Class discussion: All visual art evolved from what came before. Early Christian imagery developed within Roman culture, so it is natural that many of the symbols were older pagan images simply cast with new meaning. Christian imagery also included earlier Jewish narrative.
Iconography is the study of symbolic subject matter in art. It is a complex field, especially for religious art, where the imagery gains layers of meaning over time. This activity is intended as an introduction to iconography as it appears in Early Christian art and borrows from the earlier Jewish and pagan ideas. You will explore examples of Early Christian art and architecture that borrow from previous imagery and forms.
Class coursework:
- Introduce your work by title, year, present, and original location (if known.)
- If it is an artwork, explain the meaning of its subject or tell the story pictured. Did the subject have an earlier life before Christianity? Explain. What has been borrowed from Jewish scripture or Greco-Roman imagery? Did the imagery take on a new significance for its Christian audience? Explain.
- If you choose an example of church architecture, think about the layout and the architectural shapes. Describe the borrowings you see from previous Roman architecture. What forms did the early Christian churches take? What adjustments were made to the buildings to accommodate Christian ceremony?
After reading others’ posts, respond to two. You may be able to offer other examples of each classmates’ subject to show its prevalence. Or comment, this time, on the style differences between the Early Christian subject and its predecessor. For instance, how did naturalism change from earlier Roman art to the Early Christian images? Provide images to support your response.
Classmate #1 Zachary:
“Near the border of Syria and Iraq is the city now known as Dura Europos. The city was mistakenly discovered by some British soldiers in the area in the 1920’s. What is interesting about this discovery is that while staying in the fortress ruins, overlooking the Euphrates and digging in for the night, they accidentally uncovered some very well-preserved Jewish wall paintings (Sivan, n.d.). These were covered by sand and part of a synagogue, or Jewish place of worship. While historians have no idea when the Jewish people first settled there they believe that the fortress was remodeled in 245 C.E., and at that time, decorated with paintings. The painting that I would like to highlight is one of a series of paintings based on the life of Moses. This scene was thought to be based on the Old Testament story of Pharaoh’s decree to all of the midwives in the city to kill any infant boys (Sivan, n.d.).”
Exodus 1:16 says: “When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the birth stool: if it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” This scene is represented in the painting by Pharaoh issuing the decree on the right. At the lower left of the painting, you can see Moses’ mother taking him to the Nile and placing him in a basket, to save him from death.
“Below is the unearthed and again, extremely well-preserved example of the Dura Europos Synagogue paintings. Not the similar expressionless faces and as an example of idealism as well as unrealistic body proportions. These paintings are clearly not meant to express vivid realism, but tell a biblical story and use them as lessons to both adults and children of the city.”
References
Sivan, H. (n.d.). Retelling the story of moses at dura europos synagogue. TheTorah.com. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.thetorah.com/article/retelling-the-story-of-moses-at-dura-europos-synagogue
Classmate #2 Julia
“The good shepherd fresco, painted on the ceiling of a burial chamber in the catacombs of priscilla, located on the Via Salaria in Rome. Priscilla was a member of the Acilius Glabrio family who granted the church to use the property. The fresco depicts Christ in the middle with a goat or lamb on his shoulders surrounded by two goats, two trees, and two doves, while encircled by two peacocks, and two quails. The early Christian depictions of Christ, he doesn’t wear a beard, have a halo, or is wearing the long flowing robes that we see him in today. The art was painted by applying pigment to wet plaster, meaning the colors were usually of the softer tones, not the dark colors. The fresco tells the tale of Christ finding and rescuing the lost lamb from the chapter 10 of johns gospel, and found in the gospel of Luke. With the symbolism of Christ finding and caring for the lost sheep. The outer circle with the peacock, representing eternity and the divine, and the quails, representing the earthly realm, tells the tale of Christ leading his flock from one world to the next.”
“This was not a new idea, having a an important figure carrying a lamb, or calf on their shoulders. The pre-archaic Greek figures, such as the calf-bearer (moschohoros), show the figures in peaceful symmetry with the animals as offerings to the gods. The new Christians could easily relate to the drawings and figures of Christ carrying the lost animals. “
References:
St. Albert’s catholic chaplaincy, Edinburgh. (May 2022) https://scotland.op.org/the-good-shepherd-from-the-catacombs-of-priscilla/Links to an external site.
Sagady, crystal (2017) Christ, the good shepherd, from the priscilla catacombs: a stylistic analysis http://www.crystalsagady.com/art-history-writings/christ-the-good-shepherd-from-the-priscilla-catacombs-a-stylistic-analysis
