Iconoclasm: Jewish tradition, Deut. 12:2-3: “You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. And you shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods, and you shall obliterate their name from the earth.”
2nd
century, Justin Martyr, early Catholic writer, condemns pagans for using
statues in worship. Only Gnostics had
such pictures then. Clement of
Alexandria (c. 150 to btw. 211 and 215) and Tertullian (c. 155 to after 220)
believed similarly: They saw the 2nd
commandment as absolute and binding on Christians.
C.
327 A.D. even after Constantine was on the throne, Eusebius of Caesarea, the
first church historian, wrote to the sister of the emperor that she shouldn’t
have asked him for a picture of Jesus.
True, he said, pictures of Jesus and the apostles are sold in the
bazaars of Palestine, but he thought the painters and shopkeepers weren’t
Christian who did so. Church still
changing in this regard overall.
Gregory
the Great, Pope, 590-604 A.D.:
“Pictures are used in the church in order that those who are ignorant of
letters may, merely by looking at the walls, read there what they were unable
to read in books.” Still few religious
statues between 476 and 9th centuries A.D.
726-843
A.D. Leo III begins iconoclasm, 745 ban
occurs, orders all images of Christ, saints, and prophets to be destroyed.
843-Theodora,
empress in East, legalizes them again.
Political
dispute aspect: monasteries also had
too much power, inc. wealth w/o paying taxes mostly. Def. of images (2D vs. 3D compromise). Blinded, tortured, even killed.
*Catacombs: Tombs outside Rome, earliest Christian art
in them. Up to 5 levels deep. In use 2nd-4th
centuries. Also place of refuge in
emergencies, such as during persecution.
Orans—basic, hastily done art, pictures of someone praying. Arms raised in prayer. Text, p. 316. Symbolizes soul praying for salvation. Realism not objective, nor beauty, but to be a symbolic reminder of
human position under God. Clarity and
simplicity vs. realism or beauty.
*Sarcophagus
of Junius Bassus: Classical styles,
notice pagan god Caelus holding up the sky.
(Under who?) Text, p. 321.
How
is Jesus (text, pp. 320-21) portrayed differently from today’s usual
portrayals? (Beard)
Jesus
portrayed as king, ruler after 313 A.D., as shepherd or teacher before. Text, p. 318, 322 vs. 325. Halo, purple robe, throne, etc.
Christian
art, c. 500 A.D., stops looking to observe nature closely, has conventions,
formula of classics w/o change.
Simplicity, clarity emphasized; foreshortening, shadows, points through
robes could still be done.
Byzantium: Freezes, yet preserves, in place old
classical innovations, but no new approaches down, such as shadows on face.
Basilicas,
“royal halls.” Needs large meeting
halls so assembled laity can listen to priest/elder/bishop. Old pagan temples—usually just a small
shrine to the god in it, processions and sacrifices done outside. Basilicas—semi-circular end where
judge/official would sit (in apse).
Often had wooden roofs with visible beams, columns line sides. Adopted for cathedrals, churches.
Old
St. Peters (text, p. 324, compare to St. Paul’s): Begun 333 A.D., very influential design. Nave, main central area, bigger than most
Gothic cathedrals built centuries later.
215 foot wide transept, cross aisle.
Entrance on end, not side. Puts
most visual emphasis on end where sacrifice done, the apse. Decoration on inside, not outside.
*Hagia
Sophia (text, p. 330): Interior of 233
feet by 252 feet, with a dome 112 feet in diamter, up to 184 feet high over
pavement. Central dome approach, with
circle of columns, although combined with lateral western approach in fusion of
styles.
4
pendentives (see figure 11.23, vs. text, p. 44, avoids obstructed interior) as
supports, concave spherical triangles, support dome, based on 70 foot piers
that massive arches support. Puts
circular dome on top of squarish/rectangular sides, transitions between the
two. “Dome on dome,” the first
partially cut away at top to support the second.
Lots of light, like dome floats on light
coming in from 40 large windows below.
Text,
p. 425: illuminated manuscripts: intricate designs or paintings in
books.
Text,
p. 325: emphasis on gesture, movement
away from body shape. Classical
naturalism not so important, the background becomes more abstract or symbols
used more; no illusion to optical space.
