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 Christian300-750 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.ExamplesArchitecture* Saint Apollinaire in ClasseIn Ravenna, 6th century. This contains richly sculptured capitals on marble columns.* S SabinaIn 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 CostanzaA 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 AriansSculpture* Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus359 AD.

Junius Bassus was a prefect in Rome. This sarcophagus was built at the time of his death. It incorporates religious symbolism such as the peacock and the vine, which are symbols of Christ. This might have been done to ensure his soul went to heaven.* Sarcophagus with scenes from the Passion of Christ, c. 350 ADIn some sarcophagi, the images were similar to the designs and symbols shown on the catacombs.

In others, scenes of the life of Christ or more ceremonious compositions were created, showing Christ enthroned with his disciples. This combines the two, with a chi-rho sign in the centre, and didatic scenes around it showing scenes from the life of Christ.Mosaic and Painting* Baptistery of the Arians* Saint Apollinaire NuovoThe nave is highly decorated with mosaics.Characteristics of ByzantineMost work was produced in Constantinople, but the works were destroyed during the iconoclastic movement. Now the majority of work survives in Salonica, Nicaea, and Daphni in Greece and Ravenna in Italy.

It spread throughout the Mediterranean, although the most important was Ravenna. This is where most of the work was preserved and can be found now. The style developed in the Eastern Empire. It originally focused more on icons and depictions of religious figures than the Western Empire, although the iconoclast movement later changed this as it forbade the depiction of these figures.

Earlier Byzantine art and architecture had it's own characteristics.* Like Early Christian, the Churches were made from the basilican plan or the central plan. The centralised plan was however more common.* The centralised plan always had a domed ceiling. To create a join between the building and the roof, pendentives were used in the corners of the building.* The roofs were made of timber and dressed stone was used for the walls.

* They developed their own columns, which depicted heads and animals, or Christian symbols.* The altar was raised on stone blocks, so it would be more prominent in the Church.The characteristics changed slightly in later Byzantine art* Byzantine Churches were decorated with mosaics.* Four equal arms were added to the centralised plan, so it was now an equal armed cross with a circle in the crossing.* The dome was supported by squinches, which were much more aesthetic than pendentives.

They hid the join between the building and the dome and made it look smoother. The domes also became slightly smaller.* Christ was usually portrayed in the centre of these mosaics, with those around him close or far away in order of importance.* The mosaics were made up of small pieces of glass laid onto the walls on the interior of the Church.

They were laid at slightly different angles so they caught the light and produced a dazzling effect.* The poses and gestures of the figures were stylised* Mosaics usually had gold backgrounds to make them shimmer in the Church light.* Much of the attention was on the exterior as well.Examples* San Vitale, Ravenna.

526-547 ADThis Church is very typical of a Byzantine Church. It is in the centralised plan, has a dome and octagonal centre. In the Church are many mosaics blah blah blah* The Hagia Sophia, c.537 AD.The converted Church has a dome 185 feet above the ground, positioned on windows radiating in a circular angle.

It is supported by pendentives. From the inside, the dome appears to be freestanding, i.e, not attached to the building. The interior is richly decorated with marble and shimmering mosaics.* St Marks Square Cathedral, Venice.

The relic of the Cathedral is the body of Saint Mark. Although it was not built during the Byzantine period, it reflects the characteristics because of its domes and rounded arches.CelticCharacteristics* Decorative instead of realistic* Used flowing patterns and continuous lines based on nature* Roots are in Ireland* The first style to use the cross as part of Christian art. Other Churches did not use the cross as a symbol because they were trying to convert people, and therefore only illustrated the appealing aspects of the religion. The cross was a symbol of death.

However in Ireland they introduced the crucifix in art as the population was entirely Christian already.Examples* The LindisFarme Gospel, written and illustrated c. 698 by the Bishop of LindisFarme in Northumbria. It shows an attempt to reintroduce realism into art.A mixture of many styles, mainly Christian Irish art.

* Animal head from the Oseberg burial c 825A wooden carving of an animals head, 5 inches high.Celtic art centres on nature and animals. It shows curvilinear forms and fluid, abstracted designs.* Bewcastle cross.

Late 7th Century.The interlace pattern is said to chase away evil spirits. The designs can actually be traced in a single line interweaving and crossing over itself.* The Book of Kells early 9th CenturyThis was decorated by the monks of the Iona community. Each decorated letter marks the start of one of the four gospels. It is typical of Celtic Art.