Week 5 Power and Authority in Early Christian Art the Mosaics of San Vitale

Early Byzantine Art

Every bit you know, Rome was the capitol of the Roman Empire until the era of Constantine . In 324, Constantine moved the capital from Rome to the Greek City of Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople .�

Things were fine for awhile, simply by the 5^th century of the common era, things began to change. The W was under attack by the barbarians and ultimately brutal apart. The cities that were part of the Roman empire declined in population or merely died.� Many cities in France , Algeria , Syria , etc. merely disappeared.� What did survive were pocket-size settlements around a church. It was a catamenia in which centralized government was replaced warring kingdoms.� The urban center of Rome continued to exist, but was reduced to 10,000 people or so. In the west, the population decreased and economic resources decreased.

Justinian as World Conqueror, left leaf of a diptych, mid-6th century, Ivory

Around 527, Justinian came to the throne in the East � the part of the Roman empire that had its capitol at Byzantium .� He wanted things to go back to the way they were.� He wanted to recreate the Roman empire.� Note that the Eastern emperors still referred to their empire equally � Rome � � non as the Byzantine empire .� They saw themselves as legitimate successors to the Ancient Roman emperors, fifty-fifty though they spoke Greek and not Latin.�

The center scene here is the Adventus � Justinian is on horseback, with a barbarian begging for mercy.� On the left, we a subject bringing tribute to the emperor. On the right, a minor Victory figure is crowning Justinian.� At the base, the central effigy is a personification of earth.� Additional figures bringing tribute � a figure with elephant and tusk, a figure with a tiger, a figure with panthera leo � all representing Justinian�south conquests in Asia and Africa .�

This is standard Roman imperial imagery � but juxtaposed with Christian imagery. At the top is a youthful Christ with cross � and a reference to the ascension lord's day and the night sky.� It'south the same symbolism of eternity that we saw with the Augustus of Prima Porta.� Christ is flanked with winged figures � the Nike figures of victory now read as heavenly angels.�

Justinian did not come across himself equally presiding over a period of decline.� Although this was a period of macerated resources, it actually was a catamenia of lavish spending on the church.� Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire for 38 years.�

At the time of Justinian�due south reign, Constantinople was a large urban center of well-nigh 1.5 million people.

Although the Byzantine Empire remained intact, Justinian�south rule was well-nigh always under threat, and he was well-nigh constantly at war.� He likewise adopted harsh policies that were non popular with the people of Byzantium .� In order to salvage money, he banned all games and spectacles and eliminated some municipal services.� He also decreed that government officials could not acquire holding while in office.�

All of this created a skillful bargain of public discontent.� Two factions in Constantinople emerged � the Dejection and the Greens.� In 532 they attacked law and authorities officials.� They freed prisoners from jail.� During the Nika Defection, the Church of Hagia Sophia was burned.� These factions marched on the palace and sought to supercede Justinian with one of his rivals.

Justinian�s throne was saved past his married woman, Theodora.� Justinian�southward impulse was to abscond, merely Theodora refused.� She rallied the court � declaring that she would rather dice in the regal palace than alive in exile.�� Theodora, therefore, was successful in disarming the courtroom to suppress the uprising.�

Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus, Hagia Sophia, Constaninople ( Istanbul , Turkey ), 532-537

The Church building of Hagia Sophia or � Church building of Holy Wisdom � was THE Church of the Eastern empire, just as Old St. Peter�s was THE Church of the Western empire.

In 532, the older version as burned to the footing in a anarchism confronting the Justinian because his taxes were so high � the Nika Revolt.� Nika means �conquer.�� Justinian rebuilt Hagia Sophia with extreme opulence.

The above illustration is a model of what the church building originally looked like (disregard the minarets; they are later additions from when Hagia Sophia was transformed into a mosque.  Today it is a museum.)

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Hagia Sophia is a traditional basilica, simply with an enormous dome (highlighted in yellow).  It combined Eastern and Western Tradition.� Information technology is believed to have been Justinian�southward idea, although the emperor needed help in translating his vision to reality.� He hired a professor and a mathematician to work on the project�Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus.

