1. Chapter 18 – The Age of Faith Thinking Ahead: 1.How were early Christian and Byzantine places of worship designed? 2.What are some of the features of a masjid, or mosque? 3.What features tend to define the Romanesque style? 4.What distinguishes Gothic architecture?

2. Early Christian and Byzantine Art By 250 CE, 60% of Asia Minor had converted to Christianity. Roman emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire in the Edict of Milan in 313 CE. The subsequent imperial sponsorship of Christianity by Emperor Constantine led to public churches built on a monumental scale. Constantine chose to make early Christian places of worship as unlike classical temples as possible.

3. Previous religious art, such as the Greek Parthenon and the Roman Pantheon, were erected as temples to gods and goddesses and did not require large interior spaces to accommodate worshippers. Pantheon, Rome, 117-125 CE. Parthenon. 447–438 BCE.

4. Two formal types of Early Christian architecture: the longitudinal basilica and the centralized sanctuary. The basilica, which the Romans had used for public buildings, resulted from two factors: the need to house a large congregation, and the liturgical emphasis on the altar as the site for the Christian sacrifice (communion). Emperor Constantine preferred the rectangular basilica The centralized type was more diverse and could have a circular, polygonal, square, or Greek-cross plan. The interior of these churches, particularly the nave walls and apse of a basilica and the dome of a centralized building, were richly decorated with frescoes and mosaics. Early Christian Art

5. Santa Costanza, Rome. c. 354 CE. A small mausoleum built for the tomb of Constantine’s daughter, Constantia. Circular in shape, topped with a dome supported by a barrel vault Points of the Greek cross, which has 4 equal arms

6. The design of Santa Constanza illustrates the significance of the interior space to have capacity for congregations of Christians. Surrounding the circular space is an ambulatory – a circular, colonnaded walkway– that was used for ceremonial processions. Santa Costanza, Rome. c. 354 CE.

7. Byzantine Art By 500 CE, most of the western empire, traditionally Christian, had been overrun by barbarian forces from the north. Emperor Justinian assumed the throne in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) in 527 CE and recaptured much of the Mediterranean world to carry out his vision of a Christian Roman Empire. Justinian began a massive program of public works.

8. San Vitale. Ravenna, Italy. c. 547 CE. Justinian built San Vitale, a new church modeled on the churches of Constantinople. Very plain, unadorned brick octagonal exterior. Circular interior like Santa Costanza

9. Theodora and Her Attendants. c. 547. Mosaic, sidewall of the apse, San Vitale. Justinian and His Attendants. Interior of San Vitale is elaborately decorated with marble mosaics – small pieces of stone, glass, or tile arranged in a pattern or image. These pieces of stone are called tesserae. Note how the figures bear no relation to the naturalism that dominated Greek and Roman art. Naturalism is lost when the small stones are set in cement. Byzantine artists were interested in a symbolic, mystical art.

10. Theodora and Her Attendants. c. 547. Mosaic, sidewall of the apse, San Vitale. Justinian and His Attendants. These two mosaics face each other on the side walls of the apse - a semicircular recess placed at the end of the nave of a Christian church. In both mosaics, Church and state become one and the same.

11. Justinian believed that architecture served to underscore the power of the emperor. The church of Hagia Sophia, meaning “Holy Wisdom,” was his imperial place of worship in Constantinople. Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. 532–37.

12. Hagia Sophia, now an Islamic Mosque, was built at the same time as San Vitale, and its huge interior, crowned by a dome, is reminiscent of San Vitale’s circular, central plan. Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. 532–37. San Vitale. Ravenna, Italy. c. 547 CE.

13. Hagia Sophia’s dome is abutted at either end by half-domes These half-domes culminate in arches that are repeated on 2 sides of the dome. Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. 532–37.

14. Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. 532–37. Hagia Sophia’s dome is supported by 4 pendentives – curved, inverted triangular shapes that rise up to the rim of the dome between the 4 arches themselves. Dome-on-pendentive design became the standard for Byzantine church design.

15. Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus. Hagia Sophia, interior view. 532–37. Christ, from Deësis mosaic. 13th century. Most of the original mosaics were later destroyed or covered over during the 8 th and 9 th centuries CE. What are iconoclasts? Byzantine artists were forced to migrate westward and soon encountered Hellenistic naturalism. How does this mosaic demonstrate the synthesis of Byzantine and Hellenistic art?

16. By the 7 th century CE, barbarian invaders took control of the western empire. But the Byzantine Empire continued until 1453, when the Turks captured Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul, converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

17. The Rise of Islam The Islamic faith, based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, arose on the Arabian peninsula in the 7 th century CE and rapidly spread throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain at a rate far higher than the spread of Christianity. With it, distinctive Islamic art and architecture also spread. The building, location, and architectural forms, such as the plan, the minarets, the qibla, and the mihrab, of a Muslim mosque are specific to religious functions. Mosques differ somewhat depending on the region, but many feature hypostyle halls that are expansive to accommodate a large number of people. Mosques are required to have a qibla, a wall that indicates the direction of Mecca. On this wall were both a minbar, or stepped pulpit for the preacher, and mihrab, a niche commemorating the spot at Medina where Muhammed planted his lance to indicate the direction in which people should pray (towards Mecca). The horseshoe arch is a distinctive element in these structures.

