Early Christian, Byzantine and Celtic Art.

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Early Christian, Byzantine and Celtic Art

        The culture and beliefs in Northern Europe, just before the rise of Christianity, was based on animals, nature and the supernatural. They no longer worshipped many gods, and the artwork usually depicted stylised animals and nature. Northern Europe was rich in pine forests, so there are many designs based on nature from the forests around them.

        Before Christianity was made the official religion in 313 by Emperor Constantine, Christians would meet in catacombs for secrecy, and developed a series of secret signs such as the chi-rho, which they engraved on the walls. This is the earliest Christian art form. Christians from the Mediterranean fled to North Britain, as it was a remote area where they would not be easily found. Scellig Michael, on the West coast of Ireland, became a Christian settlement for this reason.

When the Emperor Constantine died in 337, the Empire split into East and West with a separate Emperor. They developed their own styles, until 493 when Byzantine artists began to travel to the West. These factors led to the establishment of three separate styles of Early Christian Art- that in Rome, Byzantine art and architecture in Constantinople and Ravenna, and Celtic Art in North-West Europe.

Characteristics of Early Christian

300-750 AD

  • Early Christian art isn't realistic and doesn't try to represent reality as is.
  • The basilican plan was used for Churches. The basilica would originally have been designed for Roman secular buildings. It now had a nave and side aisles, apsidal chapels and a crossing created by transepts.
  • They had extensive wall space, which was decorated by mosaics and frescos.
  • The roofs were made of concrete instead of wood
  • It also used the tripartite plan. The light from the clerestory illuminated the basilican Church.
  • Early Christians also developed the centralised building, which were circular or polygonal.
  • The centralised building was used (among other things) for baptisteries. The baptismal font would be in the centre and be the focal point of the building. There would be an ambulatory around the edge of the building, with apsidal chapels sprouting out all around.
  • Sculpture was integrated into buildings and sarcophagi as a bas-relief, and there was little free-standing sculpture.
  • Early Christian art also developed metalwork in art. They created altar finishings from metals.
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Examples

Architecture

  • Saint Apollinaire in Classe

In Ravenna, 6th century. This contains richly sculptured capitals on marble columns.

  • S Sabina

In Rome, 423-432 AD. This is among the best preserved early Christian basilicas. The light comes from the clerestory, from which the monks would have sung hymns.

  • Santa Costanza

A 4th Century Church in Rome. The sarcophagus would have been placed in the centre, bringing the congregations attention to it. It is now in the Vatican Museum.

  • Baptistery of the Arians

Sculpture

  • Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus

359 AD. Junius Bassus was a prefect ...

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