Essay on Images of Christian Devotion in Late Antiquity and Byzantium

On the lower half is an organization of geometric forms. However, the most important mosaic is the representation of Emperor Justinian and Emprise Theodora. Justinian is presented holding a bowl of Eucharistic bread as Theodora carries a chalice or vessel of Eucharistic wine. Due to the orientation of these figures and the ones that surrounds them, it could be suggested that they represent bringing Eucharistic elements into the church. Perhaps even as an offering to christ which is reinforced by the three magi bearing gifts on Theodora's rob.

The sarcophagus is made of limestone covered in plaster and is 1.37 meters in length. It contains four sides, each of which is painted in fresco with a different image of each other but shares the similar theme of depicting what may be a ritual or funerary customs being performed. On one of the long sides, it is divided into 3 parts, one of which shows several women carrying vases filled with what could be water, and pouring its contents into a bigger vase that is held up by two decorated poles or giant axes. Another part has two men holding onto a bull and another holding a boat, which leads to the third part of the image where a man is standing in front of what could be his tomb. This suggests that these women and men are making offerings to the man standing in front of the

The Good Shepherd in the Catacombs of St. Pietro and Marcellius is a fresco found in Rome during the fourth century. It contains shapes of crosses with Christ in the center and the good shepherd. It uses orans that are figures without stretched hands representing a prayer towards Heaven.

This essay aims to investigate two different time periods in the history of art. It will scrutinize the influence that the respective societal contexts had on the different artists, which in turn, caused them to arrange the formal elements in a specific way. I will be examining an Egyptian sculpture of the god Isis nursing Horus, her son, as well as the Vladimir Virgin icon, which dates from the Byzantine era. Experts vary on the precise ‘lifetime’ of the Ancient Egyptian civilization, but according to Mason (2007:10) it existed from 3100 BCE up to 30 BCE. The Byzantine era, which

Ocularcentrism and individualism were the fundamental building blocks of Modernity, an era of change, those world views were reflected in the epoch’s art and architecture. To define the scopic regime-way of seeing-of that period, Martin Jay suggests that an in-depth analysis, comparison and evaluation of all the ocular fields, the visual subcultures, of the period is necessary. He believes that there is no hierarchical arrangement of the ocular fields, but rather they are all correct and equally important. In his work “Scopic Regimes of Modernity”, in Vision and Visuality he chose to explain and focus on two contrasting visual subcultures: the Renaissance’s Cartesian Perspectivalism and the Baroque.

Shortly after Rome made the transition from pagan practices to embracing Christianity as their formal faith, Christ's depiction in art went through various restorations. Some of the most widely popular illustrations were that of Christ sacrificed on the cross to his ultimate ascension into the Kingdom of Heaven after overcoming death. Since the image portrays Christ in luxurious attire resembling the Roman toga, the viewer can perceive that the mosaic was meant to present Christ in an imperialistic fashion. This is perhaps directed in part to the Byzantine emperors preferring to worship Christ in a way traditional and symbolic of their historical and early customs rather than how he really looked.

1. The Christ as the Good Shepherd mosaic located on the entrance wall of the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy was made circa 425 AD. A mausoleum is a monumental tomb, usually meant for entombing the dead above ground. The mosaic is displayed in a lunette-a semi-circular wall of a vaulted room. Even though the image of Christ as the Good Shepherd was a common one in catacombs in previous centuries, the way that Christ was shown in art had changed since Christianity had been adopted as Rome's official religion and the image of Christ in the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia was no different. Previously Christ had been shown as a simple carpenter, but in the Christ as the Good Shepherd mosaic he is shown in a fine Roman wear. At the time, Greeks thought that they could create order within their environments and thus create statues that were "perfect." This is what they believed they were doing with the way Christ was shown in the mosaic at the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia; creating a more worldly, powerful image of Christ. Christ is shown with a large golden nimbus (halo), a royal purple mangle over a golden tunic and holding a tall cross. Also depicted in the mosaic at the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is a set of three sheep on each side of Christ, with him touching one on the nose.