18. Courtyard of the Great Mosque of Damascus. 705–16. At Medina, Muhammad built a house with a large open courtyard that served as a community gathering place, on the model of the Roman forum. His home became known as a mosque – “place of prostration” Hypostyle space

19. Tile mosaic mihrab, from the Madrasa Imami, Isfahan, Persia (Iran). c. 1354 (restored). Glazed and cut ceramic. 11 ft. 3 in. × 7 ft. 6 in. The art of Islam is aniconic, consisting almost exclusively of abstract patterns (sometimes geometric, mainly organic) and calligraphic script Elaborate mosaic decoration covered the walls of palaces and mosques. Contains 3 different inscriptions from the Qur’an, “recitations,” the scriptures of Islam. What formal elements and principles of design do you see in this mihrab?

20. Djingareyber Mosque, Timbuktu. 11th century. Burnt brick and mud. Located in the west African nation of Mali Built by devout Muslim named Mansa Moussa

21. Interior of the sanctuary of the Mosque at Córdoba, Spain. 786–987. The center of Muslim culture in Spain was originally Córdoba. This mosque is a converted Visigothic church. Hypostyle plan Two sets of columns to create a loftier space Two tiers of arches alternate in stone and red brick voissoirs How is the use of 2 different materials both decorative and functional? What formal elements and principles of design do you see in the mosque?

22. Christian Art in Northern Europe Although the center of Western civilization was located at Constantinople until 1000 CE, there were many pagan tribes that held localized power throughout Europe: the Lombards in Italy, the Franks and Burgundians in France, and the Angles and Saxons in England. The papacy in Rome worked to convert these pagan tribes and reassert the authority of the Christian church through missionary and educational missions.

23. Christian Art in Northern Europe Celtic art has its origins in the sculpture, carving, and metalwork of the ancient Celtic peoples who dominated Continental Europe and the British Isles from about 1000 CE. onwards.

24. Purse cover, from Sutton Hoo burial ship. c. 625. Gold with Indian garnets and cloisonné enamel, originally on an ivory or bone background (now lost). length 8 in. The art of migrating peoples of the Middle Ages On the Isle of Britain, a hinged clasp and other objects were found on the Sutton Hoo, the burial ship of an East Anglican King. The hinged clasp illustrates three of the major design elements of Celtic art—knot works, spirals, and key patterns—all characteristics of the animal style. Note the abstract tracery of interlace and the representation of animals.

25. St. Matthew from the Lindisfarne Gospels. c. 700. approximately 11 × 9 in. St. Matthew from the Gospel Book of Charlemagne. c. 800–810. Manuscript page. 12-3/4 × 9-7/8 in. Carolingian art

26. Romanesque Art Romanesque architecture is characterized by its easily recognizable geometric masses—rectangles, cylinders, and half-cylinders. Romanesque buildings have large vaulted ceilings, which require massive walls, typically lacking windows. What role did the pilgrimage route play in church building? The art of sculpture began to reemerge in the Romanesque period.

27. Gislebertus. Last Judgment, tympanum and lintel, west portal, Cathedral, Autun, France. c. 1125–35. Tympanum - the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments.

28. Gothic Art Gothic style of architecture was favored over the Romanesque. Light is a defining feature of Gothic buildings. Unlike Romanesque structures, Gothic buildings are well lit because of the introduction of stained glass windows. Light was believed to serve as a manifestation of the divine. Gothic buildings are defined by an emphasis on verticality. What role did Abbot Suger play in the development of Gothic style? Regional differences affected the visual attributes of the Gothic cathedral. Compare Gothic architecture in Italy, France, Germany, and Spain.

29. Many Christian churches held religious artifacts and became popular on the pilgrimage route during the Middle Ages. Chartres Cathedral owned a small piece of cloth thought to be worn by the Virgin Mary herself. The cloth supposedly possessed healing powers, making it a must-see artifact for religious crusaders. Rose Window West facade, Chartres Cathedral, France c. 1134–1220; south spire, c. 1160; north spire 1507–13.

30. Choir of Cologne Cathedral, Germany. 13th and 14th centuries.

31. Florence Cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore), Italy begun by Arnolfo de Cambio, 1296; dome by Filippo Brunelleschi, 1420–36.

32. Central portal of the west facade of Reims Cathedral, France. c. 1225–90. Annunciation and Visitation, detail, west portal, Reims Cathedral, France. c. 1225–45. Compared to Romanesque sculpture, Gothic sculpture is much more naturalistic.