Art 108 Ancient to Medieval

1. Early Christian and Jewish Art

2. During the later Roman period Mystery Cults became increasingly popular throughout
the empire (this fresco, from the Villa of the Mysteries at Pompeii, is believed to
represent an initiation rite into the cult of Dionysos)

3. Originating in the eastern provinces, Mystery Cults were religious cults that required
secret rites of initiation for participation (like the Christian rituals of Baptism and
Communion)

4. They became popular because they promoted a more personal engagement with the
deity than was customary in the traditional state religion. Most appealing was the
personal salvation they promised to individuals

5. Christianity and Judaism were amongst the most popular of the eastern Mystery cults,
and spread rapidly throughout the empire; However, they posed a threat to imperial
authority since Christians and Jews were (and still are) forbidden to worship other gods

6. Consequently, during the later empire they were persecuted — and, until Constantine
granted toleration to Christians, they were forced to practice their religion in secret

7. Some of the earliest archaeological evidence of early Christian and Jewish practices can
be found at Dura Europas, a Roman Legion outpost in Syria

8. Excavations have uncovered no less than 17 places of worship, indicating how the Roman
Empire had become a melting pot of religious practices, resulting from centuries of
global expansion and conquest
Image source: http://media.artgallery.yale.edu/duraeuropos/dura.html

9. The oldest Jewish Synagogue (which means “meeting house”) has been excavated at
Dura Europas, as well as one of the earliest places of Christian worship

10. Isometric view of Block L7, Dura Europos, with the Synagogue. Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dura_Europos_synagogue_isometric_view.jpg
Like the Christian house-church, the Synagogue was a re-purposed private home

11. Isometric view of Block L7, Dura Europos, with the Synagogue. Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dura_Europos_synagogue_isometric_view.jpg
Since Christians and Jews were forced to practice their religion in secret, they used
private homes for religious worship so they could easily blend in and avoid detection by
the authorities

12. The walls of the synagogue are decorated with frescoes illustrating episodes from the
Hebrew Bible (The Old Testament)

13. Interior of the Synagogue, Dura-Europas, c. 245-256 CE
The style of paintings resembles Roman wall paintings, which is not surprising, since they
were probably made by artisans from Roman workshops

14. Samuel anoints David, detail of the mural paintings in the Synagogue at Dura-Eruopa, c. 245-256
This scene represents an episode from the Old Testament where Samuel anoints David,
who became king of Judah

15. Samuel anoints David, detail of the mural paintings in the Synagogue at Dura-Eruopa, c. 245-256
Samuel (the largest figure in the scene) lifts a horn which he uses to anoint David, who
stands solemnly amongst a crowd of ment

16. Samuel anoints David, detail of the mural paintings in the Synagogue at Dura-Eruopa, c. 245-256
The stylized frontal figures recall the puppet-like figures on the Arch of Constantine, as
does the use of hierarchic scale

17. Samuel anoints David, detail of the mural paintings in the Synagogue at Dura-Eruopa, c. 245-256
Yet the figures are recognizably Roman in their costume and hairstyles

18. Samuel anoints David, detail of the mural paintings in the Synagogue at Dura-Eruopa, c. 245-256
Although they are stiff and frontal, and lack any sense of three dimensionality, the
drapery folds and contrapposto poses retain the memory of Greek and Roman statuary

19. The frescoes at Dura Europas are remarkable because of the Hebrew taboo against
religious imagery

20. The Second Commandment explicitly forbids the making of “graven images,” and the
Christian and Hebrew faiths condemned the worship of “idols”

21. Ezekial’s Vision of the Dry Bones Resurrected
Synagogue, Dura Europas
This is why the Hebrew god Yaweh is never depicted in the frescoes at Dura Europas

22. Ezekial’s Vision of the Dry Bones Resurrected
Synagogue, Dura Europas
In this scene depicting Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley “dry bones” Yaweh is symbolized by
disembodied hands reaching down from the heavens

23. Ezekial’s Vision of the Dry Bones Resurrected
Synagogue, Dura Europas
While Christians would continue to develop a rich tradition of visual imagery (not
without controversy), Jews and Muslims remained strongly aniconic (“against imagery”)
in strict adherence of the Second Commandment forbidding the construction of “idols.”

