More handpicked essays just for you.
Transition from medieval to renaissance culture
Comparing ancient christian art and roman
Early christian artwork essay
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Maurice Goodloe
Professor Hoeschen
HUM 2223
November 114, 2017
Just before Christ, a distinctive Roman method of building, sculpting, and painting emerged. During the Medieval period the Christianity began to rise slowly, but spread rapidly throughout many European countries after the death of Jesus. With spread of Christianity, Christian architectural styles and ideas were adopted straight from the Romans. The new found Christians of Rome kept many of their own original ideas, traditions, and practices. These ideas and rituals soon became an important part in Roman Christian way of life. The same is true when it comes to their arts also, Rome was filled with pagan art, which soon gained a new meaning because not all of the old pagan buildings
…show more content…
were demolished and rebuilt. The transformation from Roman to early Christian art and architecture is dramatically similar and clearly evident as early Christians did not want to create suspicion due to vile persecution, but when looking closely to post-Constantinian art their styles differed. Roman art was to be given a secondary meaning so Christians could use these symbols also. These new found Roman Christians didn't just give up all of their artistic heritage when they became believers in Jesus Christ. In fact, they made good use of Roman artistic forms and motifs, as well as Roman architecture. Roman architect Vitruvius made it known that there are three major principles of good architecture Durability, Utility, and Beauty. Christianity was not a legal religion in the Roman world, but most of the time, they were tolerated, but viewed as strange by most of the Romans. Persecution was not always widespread, but deadly because a few Roman officials still did not tolerate it. This meant, Christians had to worship in secret and they began to met in house churches or church homes. Now this was just your average private house which is modified to accommodate church services and minimize the risk of raids by Roman authorities. Constantine I was the first Christian emperor of Rome and ruled from 280 to 337 A.D.. At this time Christians were able to come out of hiding and were able to truly spread their new religion. Constantine didn’t want to use the traditional Roman form of architecture because of their former pagan cult practices (“Early Christian art and architecture after Constantine”). Charlemagne built the church at Aix-la-Chapelle, which he had the columns and marbles brought from Rome and Ravenna. In the picture below Emperor Charlemagne is depicted with a few motifs. This picture below shows the true influence of Christianity in Rome and the mixture of their arts and culture. An example of Greco Roman influence that can be found in religious architecture is the Pantheon under Augustus and rebuilt by Tarjan Hadrian. Roman religion underwent a reassessment aimed to accommodate the divine nature of the emperor exactly in the years of the first building of the Pantheon under Augustus (Pantheon's Design and Meaning pg. 495). Greco-Roman architecture helped the change the church into the style known as Byzantine. Early Christian art uses orderly arrangements of columns as well as semicircular arches and domes like that of the Romans. “Between the 10TH AND 13TH century most European Cathedrals were built in the Romanesque style [, buildings of the medieval period during 800-1100 AD and received its name from the influence of Roman architecture] [….] They have rounded masonry arches and barrel vaults supporting the roof, stick walls and few windows.” You can find a cella located in most of the classical architecture structures.