I first entered into a central courtyard, then proceeded though the narthex, and into the nave (surrounded by side aisles).  The apse was at the far end.  The whole central space was restricted to processions, and the mutual people people were restricted to the aisles.

The dome is supported by four large piers which are hidden, thus making the architecture hard to understand.�

Analogy of Pendentives & Squinches

The weight of the dome is channeled to the piers through the use of pendentives.� This is the first apply of pendentives we accept seen in this form.� Also, there are one-half-domes supporting the whole dome.�

Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus, Hagia Sophia, Interior View

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Hagia Sophia had a huge interior space. The whole upper part is covered with gold mosaics.� Originally, in that location were no images in this church � the upper zone was pure gold.� The lower function was covered with marble.� It was probably the most expensive building ever built.  Still, it was also an architectural challenge!

• In 558, it collapsed and was rebuilt.

• In 989, it collapsed and was rebuilt.

• In the 14^th century, information technology again collapsed and was again rebuilt.

This church fix a design for using domes in the Churches in the Byzantine earth.� Later, Byzantine churches keep the dome, but non the basilica.

Notice that s treaks of low-cal that come through the windows of the dome.� The dome looks like its floating due to the ring of windows.  Information technology's quite the heavenly vision!

San Vitale, Ravenna , 526-547, Exterior View

As we've previously discussed, Ravenna is in Italian republic , which was part of the Western empire.� As Italy was condign weaker and weaker, Honorius, the Western emperor, moved the Western capital to Ravenna .� Ravenna was a modest Etruscan town, but it was surrounded by swamps and easily defended.� When Honorius died, his half-sister, Galla Placidia, took over the Western government for a brusque while.� After her expiry, the boondocks was captured by the Germans, then the Ostrogoths.  All the same, it finally became part of the Byzantine empire when it was captured by Belisarius on behalf of Justinian.�

During Justinian�s reign, Ravenna prospered.� Today, the monuments that survive at that place allow fine art historians to come across the artistic transition from the Early Christian manner to the Byzantine style.

This church was dedicated to Saint Vitalis, who was a Christian martyr.� But it was also very much the Church of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodora.

From the exterior, find the unadorned brickwork and the central dome within an octagonal pavilion

San Vitale, Ravenna, Programme

Although it has a evidently outside and a polygonal apse, this is not a basilica, and information technology is not a large building.  It introduces in Ravenna a new programme for Byzantine churches -- one that emphasizes the centralized dome.  The key plan for a church is an Eastern Tradition and was prevalent in Constantinople.  Note the narthex (in orange), the series of doors (in purple), the columns (in greenish), the choir (in light blue) and the alcove and altar (in night blue).  At that place are also stair towers (in pink) and chapels (in crimson).  The alcove and altar are off-center.  Why this is the case is unknown; at that place may accept been� planning issues related to the site or the existing roads.  Then notice that the center of the church consists of two concentric octagons.� Finally, find the large black piers that back up the octagonal dome and create curved niches.

San Vitale, Ravenna, Interior view of the choir and apse

Here, nosotros are looking towards the choir and the apse.  There is marble and mosaic on every surface. Much of the mosaic in fabricated from tesserae of gold and it reflects light. Thus, the a rchitecture and mosaics ship the viewer to a spiritual world.� Although the design looks simple in programme, the actual execution is visually complex.�Also note the squinches which support the octagonal dome.

The capitals in San Vitale take been transformed with vines, the cantankerous, animals, and chosen �historiated capitals.�  There is also a new element between the capital and the arch known as an impost block.

San Vitale, Ravenna, Detail of an historiated uppercase

The area around the altar � the chancel � retains its original mosaics.�

San Vitale, Ravenna, Apse mosaic of the Second Coming of Christ

In the apse is a mosaic depicting the Second Coming of Christ.� Christ is beardless and youthful in the Early Christian style.� His pose recalls that of an enthroned Roman emperor.� He is holding a ringlet with the seven seals as described in the book of Revelation.� He sits on an orb that represents the world.� Below him are the Four Rivers of Paradise.� On his correct, Christ extends a victory wreath (Roman symbol) to Saint Vitalis, who is accompanied past an affections.� On his left stands another affections who is introducing Bishop Ecclesius.� Ecclesius is presenting a model of the Church to Christ. The foundations of the church were built under the authority of Bishop Ecclesius.  Find that both Saint Vitalis and Bishop Ecclesius are labeled.

