This document provides an overview of the syllabus for an art history survey course on Jewish, Early Christian, and Byzantine art. It includes the course details, a timeline of relevant historical periods, descriptions of important works and sites, and brief biographies of significant figures. The syllabus covers the origins and spread of the three monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It then examines early Jewish, Christian, and Byzantine art from the 1st century CE through the fall of Constantinople in 1453 CE, highlighting influential artistic styles, architectural forms, and artistic traditions within each period.

1. Art History Survey, T, R, 12-1:20PM, P327, Professor Paige
Prater
JEWISH, EARLY CHRISTIAN, & BYZANTINE
ART

2. THREE MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS/BOOKS
Judaism – Hebrew Scriptures, Torah
 Christianity – Hebrew Scriptures (Old
Testament) + New Testament = Bible
 Islam – Q’uran (Arabic)


3. MAP OF CHRISTIAN SPREAD

4. MAP OF ISLAMIC SPREAD

5. TIMELINE


Destruction of Jerusalem -70 CE
Early Christian (100-6th century CE)



Early Byzantine (5th century – 726 CE)



End of Western Roman Empire – 476CE
Iconoclastic Controversy 726-843CE
Middle Byzantine (843-1204 CE)



Imperial Christian (313-476CE)
Council of Nicaea – 325 CE
Catholic vs. Orthodox 1054 CE
Crusades begin 1095 CE
Late Byzantine (1261-1453CE)

Fall of Constantinople to Turks 1453 CE

6. DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM,
70 CE
 Arch of Titus, 81 CE

7. EARLY JEWISH ART

Synagogue at Dura Europos, Syria, 250CE

8. EARLY JEWISH ART – DURA EUROPOS

The Finding of the Baby Moses (244-45 CE)

9. JEWISH CATACOMB – VILLA TORLONIA, ROME

Menorahs and Ark of the Covenant, 3rd
century

10. EARLY JEWISH ART

Synagogue
floor mosaic,
Maon
(ancient
Menois)
c. 530 CE

11. EARLY CHRISTIAN ART - SYMBOLS





Good Shepherd
Icthus (fish)
Chi Rho
Alpha and Omega
Gospels (first 4 books in New Testament)





Matthew = man or angel
Mark = Lion
Luke = Ox
John = Eagle
Crosses

Latin, Greek, Tau, & St. Peter’s

12. SYMBOLS:
GOOD
SHEPHERD





Good Shepherd,
Orants, and
Story of Jonah,
Catacomb of
Saints Peter and
Marcellinus,
Rome, late 3rdearly 4th century
Lunettes
Medallion
Syncretism
Typology

13. SYMBOLS: CHI RHO, ICTHUS, & ALPHA & OMEGA
Detail from Theodorus’ sarcophagus,
5th century, Ravenna

14. SYMBOLS: GOSPELS (WRITTEN 65-95CE)
Carolingian illuminated manuscript, 9th century

15. SYMBOLS: CROSSES
Latin
 Greek
 Tau
 St.
Peter’s


16. BASILICA PLAN CHURCH

17. OLD ST. PETER’S BASILICA (4TH CENTURY)

18. SANTA SABINA, C. 422-432
Bishop Peter of Ilyria
 Brick/marble veneer
 24 Corinthian columns:
spolia!

View from south aisle near the
sanctuary to the entrance

19. SANTA SABINA – DOOR PANEL (420S CE)
The Ascension of Elijah
 Cypress wood


20. CENTRAL PLAN CHURCH
Atrium
 Narthex
 Apse
 Dome


21. CENTRAL PLAN CHURCH: SANTA COSTANZA,
ROME, C. 350 CE

22. SANTA COSTANZA, ROME, 350 CE

Harvesting of Grapes, ambulatory vault;
double allusion

23. RAVENNA

395 – Emperor Theodosius I : eastern &
western Roman empire (split between his
sons)
 Honorius
(395-423 CE) – Milan > Ravenna
-Direct access by sea to Contantinople
 Galla

Placidia, sister; regent 425-440 CE (West)
476 CE – Italy fell to the Ostrogoths;
Ravenna became headquarters

24. MAUSOLEUM OF GALLA PLACIDIA –
RAVENNA, 425-426 CE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvnr0wnmoGY
Good Shepherd –
Lunette over
entrance

25. MAUSOLEUM OF GALLA PLACIDIA –
RAVENNA, 425-426 CE

Cruciform plan; pendentive dome (vs squinches)
St. Lawrence
Patron saint of
Bakers


26. EARLY CHRISTIAN SCULPTURE

Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, c. 359 CE,
Marble

27. EARLY BYZANTINE: FIRST GOLDEN AGE
5th century-726 CE (iconoclasm)
 Art of Constantinople
 Emperor Justinian 527-565 CE


28. CONTSTANTINOPLE: WALLS, 412-413CE
Moat & double walls with huge towers
 4 mi
 180’ deep


29. CONSTANTINOPLE: HAGIA SOPHIA, 532-537 CE
Justinian &
Theodora 532 CE
 Anthemius
of Tralles –
geometry/
optics
 Isidorus of
Miletus physics


30. CONSTANTINOPLE: HAGIA SOPHIA

Pendentives vs squinches

31. CONSTANTINOPLE: HAGIA SOPHIA

32. CHURCH OF SAN VITALE, RAVENNA
476 CE – Arian Christian Ostrogoths conquer
the Romans
 526 CE – Bishop Ecclesius commissions 2
new churches- San Vitale in Ravenna and
one in port Classis
 540 CE – Byzantine forces conquer Ravenna
 Well-preserved monuments!
 San Vitale not finished until AFTER Justinian
conquered Ravenna


33. CHURCH OF SAN VITALE, RAVENNA
Centraldomed
octagon
 Offset narthex
 Dome:
mortared,
interlocking
ceramic tubes
 squinches


34. CHURCH OF SAN VITALE, RAVENNA
Gold tesserae
 Mossics in
apses


35. CHURCH OF SAN VITALE, RAVENNA

Christ Enthroned, 547 CE. Half-dome of
sanctuary apse.

