CHAPTER 8: Jewish, Early Christian and Byzantine Art
Key Works
West wall of Dura Europos synagogue, c. 245
Moses Giving Water to the Twelve Tribes of Israel, detail of the west wall of the Dura Europos
synagogue
Christ as the Good Shepherd, catacomb of Priscilla, Rome, 2nd–3rd century
Good Shephard, Vatican Museum, Rome, c. A.D. 300
Early Christian sarcophagus, Santa Maria Antiqua, Rome, 4th century
Christos-Helios, from the Christian Mausoleum of the Julii under Saint Peter’s necropolis,
Rome, mid-3rd century
Saint Paul outside the Walls, Rome, begun A.D. 385
Interior of Santa Costanza, Rome, c. 350
The ambulatory ceiling of Santa Costanza, Rome, c. 350
Exterior of the mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, c. 425–426
Interior of the mausoleum of Galla Placidia showing niche with two apostles and the Saint
Lawrence mosaic, Ravenna, c. 425–426
Christ as the Good Shepherd, the mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, c. 425–426
Detail of geometric border from the mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, c. 425–426
Exterior of San Vitale, Ravenna, 540–547
Interior of San Vitale looking east toward the apse, Ravenna
Ceiling of the sanctuary, San Vitale, c. 547
Detail of a capital, San Vitale, c. 540
Apse mosaic, San Vitale, c. 547
Court of Justinian, apse mosaic, San Vitale, c. 547
Court of Theodora, apse mosaic, San Vitale, c. 547
Theodora, detail of Court of Theodora, apse mosaic, San Vitale, c. 547
The throne of Maximian, 543–553, Ravenna
Two Evangelists, from the front of the throne of Maximian
Exterior of Hagia Sophia, Constantinople (now Istanbul), completed 537
View of the interior of Hagia Sophia, by Louis Haghe from an original drawing by Chevalier
Caspar Fussati
Detail of arcade spandrels and capital, Hagia Sophia
The Transfiguration, mosaic of the monastery on the slopes of Mount Saint Catherine, Sinai
peninsula, Egypt, c. 550–565
Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife, from the Vienna Genesis, early 6th century
Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints Felix and Augustus, Commodilla catacomb, Rome, 528
Young Woman with a Stylus, Pompeii, 1st century A.D.
Saint Peter, Church of Saint Catherine’s monastery, Mount Sinai, Egypt
Monastery churches of Hosios Loukas, Greece, c. 1020
Virgin and Child Enthroned, church of Hosios Loukas, Greece, c. 1020
Crucifixion, Katholikon, Hosios Loukas, Greece, c. 1020
Harrowing of Hell, Katholikon, Hosios Loukas, Greece, c. 1020
Central dome and apse, Katholikon, Hosios Loukas, Greece, c. 1020
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Pantokrator, from the abbey church of Monreale, Palermo, before 1183
Christ, detail of a deësis mosaic, Hagia Sophia, 13th century
Andrei Rublev, Old Testament Trinity, early 15th century
Barma and Postnik, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow, 1554–1560
Maps, Diagrams, and Projections
Plan of Old Saint Peter’s basilica, Rome, 333–390
Reconstruction diagram of the nave of Old Saint Peter’s basilica
Cross-section and plan of the martyrium of Santa Costanza, Rome, c. 350
Plan and section of San Vitale
Map of the Byzantine Empire under Justinian I, A.D. 565
Plan, section, and axonometric projection of Hagia Sophia
Domes, pendentives, and squinches
Diagram of an Ionic capital and the architrave
Plan of the monastery churches of Hosios Loukas (after Diehl), Greece, c. 1020
Key Terms
aisle
ambulatory
axonometric projection
baptistry
blind niche
catacomb
centrally planned
clerestory
cloisonné
codex, codices
cruciform
decussis
deësis
diptych
gable
gallery
Greek cross
horror vacuui
icon
iconoclasm
iconography
Latin cross
mandorla
martyrium
mausoleum
minaret
mosque
narthex
nave
orant
parchment
pendentive
polyptych
repoussé
screen wall
squinch
tessera, tesserae
transept
vellum
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Window on the World
Developments in Buddhist Art
(1st–7th century A.D.)
Key Works
Chaitya hall, Karli, Maharashtra, India, c. 50–70 A.D.
Interior of Santa Sabina, Rome, 423–432
Mithuna from the façade of the chaitya hall, Karli, Maharashtra, India, c. 50–70 A.D.
Preaching Buddha, from Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India, c. 475
The Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra, India, c. 450–500
Chaitya hall entrance, Ajanta Cave 19, Maharashtra, India, c. 450–500
Chaitya hall interior, Ajanta Cave 19, Maharashtra, India, c. 450–500
Prince Distributing Alms, Ajanta Cave 17, Maharashtra, India, c. 450–500
Padmapani, Ajanta Cave 1, Maharashtra, India, c. 450–500
Yakshī from the east torana at Sanchi, Shunga and early Andhra periods, 1st century B.C.
Worship of the Buddha, Ajanta Cave 10, Maharashtra, India, c. 450–500
Colossal Buddha, Cave 20, Yungang, Shaanxi Province, China, c. 460–490
Vairochana Buddha, Longmen Caves, Hunan Province, China, 672–675
Buddha with Disciples, Pinyang Cave, Longmen, Hunan Province, China, early 6th century
Vairochana Buddha, Longmen Caves, Hunan Province, China, 672–675
Maps, Diagrams, and Projections
Map of South Asia
Plan and section of the chaitya hall, Karli, Maharashtra, India
Plan of the Ajanta Cave complex, Maharashtra, India, c. 450–500
Key Terms
abhaya mudrā
bhūmisparsha mudrā
chaitya arch, chaitya hall
crypt
mithuna
tribhanga
veranda
vihāra
Videos
Beyond the Classical: Byzantine and Later Greek Art
25 min., FFHS
Buddhism
26 min., FFHS
Facade of Power (Russian architecture)
60 min., Home Vision
Faces of Compassion / The Art of Contemplation (2 vols.) (Buddhist art)
53 min., MFA
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The Glory of Byzantine Art
12 min., FFHS
Medieval Manuscripts
30 min., FFTH
Tibet’s Holy Mountain
52 min., VM
CD-ROMs
Medieval Realms, From the Collections of the British Museum
Windows, FFTH
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