This is where you could find the altar as well as statues which were kept elevated above the rest of the floor. During the Medieval era the Pantheon and its Roman importance took a turning point, It was later transformed into the Christian church of St. George and since has kept its white marble structure and five columns with a very detailed frieze. Christian artists adopted Roman artistic motifs like the shepherd figure, philosopher figure, reclining figure, law giver figure, and the festive meal. Early Christians were much like the Romans in placing great value in the use of art for personal and cultural expression. Christians adopted or borrow many art and architectural techniques like that of frescoes and relief sculptures which are similar to that of the Romans while they assigned new meanings to according to their Christians beliefs and purposes. It is evident that Greco Roman Art has influenced naturalism on sculptures from Early Christian Art. Frescoes are simply water coloring on plaster while mosaics are images formed from hundreds of small pieces of stone and or glass, and decorative marble tombs called sarcophagi. During the Medieval times sarcophagus usually had mythological subjects and reflected the style and compositions of Classical Greek art. Early Christians placed on these tombs, scenes from the Bible which they believed foreshadowed Jesus, and his teachings. They borrowed these certain concepts from the Romans, to express and deepen their Christian faith. Christians adapted the Roman style of choice to be placed in basilicas which was stunning
mosaics. Christians frequently incorporated their own symbols into Roman art too. Simple symbols like a fish, an anchor, a dove, grapes and wheat, and a peacock assumed profound significance when viewed through a Christian point of view. For instance, the fish symbolizes Jesus Christ himself while the dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The anchor, expresses hope and combines elements of the cross in it, Grapes and wheat, symbolize the Eucharist, and the Orant is a figure whose arms are raised in prayer. The shepherd figure is usually a young man with a sheep over his shoulders. Christians, also adopted the use this figure for Biblical imagery. For Christians the shepherd is used to portray Christ. The law giver figure emphasizes the supremacy of Roman rulers, but to a Christian it shows Jesus Christ as their supreme law giver. The Eucharist was used by the Romans to indicate celebrations. Christians used the theme of the Eucharist too, but for them it refers to the Lord’s Supper. The final meal that Jesus Christ shared with his disciples before his arrest, and eventual crucifixion. At the last meal Jesus ate bread and wine and instructed his disciples to do the same in loving memory of him. The philosopher figure is usually wearing a toga and holding a scroll. Christians used the philosopher motif as representations of Christ and His apostles. Christians did not just borrow Roman motifs, but they also used the design and functionality of Roman Buildings. Christian cultural styles were copied straight from Roman traditions. Early Christians liked to use their art and architecture to express their spiritual beliefs and communicate their faith in Jesus Christ. They incorporated an worldly view as well as many Christian symbols and Bible stories into their art, which changed meanings and made it unique to Christian. Early Christians also borrowed from the Romans in their architectural accomplishments. After Christianity became legal in 313 CE, Christians built their churches using the Roman architectural form of the basilica which Romans used for judicial proceedings. A major Basilica is the Hagia Sophia which had to be rebuilt three times over the course of its life. “It was enlarged by Roman Emperor Constant, but also burn down. It was once again reconstructed; now comprises of a main dome, two semi domes, three rows of marble column pillars, and floating impressions from the galleries in the windows (“The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica”). [B]est preserved the church of Hagia Sophia, and also considering fragmentary remains of the great palace (Art and Identity). Catacombs gave Christians large amounts of space to display their art. These underground burial sights are filled with paintings that hold great meaning to early Christians. Catacombs were used to express their faith, but also to better understand this new found faith. Paintings depict scenes from the life of Jesus and the different miracles he has preformed. Catacombs contain depictions of Christian symbols that hold great meaning to early Christians like the resurrection of Lazarus, and the Lord’s Supper which were common art of the time. Works Cited Albrect Dürer, Emperor Charlemagne (c. 1512). Oil and tempera on panel. Germanisches National Museum, Nuremberg. “Early Christian art and architecture after Constantine.” Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/medieval-world/early-christian1/a/early-christian-art-and-architecture-after-constantine. Accessed 14 Nov. 2017. Hannah, Robert and Giulio Magli. "The Role of the Sun in the Pantheon's Design and Meaning." Numen: International Review for the History of Religions, vol. 58, no. 4, July 2011, pp. 486-513. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1163/156852711X577050. Jones, Lynn. "Art and Identity in Thirteenth-Century Byzantium: Hagia Sophia and the Empire of Trebizond." Church History, vol. 77, no. 1, 2008, p. 164+. Academic OneFile, Morillo, Stephen. "Charlemagne (742–814 CE)." Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History, edited by William H. McNeill, et al., 2nd ed., vol. 2, Berkshire Publishing, 2010, pp. 495-497. Gale Virtual Reference Library, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=lincclin_vcc&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CCX1923800107&it=r&asid=e51762699405d082c1bab6dacbabfa5f. Accessed 14 Nov. 2017. “Saint Peter's Basilica.” History, www.vaticanstate.va/content/vaticanstate/en/monumenti/basilica-di-s-pietro/storia.paginate.1.html. Accessed 14 Nov. 2017. The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Hagia Sophia.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 24 Apr. 2017, www.britannica.com/topic/Hagia-Sophia. Accessed 14 Nov. 2017.
... middle of paper ... ... Christ acts as the focal point, but the artist also used different subjects from the Old and New Testament to decorate the apse. Unlike the mosaics in the apse of Byzantine churches, the artist employed the technique of classical fresco painting.