This Etruscan- Roman piece of art is detailed all around, but also ideal as depictions look influential throughout the generations from the living patrician man holding the lifeless portrait busts of the two very distinct ancestors. The surface of the marble used to carve the male figure, and the portrait heads is very smooth and pale in colour, as the natural agent simulates’ realistic complexion through the veins present within the marble creating a three- dimensional illusion of meticulous naturalistic rendition of the human anatomy engraved with relief detail all around. The function of the portrait sculpture was to have a permanent documentation motivated by the realistic commemoration of one’s ancestors in a religious and ritualistic funeral use of death masks, that would have been cast from the face of the deceased. This became an obvious style of presenting recognizable prestige that conveyed the significance of

For being over eight hundred years, the Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists remained in remarkable condition. However, pieces of the original piece, which originated in the Catalan chapel in Spain, have faded. Portions, especially along the bottom, have disappeared over time. Even though historians moved it to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, it has not been fully restored. The artist identified each of the apostles in the Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists, but the writing has grown fainter and this creates a difficulty for art historians. Another key factor in the overall story represented has faded--one of the lamps or incense holders beneath Christ.

There have been countless duels between two opposing sides in the history Roman artistry. This sculpture relief signifies the classic battle of good versus evil. Time and time again, benevolent heroes find themselves in a struggle to combat worthy yet malicious adversaries. The Roman sarcophagus, a two by five feet marble coffin, is certainly no exception. It represents another division to this timeless good-evil epic, its visual characteristics, emphasis on contrasts, and its extensive array of details give it an identity that is uniquely its own. It portrays a sense of legendary fantasy to the viewer, one pertaining to hostility, violence, and pure anger. The sculpture seems overly shallow due to

The increase of wealth during the twelfth century allowed artists to showcase their talents in churches. The apse titled Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists in the church of Santa Maria de Mur displays the representation of divinity through its subject matter, technique, and style. In the apse, the main subjects revolve around scenes from the Old and New Testament with Christ as the focal point. For technique, the artist employed fresco painting instead of mosaics to show the images. The style of the apse avoids a sense of realism by hiding the bodies of the figures in the drapery and using the hierarchy of scale.

In contrast to the noble figure of Augustus, the piece titled “The Good Shepard” (300-350 AD. Marble. Height: 39 inches) which resides as a wall painting in the Catacomb of Calixtus, is an early symbolic representation of Christ as a Shepard (Mueso, Rome Web 2014). Symbolic images like these were common for the period of Early Christian art. It compares nicley to the Greco-Roman sculpture ( 3rd Century b.c.e) piece of the same name. A similar depiction can also be found at Dura Europas(Ceiling piece, fresco painting-seen in image below), in an ancient Christian meeting house (Klein Fred S. pg 210). Christ the Good Shepherd of the Twenty-third Psalm was often depicted as a beardless youth derived from the pagan god Apollo and with other ties to many Mediterranean mythologies. It is significant to note that the style of this painting with its loose impressionistic style and suggestion of a landscape echoes a category of ancient painting called sacral-idyllic landscapes.

In comparison, the images both depict what happens in each given religion when one dies and the circle of life. In the Cathedral of Sainte-Foy the last judgment is portrayed with the people being sent to heaven or hell. While the Sarcophagus lid depicts the Ruler Sprouting a metaphysical object out of his stomach in a curled-up position, which can refer to him being reborn, and displaying himself in a holy light since he was of high status he would be closer to the gods. Both display what each religion is taught to be the spiritual world, with spiritual creatures such as the demons show in Sainte-Foy and the tree like object in the Sarcophagus. Thirdly Both can be seen as propaganda, the sarcophagus, showing the ruler being related or similar to a god, also seen in various other rulers in previous eras. While the Cathedral warns people of what would happen if they were to sin. On this topic of propaganda, both the images display a mixture of governmental and religious rule though differ in its

This essay starts with the use of Roman architecture to practice Christianity. Then I will write about how the image of the Roman emperors became the inspiration for the image of the Jesus. Finally I will discuss the way Romans used the same iconography and narrative they already had as a formula to image the bible.

Throughout the vast history of art, historians can find connections throughout the centuries. Artists from the beginning of humankind have been inspired by the world around them. From the Apollo 11 stones to present day, history and culture have provided inspiration and have been the focus of various pieces. Examining artwork from the 15th-18th century, viewers can be shown a whole world that would be unknown to us without these artist’s contributions. History, religion, and cultural events have sculpted the art world, and we can observe this through many pieces during the 15th-18th centuries.