Halo vs. aureole.
Carolingian
art—Aachen—chapel of Charlemagne’s palace (text, p. 347). Literally just took old columns from ruins,
even capitals. Wanted to build in
stone, not wood, as Romans did for major buildings.
*Romanesque
Style (Norman Style): 1000-1150/1200
A.D. TEXT, p. 420. “Fortress of God.” By 1000 A.D., most of Europe Christianized, Vikings and Magyars
tamed, so now can build with more security.
Blocky appearance, normally rectangles, cubes, cylinders,
half-cylinders.
Stone
roofs vs. wood: dignity issue, fire
hazard, open rafters problem.vs. weight.
Heavy, solid walls, few windows since would weaken support for roof. Like a bridge arch that’s a tunnel. Intended for monks, not laity—protective
symbolism vs. outside hostile world.
Basilica
of St. Sernin in Toulouse, Text, p. 421.
Even spacing of columns directs attention towards apse, altar.
*Bayeux
Tapestry, text, p. 422 (show prop, if available): ornamental band at atop, casualties at bottom. Brutal realism. Done by Anglo-Saxon women.
Ste.
Madelaine, Verzelay, text, p. 423:
Cross vaulting, avoid barrel arch problem with lighting, openings (doors
also) being limited. Used flying
buttresses.
*Gothic
Style, text, p. 426: Pointed arches
make weight go straight down more, less need for massive support.
Unlike
Far East, Egypt, even Byzantium, western Europe restless, kept changing
artistic styles, befits Germanic national character. Symbolism of Gothic restless, unfinished, vs. serene classical
temple. Italians slows to adopt it, saw
it as “barbarous,” why called “Gothic.”
No
need for fixed radius as in Romaneque Style.
Can change span, height easily.
Make flatter or more pointed at will.
Stained glass, allows for far more light since can have (crowns) points
at same height, unlike a dome/barrel arch.
*Flying
Buttresses (text, pp. 428, 432, 434):
Supports vaults at points of greatest thrusts from outside, not
concealed (as was case in Romanesque architecture) by roofing.
Have
firm arches with lighter materials to fill in-between.
Span arches/ribs crosswise between pillars,
then fill in triangular sections in-between.
Rib vault on ceiling allows for uninterrupted light. Use pillars inside as main support, not
outside walls (i.e., the ribbing). Ribs
on stone—More soaring, light-filled.
St.
Denis, A.D. 1144, Royal Court showed up, Text, p. 426. Suger—Abbot of St. Denis—full of light. Bernard of Clairvaux, emphasized faith,
anti-ostentation, but Suger undid the latter.
Typanum: Above lintel of doorway. Can add all sorts of details ad hoc almost.
Notre
Dame, Paris, text, p. 428: Built
1163-1250.
Chartes,
Notre Dame, text, pp. 429, 431: Façade,
157 feet by 427 feet, spire of 344 feet (south one). Nave, 130 feet long by 122 feet high. 44 foot high windows, 20,000 sq. feet of glass. Even more stained glass.
Amiens,
text, p. 432: 144 foot high nave.
*Sainte
Chapelle, p. 433: “Jewelbox”—almost no
stone walls. 6,700 sq. fet of glass
with 1134 scenes, colored light. 75%
glass walls. A set of piers support the
glass.
Salisbury: 84 foot vault, but 404 foot spire; 1220 begun, 1380 done.
Beauvais: 157 foot high vault collapses in 1284;
Exterior pier undermines it. Delicate
balance symbolism.
*Giotto,
text. p. 439: “Father of Western
painting,” illusions of space, bulk, movement, human expression. Discovered how to do a 3-D on a flat
surface; took old Byzantium ethereal conventions, broke free of them. Not picture writing, but could make illusion
of dramatizing a real scene before us.
Tried to be very realistic.
Space carefully considered, not ignored by “squeezing,” didn’t try to
show each figure fully. But (say) only
showed backs or sides, unlike Egyptian art.
Individualized mourning by figure, varied, brought in emotions. Wit, dexterity discussed by average
people. Gained fame in own right,
unlike artists and sculptors of most cathedrals like Chartes, Strasbourg, or
Nambourg.