24. Both Christians and Jews practiced inhumation (burial) rather than cremation

25. Roman law forbade burial within the city, so Catacombs — subterranean burial chambers
resembling the communal tombs used by the Romans — were constructed outside the
city walls

26. Fresco decorations adapted pagan imagery to Jewish and Christian themes

27. Menorahs and Ark of the Covenant wall painting in a Jewish catacomb, Villa Torlonia,
Rome. 3rd century.
Christians and Jews used symbolism as a form of “code” – to obey the commandment
against images, and also to avoid detection by the authorities

28. Menorahs and Ark of the Covenant wall painting in a Jewish catacomb, Villa Torlonia,
Rome. 3rd century.
The menorah (a branched lamp) was a common motif in Jewish decoration, along with
the shofarot (rams horn) and Torah shrines

29. Burial Plaque
Rome (Italy), 3rd-4th century; Jewish Museum
This burial plaque can be identified as Jewish because of the symbols
Menorah
Rams horn
Palm frond
(used on
tabernacles)

30. Christian symbols include the Chi Rho, the cross, the fish, the peacock, and the lamb.

31. Funerary stele with the inscription ΙΧΘΥC ΖΩΝΤΩΝ ("fish of the living"), early 3rd
century, National Roman Museum
This early Christian burial plaque includes the ichthus (the fish) – which was an acronym
for the Greek workds “Jesus Christ, Son of God, and Saviour), and the anchor which was a
symbol of safety

32. Ezekial’s Vision of the Dry Bones Resurrected
Synagogue, Dura Europas
Now, as we saw, Yaweh was never directly represented in Jewish art, because of the
Commandment against “graven images”

33. But Jesus Christ was frequently depicted in Early Christian art in the form of “the Good
Shepherd”

34. John Everett Millais, Christ in the House of His Parents, 1850
Now this is interesting, since the historical Christ was not a shepherd, but a carpenter by
trade

35. So the Good Shepherd was a kind of metaphor – a symbol of Christ’s role as a shepherd
of his people
The Good Shepherd, fresco, Catacomb of Callixtus, Rome. Italy, 3rd century CE

36. Sarcophagus fragment with the Good Shepherd, early 4th century, Walters Art Museum
http://art.thewalters.org/detail/27994/sarcophagus-fragment-with-the-good-shepherd/
There are a small number of sculptural representations of Jesus Christ from the Early
Christian period

37. This statue depicts him in the role of a youthful philosopher an teacher
Christ seated, from Civita Latina, Italy, c. 350-
375 CE, Museo Nazionale Romano

38. Christ as Good Shepherd, 3rd c, Vatican Museum
But Early Christian art soon abandoned sculpture completely because of its associations
with cult idols

39. Lets turn now to the Early Christian catacombs of Rome: in this photograph you can see
the shelf-like recesses where the bodies would be buried

40. They would then be sealed shut with a burial plaque

41. Larger rooms were called called “cubicula,” and the walls and ceilings were decorated
with fresco paintings depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments

42. The themes were generally related related to prayers for redemption

43. This image, for example, shows Jesus Christ raising Lazarus from the dead; for the
person buried behind the image, the hope is that he will do the same for them!

44. Catacomb of Saints Marcellinus and Peter, Rome
This is the interior of the Catacomb of Saints Marcellinus and Peter – Christian martyrs
who were persecuted by Diocletain

45. The ceiling is in the shape of a dome, and is decorated with frescoes that resemble
Roman house paintings in their sketchy, impressionistic style

46. In the central roundel is an image of Christ as the Good Shepherd

47. He stands in the contraposto pose with a lamb draped over his shoulders, while his
flock reclines placidly beside him

48. Surrounding him are figures with their hands held up in the pagan gesture of prayer

49. Orant figure
= pagan
gesture of
prayer
Orant figure
= pagan
gesture of
prayer
They are called “orant figures,” and their job is to pray for the souls of the dead (much
like votive statues)

50. In the lunettes are scenes from the Old Testament story of Jonah and the Whale
Lunettes
Lunettes

51. In the first scene, Jonah is thrown overboard from a ship, while a monster (which is
supposed to represent the whale) lurks near the prow.