The Hagia Sophia is a stunning, spherical-shaped building made of marble and gold (Doc. 4). Justinian built the Hagia Sophia, which means “Holy Wisdom” in Greek, after a church of the same name was destroyed in riots in Constantinople (outside information). Procopius, Justinian’s court historian, described the church as “suspended from heaven by the fabled golden chain” (Doc. 4). Undoubtedly, visitors to the Hagia Sophia are left breathless by its beauty (outside information). Other churches that Justinian built include the Church of St. Salvator in Chora and the Church of the Apostles (Doc. 5). Justinian’s churches were beautiful; however, they were created to be more than just a display. The churches caused people to feel a connection with God, which helped unify the empire under a single faith. The bonding of the Romans under one faith helped strengthen the entire empire. Moreover, the abundance of churches in Constantinople helped make the city the center of religious power (Doc. 5). Evidence of Justinian’s legacy can be found when one realizes that the Byzantine Empire’s revived culture influenced Orthodox Christianity, a major branch of modern
The Hagia Sophia and the Dome of the Rock are two of some of the greatest and most important monuments in the Eastern and the modern world. The Hagia Sophia is an amazing depiction of the Byzantine architecture. It symbolizes the “Golden era” of the Byzantine Empire and is a symbol of modern day Istanbul. The Dome of the Rock is located in Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock is currently a shrine for Islamic believers and some Jews that believe the grounds are sacred. It holds a great religious significance to the rise of Islam in Jerusalem. Even though these major achievements in architecture were built at different times and were built with different styles, they hold many similarities. These similarities include such fascinating examples of
From 300-600 CE The Roman Empire allowed new religions to be formed and universalized. The Religion that was associated with The Roman empire was Christianity. Christianity became the religion of Rome because of a man named Constantine who allowed Christianity to spread and flow throughout the empire create a harmony throughout the people. Constantine allowed for the Roman officials to adopt Christianity and this led to the building of the Constantinople. Christianity had basilicas which were opulent churches that were open to all which meant any person could go there allowing Christianity to be very universal. Christianity was also very appealing because the worshiped deity walked on land with the people. Christianity split and became the Roman Catholic church which consisted
...eligious practices. Christianity affected not only the Roman Empire but many other countries as well, altering their practices and making way for worship in the present day.
The rise of Christianity in Rome did not come easily. It came with much destruction and death. The spark of Christianity in Rome came from an appearance of Martyrs in Rome. Martyrs were people that were executed for going against the common beliefs of pagan (polytheistic) ways. (Tignor, 2011, p. 286) Because of these awful executions, Christianity is said to be based off of “the blood of martyrs.” One of their main ways of spreading Christianity was through the sharing of their writings and by 300 CE there was an exceptional amount of book production throughout Rome. (Tignor, 2011, p. 289) “Christianity operated as one among many minority religions in the Roman Empire, and on several occasions experienced widespread persecution, especially under the emperors Nero (r. 54–68), Decius (r. 249–251), and Diocletian (r. 284–305). However, the situation changed radically under the emperor Constantine (r. 306–337), who in 313 issued the Edict of Milan that made Christianity a legitimate religion in the empire.” (Melton, 2010, p. 634)
Byzantine mosaics developed depicted subjects with shimmering skin and shinning halos which brought up an effect of an accomplished gold leaf and smalti. The Roman mosaics featured domestic scenes, animal sacrifices and geometric patterns which led to the creation or display of Christian imagery in terms of depicting Christ.