36. CHURCH OF SAN VITALE, RAVENNA

Justinian and Theodora did NOT attend the
dedication; may never have been there at all!
Emperor Justinian and his attendants, North wall of the apse.

37. CHURCH OF SAN VITALE, RAVENNA

“Purple makes a fine shroud” - Theodora
Empress Theodora and her attendants, South wall of the apse.

38. CHURCH OF SAN VITALE, RAVENNA
Abel and Melchizedek, South wall lunette. TYPOLOGY!!!

39. SANT’APOLLINAIRE IN CLASSE

Mosaics above
apse added in
7th-9th century

40. ARCHANGEL MICHAEL DIPTYCH – EARLY 6TH
CENTURY
Two carved,
hinged
panels
 “Receive
these gifts,
and having
learned the
cause…”


41. BOOKS: VIENNA GENESIS, EARLY 6TH CENTURY

Murex
mollusks –
imperial use
Rebecca at the Well. The Vienna Genesis, early 6th century. Tempera, gold, and
silver paint on purple dyed vellum, 13 ½ x 9 7/8”.

42. KEY BYZANTINE EMPERORS
527-565 - Justinian I: First Byzantine
Emperor
 717-741 – Leo III: ICONOCLASM in 726
 867-886 – Basil I: initiates Macedonian
dynasty
 1259-1282 – Michael VIII Palaeologus:
retakes Constantinople from Crusaders in
1261
 1449-1453 – Last Byzantine Emperor:
Constantine XI Palaeologus


43. BOOKS: RABBULA GOSPELS, 586, SYRIA
Crucifixion &
Resurrection
 Signed by
monk, Rabbula
 Monastery of
St. John the
Evangelist in
Beth Zagba,
Feb 586 CE


44. RABBULA GOSPELS,
586, SYRIA
Ascension
 Ezekiel 1
 Mandorla
 Theotokos (Godbearer/Church


45. ICONS & ICONOCLASM





Greek word eikon, meaning
“image”
Eastern Orthodox:
iconostasis (screen);
prayed while looking at
images (ICONS)miraculous powers
Idolatry vs veneration:
Basil the Great of
Cappadocia (329-379) and
John of Damascus (675749)
726 CE: Emperor Leo III –
ICONOCLASM “image
breaking”
843 CE: Empress
Theodora, widow of Virgin and Child with Saints & Angels.
Theophilus, reversed 2nd half of 6th century, encaustic on wood, 27 x 18 7/8”
the

46. MULTIPLE DOME CHURCH PLANS
Naos –
central
core
 Quincu
nx –
cross-insquare


47. CATHEDRAL OF SANTA SOPHIA, KIEV, 10371046 CE

Eastern Slavs>Scandinavian Vikings (Byzantine
bodyguards!)>Kiev=capital
Eastern Orthodox
 Large Central Dome + 12
smaller domes


48. MONASTERY CHURCHES AT HOSIO
LOUKAS, GREECE: 10-11TH CENTURIES
Middle Byzantine
 Alternating courses
of brick & stone
(vertical AND
horizontal)


49. CATHEDRAL OF ST.
MARK, VENICE,
1063 BEGUN
 Venice: important
Byzantine trade
center
 Greek cross plan
 5 great
domes/barrel
vaults/pendentives

50. HARBAVILLE TRIPTYCH, MID-11TH CENTURY,
IVORY.


http://www.louvre
.fr/en/oeuvrenotices/harbaville
-triptych
Deesis –
“entreaty”

51. PALERMO: PALATINE CHAPEL, MID-12TH
CENTURY

Sicily: a mix of
cultures
 Greek
colony
 Roman empire
 Ruled by Muslims from
827-end of 11th century
 Normans took over
 1130-1154 – Norman
King Roger
 Religious toleration
• Western basilica plan with
Byzantine dome on squinches
• Christ at PANTOKRATOR

52. PALERMO: KING ROGER’S CHAMBER

Byzantine domestic architecture

53. FUNERARY CHAPEL, CHURCH OF THE
MONASTERY OF CHRIST 1310-1321 CE
Now the Kariye
Camii Museum in
Istanbul
 1316-1321 – sponsor
Theodore Metochites
expanded it
 Late Byzantine


54. ANASTASIS, CHURCH OF THE MONASTERY OF
CHRIST IN CHORA
Adam &
Eve
 Starstudded
mandorla


55. THE OLD TESTAMENT TRINITY, ANDREY
RUBLYOV, ICON, 1410-1425, TEMPERA ON
PANEL
Representation of
the Trinity
 Artist-monk
 Commissioned for
abbot Sergius of
the Trinity-Sergius
Monastery, near
Moscow.
 Ideal geometry –
Late Byzantine