52. In the next scene (now damaged) he is swallowed by the whale, and in the third scene
we see him emerging victoriously from the belly of the whale

53. In the last scene Jonah reclines safe and sound on land beneath a bower

54. So why would the individuals buried here choose this particular story?

55. The story of Jonah was popular in early Christian iconography because it was believed to
be a prefiguration of the death and resurrection of Christ

56. In the Old Testament story Jonah was miraculously reborn, just like Christ rose from the
dead

57. And just like Lazarus was risen from the dead

58. So for the individuals buried in the Catacombs, these images were like visual prayers for
redemption, and expressed the hope that one day their soul would be risen from the
dead to join Christ in heaven

59. Thanks for Listening!

60. Early Christian Art After
Constantine

61. During the periods of persecution Christians and Jews were forced to practice their
religion in secret

62. But Constantine’s conversion to Christianity had a dramatic impact on Christian art

63. In the first place, Christians could “come out of the closet” and practice their faith more
openly – and even wealthy members of the Roman elite began to convert
Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, 359CE

64. This sarcophagus was made for a man named Junius Bassus, who was a high official of
the city of Rome
Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, 359CE

65. Sarcophagus of a Philosopher, c. 270-280 CE
The style is indistinguishable from Roman sarcophagi that were produced for pagan
patrons, such as this one made for a Roman philosopher

66. So the only thing that makes it “Christian” is the subject matter
Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, 359CE

67. Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, 359CE
Sacrifice of
Isaac
Christ
Enthroned
Christ taken
Prisoner
Christ
Arrested
Christ taken
Before Pilate
The sarcophagus is decorated with episodes from the Old and New Testament of the
Bible

68. Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, 359CE
Christ’s
Entry into
Jerusalem
Adam and
Eve
Misery of
Job
Daniel in
Lion’s Den
St. Paul led
to
Martyrdom
Sacrifice of
Isaac
Christ
Enthroned
Christ taken
Prisoner
Christ
Arrested
Christ taken
Before Pilate

69. Motifs borrowed from Roman art include the Roman god Caelus below Christ’s feet
(symbolizing the heavens)

70. Motifs borrowed from Roman art include the Roman god Caelus below Christ’s feet
(symbolizing the heavens)
Caelus – Roman
god of the sky

71. And the image of Christ seated on a throne, which is based on the imperial Traditio
Legis (“Giving of the Law”)

72. The image of Christ entering Jerusalem on a donkey was derived from theRoman
Adventus – the Emperor’s triumphant entrance into the city

73. Christ = ruler of
Heaven
Christ = ruler of
Earth
Taken together, the
imagery presents Christ as
the ruler of Heaven and
Earth – modeled on the
image of the Roman
Emperor

74. Christ = ruler of
Heaven
Christ = ruler of
Earth
So this is a BIG change
from the Early Christian
image of the humble
shepherd, and it can be
attributed to the fact that
Christianity was now the
official image of the
Roman empire

75. To proclaim his new faith Constantine authorized the building of Christian churches in
Rome, Jerusalem, and Constantinople

76. When his architects looked for a model for this new type of building (after all, there had
never been a Christian church before), they did not choose the Roman temple as a model

77. It would have been too small for the large masses of followers who needed an interior
space for worship, and the “pagan” associations of the building would have been
unsuitable

78. Instead, they used the Roman basilica as a model, since it was a large building that could
accommodate large crowds, and had the added value of being associated with Roman
grandeur

79. Features of the Roman basilica that were incorporated into the Early Christian church
include the long nave flanked by side aisles, clerestory windows, and a flat wooden roof

80. New features that were added included the addition of a transept that gave the floor
plan of the building the shape of a cross, and an atrium forecourt (the atrium may have
come from the Roman houses that were first used for Christian worship)