Bryan Byerly Mrs. Wagner Western World 10 Seminar- 4 4 December, 2013 Christianity in Rome Essay Christianity became more prevalent in Roman society as time went on because it appealed to Rome and what Roman ideals were. In the beginning Romans were skeptical of changing religion, but as the years went by, the Romans adopted and changed. Christianity appealed to the Roman ideals, as it gave certain perks that their current polytheistic religion did not offer to them. The emperors of Rome had many different views on Christianity; some emperors encouraged change, and others were more traditional and wanted to stick to their current, polytheistic religion. Roman views on Christianity have changed drastically from the early years of the Roman
The Christian Church was absolutely instrumental in the art of the Renaissance. It was the driving force behind every inspiration; without the Church, there would have been no art. The Church was the only institution powerful enough to be able to support the commissions of all of the artwork, and it was the only institution, in which people had enough faith and devotion to spend so much of their time and money creating pieces that—although beautiful—were not necessities. The role of religion in art actually began during the Byzantine era. During this time, all artwork was religious in nature, and most of it was done in a consistently similar style so that figures from the Bible could be easily recognized by everyone and so that people had a consistent view of religious matters. Art during this time was largely iconic, meant to inspire the awe of God in the viewer. Along with various versions of the crucifix, one of the most popular images of the Byzantine style was The Pantokrator, an image of Jesus Christ as shown from above. An example of one of these pieces was done in the twelfth century in the abbey church of Monreale in the city of Palermo. Jesus is a monumental figure that takes up much of the space across the apse of the Church. One of his hands forms a mudra as the other holds the scripture. His fully frontal and direct stance along with the glimmering gold background serves to strike awe and fear into the viewer. Clearly this piece was done with the intent to impress the value and mightiness of religion first and attention to the detail and technique of the art second.
The Romans have adopted many features from the Greek style of art and architecture during the third and second centuries B.C. During that time period the Romans discovered that they have taking a liking to Greek statues, which they placed in many different places. The Roman sculptors then decided to also start making statues alongside the Greeks. The statues that the Romans created were realistic looking with, sometime, unpleasant details of the body. The Greeks made statues with, what they thought of, ideal appearances in the statues figure. Sculpture was possibly considered the highest form of art by the Romans, but figure painting was very high considered as well. Very little of Roman painting has survived the tests of time.
Factors Which Led to the Spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire Christianity was not born in a vacumn. There were many social, geographical, historical and religious issues prevailing at the time of Christ and all of which were favorable to the spread of Christianity. Geograpicly, Christianity came into being in the Meditation world, the largest of the various centers of civilization at that time. Israel stands almost central to the five continents, dividing the east and west.
Early Christian and Byzantine art started after Jesusí death in the first century ranging and ending to the fourth century AD. The art produced during this period was secretive because Christianity was not a formal religion but as a cult; the Romans and rest of Europe persecuted Christians so the artist disguised their work with symbols and hints of Christian aspects. Christianity was the first cult to not involve rituals of sacrifice of animals and refused to worship an Emperor causing the Roman Empire to make Christianity illegal. Byzantine art excelled in the Justinian period in the east during 520-540 AD. The art was produced in Ravenna, Byzantine, Venice, Sicily, Greece, and Russia. The difference between Christian and Byzantine is that Christian was earth beyond realism and Byzantine was more spiritual than worldly style. This art period was sectioned off into three different periods. The first was persecution from the first to the third century. The second was due to Constantine making Christianity legal in the fourth century. The last period is known as New Christian style starting in the fifth century. Most of the art from this period was frescoes, mosaics, and architecture.
...ll as the Early Christians had many things in common but for sure we know the impressions of classical Roman features in early Christian art. Indeed, one can see how Roman Art and Greek Art have influenced naturalism on sculptures from Early Christian Art. We also see similar compositions and influences on the tombs and churches, the ideal design and styles were directly adopted from the Roman Art style.
Art is important to religion in many different ways. Perhaps none has analyzed how art and religion have influenced and affected each other through the ages. Pictures painted of past events that help to bring back the feeling and importance of the past have been forgotten by some. To the one’s that haven’t forgotten are able to see the event’s as the bible says they happened. Not only can you see the events, but it also allows the younger students of the church to understand the events. The use of images of God became widespread after the second century. This religious art has defiantly been around for centuries and plays an important role to the history of religion as well as the future.
The introduction of Christianity as a major religion followed the pattern of other ancient religions. Many of the great works of art were done for religious purposes. Some of the most famous artworks in history are religious. Just a few that come immediately to mind are The Last Supper, the ceiling of the Cysteine Chapel, and the Statue of David. Even during the period known as the Dark Ages art was inspired by religion. True, the art was generally dark and full of death and demons, but the art was based upon religious themes, mostly from the book of Revelations. As with the art that preceded it, the religious art of Christianity is full of symbolism. For example, a painting where the man is standing with two fingers upraised on his right hand is generally a religious leader such as a pope or Jesu...