San Vitale, Ravenna, Interior view of the choir and apse

Below the alcove mosaic are two frieze-like mosaics, ane of Justinian and one of Theodora.� The two key figures appear opposite one another in the lower register of the apse.  Note that Christ (in a higher place) appears to be extending the wreath towards Justinian.

Justinian, Bishop Maximianus, and attendants, San Vitale, Ravenna, ca. 547

In this mosaic, Justinian is in the center.� Nobody steps on his toes � which indicates that he stands in front end.� Justinian is dressed in the regal robe which was reserved for the Emperor. He wears a c rown, but as well a halo, which emphasizes his importance. Both Justinian and Theodora have halos, which was picked up from Mithra.� Later, the halo will but exist used for holy figures.� In this scene, Justinian is celebrating mass.�� He is holding a paten � a big gold bowl containing the� Communion Bread.

Although all the figures are in a procession, they are very unlike from other processions that we have seen � like the Panathenic procession on the frieze of the Parthenon or the Royal procession of the Ara Pacis.�

In this case, all of the figures look out at you; they are given a frontal presentation.  There is no depth.  There is minimal mural (just a tiny bit of green).  At that place is no defined ground line, although there is a difference betwixt the green ground and the gold in a higher place, that is highly ambiguous space.� The artist intends to propose that this procession is taking place before the actual altar in San Vitale.

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The figures are tall and elongated.  They display small, splayed feet. The overlapping of the feet ascertain the club of the procession.  There is no body weight, no body beneath curtain, and the accent is on the head.  The drapery is linear, that is it is falling in straight lines.

Accept note of these stylistic elements -- THESE ARE ALL STYLISTIC QUALITIES OF BYZANTINE ART!

Portrait heads were used for the better known attendants in this lineup:

• Maximianus was the bishop of the church when it was completed.� He is labeled and is also conspicuously prominent.�� He carries the cross.

• Julius Argentarius is the effigy who stands between Maximianus and Justinian, and he is the distributor of the church building.

Which figure is more of import � Justinian or Maximianus??� Actually, the visual testify suggests a close necktie �  and this indicates the close alliance of church and state.

Find that there are twelve figures besides Justinian � this was a deliberate artistic option, and it alluded to Christ and his twelve apostles.� There are other allusions to Christ, including the Chi-Rho shield being carried past Justinian�s military.

Finally, notice the clasps used are shoulders � these are fibula (Remember the Etruscan fibula?  We volition come across more of them when see study Early Medieval fine art).

Theodora and attendants, San Vitale, Ravenna, ca. 547

In this scene, Theodora is within a courtyard with fountain.� There is an arch or canopy over her dorsum.� She appears to be moving toward an open doorway.�

So Justinian is shown in the church, merely Theodora is shown outside or possibly in the narthex.� In fact, she couldn�t actually participate in the mass because she was a woman!

She is dressed in purple, bejeweled and frontal in here presentation.  We see no ground line and in that location is total negation of space.

Theodora is carrying the chalice of vino that will be delivered to the altar.  Therefore, in these mosaics, both Justinian and Theodora are eternal celebrants of the mass.

On the hem of Theodora, we see depictions of the Magi, suggesting an equal condition with the biblical kings who were present at Christ�s nascence.

Taken together, the emperor represents Christ, and the empress represents the Virgin.  In both cases, at that place is a articulate mixing of political and religious symbols.

Theodora has an interesting history � she was not born into an aristocratic family.�� Her father worked at a circus in Constantinople as a �keeper of bears.�� That is, he trained bears for bear fights, behave hunts, and acquit performances that were popular in Rome.� Her mother was an actress, which was not a highly regard profession.�� Later, Theodora also became an actress and a prostitute.�

Justinian met Theodora when he was about twoscore and she was 25.� He was a senator, and she became his mistress.� However, by law, senators were forbidden to marry actresses.� Justinian went to his uncle, the emperor Justin, who and so rewrote this law so that it was okay for a senator to ally an ex-extra.�

Justin died in 527 and Justinian was crowned emperor.� Theodora and so became empress.  Equally noted in the context of the Nika defection, Theodora was strong-willed and an intelligent counselor to Justinian.�� Apparently Justinian and Theodora were faithful to each other for the residuum of their lives.�

N either Justinian not Theodora visited Ravenna.� Neither of them really saw San Vitale.  Just the fact that they were BOTH included in this composition shows that she indeed held power in Justinian�s court.