81. Reconstruction of Old St. Peters, Rome
The greatest of Constantine’s churches was Old St. Peter’s in Rome, begun in 319 CE

82. It no longer exists because it was razed to the ground in the Renaissance, and a new
church was built, that remains today as Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome

83. Reconstruction of Old St. Peters, Rome
The original building was lavishly decorated with expensive marble columns and liturgical
objects of gold and silver encrusted with jewels (think “bling”)

84. Reconstruction of Old St. Peters, Rome
Like the Roman baths and amphitheaters that had previously proclaimed the grandeur of
Rome, Constantine’s basilica merged the power of empire with the glory of the Christian
god

85. Santa Sabina, Rome, 422-432 CE
Saint Peter’s is no longer standing, but other early Christian churches in Rome have
survived

86. Santa Sabina, Rome, 422-432 CE
Santa Sabina is a typical early Christian church. It has a long nave and side aisles,
separated by Roman-style Corinthian columns and arches, and topped by a flat wooden
roof

87. Santa Sabina, Rome, 422-432 CE
Clerestory windows on the second floor allow light into the interior. The focus of the
building is on the semi-circular apse and the altar, where the Eucharistic ceremony was
performed
Apse

88. The apse of the old Roman basilica was a place of high prestige, since this is where the
Magistrate would dispense justice, and in imperial basilicas it was where a statue of the
emperor would be placed

89. Santa Sabina, Rome, 422-432 CE
The apse of the Early Christian basilica retained this prestige, and this is where images of
Jesus Christ would be placed

90. This mosaic appears in the apse of Santa Pudenziana in Rome, and it illustrates the
dramatic transformation of the image of Christ after Constantine made Christianity the
official religion of the empire

91. No longer the humble shepherd, Christ has taken on all the trappings of a Roman
Emperor!

92. Seated on a gilded throne encrusted with jewels, he wears a toga with the imperial
colors of purple and gold (reserved exclusively for the emperor by law), and raises his
arm in the gesture of the imperial Traditio Legis (“Giving of the Law”)

93. His toga-cald apostles salute him like Roman senators hailing the emperor

94. Behind them is the heavenly city of Jerusalem, imagined as a Roman city with
distinctively Roman architecture (note the arches and domes)

95. So Christ has literally become “king,” modeled on the authority of the Roman Emperor!

96. This mosaic appears in the mausoleum of Constantine’s half sister, in the city of Ravenna
Good Shepherd Mosaic, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia,
Ravenna, c. 425-26 CE

97. It portrays Christ in the familiar guise of the Good Shepherd -- but he has now been
transformed into a more kingly figure through the use of imperial attribute
Good Shepherd Mosaic, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia,
Ravenna, c. 425-26 CE

98. He is dressed in the imperial colors of purple and gold, and he wears a halo to signify his
divinity, as he leans on a golden cross that resembles a royal scepter
Good Shepherd Mosaic, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia,
Ravenna, c. 425-26 CE

99. Seated on a rock, he reaches for a lamb while averting his gaze — a gesture that derives
from the elaborate court ceremony Diocletian introduced to enhance his power and
divine mystique
Good Shepherd Mosaic, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia,
Ravenna, c. 425-26 CE

100. When subjects were presented to him he averted his gaze, as if to suggest he was too
“high and mighty” to look upon them!
Good Shepherd Mosaic, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia,
Ravenna, c. 425-26 CE

101. Christ Treading the Lion and Asp, Ravenna, 5th century CE
In this mosaic, Christ is represented in a military attire reminiscent of the Augustus of
Prima Porta

102. Christ Treading the Lion and Asp, Ravenna, 5th century CE
As Dr. Alan Farber sums up:
“Christianity underwent a fundamental transformation with its acceptance by
Constantine. The imagery of Christian art before Constantine appealed to the believer’s
desires for personal salvation, while the dominant themes of Christian art after
Constantine emphasized the authority of Christ and His church in the world. Just as Rome
became Christian, Christianity and Christ took on the aura of Imperial Rome.”
Dr. Alan Farber, Santa Pudenziana (Khan Academy)

103. Thanks for Listening!