sculptures that combine the body parts of several different
animals and are intended for decoration only; the sculptures shown in this
picture are thus chimeras, not gargoyles.
This is the gallery that
connects the two
towers of NotreDame Cathedral. It is
visible from the ground
as the highest gallery
connecting the two
towers on the facade
of the cathedral
Where are these gargoyles and
Grotesques?
Continuation of Gothic Architecture
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Leadership in
Architecture goes from
France to England
Also non religious
architecture- remarkable
roof carpentryWestminster Hall-13941400
PAINTING
•Illuminated manuscripts
•Literacy
•Guild
•Frescos
•Panel paintings
Limbourg Brothers (1412-16)
Simone Martini (1285-1344)
Preoccupation with mortality
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Obviously after the
plague
Great masterpieces
belong to this -Cult of
the Dead-especially
Rhineland (Germany)
Flanders, and Burgundy
Forbidding themes of
Judgement, Evil
Conscience and Death
Book of Hours- France
"The Three Living and the Three
Dead"
Medieval depiction of the plague
episode of A.D 1346 [The Black
Death]
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More Book of Hours
Began by brothers Limbourg for the Duke of Berry 1n 1413 and left incomplete in 1416 due to their death- the
Dukes castle is seen in the September page. France was known for their magnificiant castles
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Italy was prosperous due to trade- cross over
form Gothic to Renaissance
Cimabue Gothic-Madonna of
Sana Trinita-1200
Giotto 1310- Grandfather of the
Renaissance
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Martini-The Angel of the Annunciation
after 1339
Martini-The Carrying of the Cross
1325-35
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Guidoriccio da Fogliano—emotional range- in
recognition of his victories over the Florentineshe is isolated in the barren and unpeopled
landscape