Sant Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna, defended 549

Until the 9^th century, this church building held the body of Saint Apollinaris.� We know that he existed, only we accept no historical record of his life.� We know he was a bishop at Ravenna, that he was martyred, and that he was memorialized through churches in Ravenna like this 1, which were dedicated to him.�

It is an Early Christian blazon church � a basilica.� The exterior is manifestly brick and undecorated.

San Apollinaris amidst Sheep, Sant Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna, 549

The church was dedicated in 549, and so that�due south when the interior was probably completed. The mosaics are very different from the mosaics associated with Early on Christianity, such equally those associated with the Masoleum of Galla Placidia.

In the alcove, nosotros have a scene of paradise.  In the center is a medallion displaying a cross; Christ appears as a small portrait in the cross.� Below the cross is St. Apollinaris (his body is underneath the altar).  His hands are raised, and he is praying.� Through his gesture and his frontal opinion, he invites you lot to pray through him. �

Around him are twelve lambs that symbolic of the twelve apostles. Since lambs are common sacrificial offeriing, the lambs are likewise symbols of martyrs.� There is not besides much overlapping.� To the contrary, we see a conscious try to eliminate illusionism.

At the top, on either side of the large cross, there are 3 other lambs and 2 human figures pointing toward the cross.� This is a purely symbolic representation of the Transfiguration, the moment were Christ revealed his divinity to his apostles.  3 apostles (here again symbolized as sheep) went to Mount Tabor where Christ was transfigured  It was there that the Sometime Attestation prophets Moses and Isaiah came to say that Christ was God.� And so that'southward the subject of this apse mosaic.

The most recent edition of Gardner'due south crops the paradigm and leaves out the mosaics that appear higher up the alcove, probably considering they were added a little later, but there are some important points to be made.  Above the cross, Jesus appears in a rondel.� To his left and right are symbols of the four evangelists (with two details shown above).  You will run across these symbols used over and over once again and should be familiar with them:

• Angel � Matthew

• King of beasts � Mark

• Ox � Luke

• Eagle � John

These symbolic creatures come from one of visions of Ezekiel which is recorded in the Book of Revelation.� This is not the first time that these symbols appear, simply they practise become more than and more common during the Medieval period.

Taken together, the whole scene uses the same approach as the art of the catacombs � it'southward a symbolic image. This is the first known rendering of the Transfiguration.  This was a representation of divinity that was presented in a guarded and defensive fashion.

Also notice that the apse mosaic works with the altar � at the chantry, the mass is celebrated � where the wine becomes the blood of Christ and the bread becomes the torso of Christ.� This, too, is a transfiguration.

The monastery of St. Catherine, Mount Sinai, Arab republic of egypt, ca. 565

During Justinian�s reign, large-calibration edifice programs were carried out throughout the Byzantine empire , including the monastery of St. Catherine in Mount Sinai, Egypt.

Amidst Early Christians, the sense of existence an outsider was so strong that monasticism was not necessary.� Over fourth dimension, however, many people became Christians without really being committed to the religion. Monasticism emerged as a reaction against the secularization of the church building.� The facet of Christianity begins with Saint Anthony, who lived from 251-356 � some 250 years before this monument was built.� There are historical documents that have been used to assigned these dates � a life bridge of 105 years.� Anthony was born in Egypt.� At age twenty, he sold all of his possessions and lived among the local ascetics.� At the age of 35 (286), he decided to alive in complete isolation and confinement. He survived by gardening and making mats.� During this period, he underwent a series of temptations, which he successfully avoided.� At the age of 55 (306), he left his isolation to guide disciples.� He conspicuously lived long enough to come across Christianity legalized and legitimized, and nosotros know that he wrote to Constantine.� St. Anthony was claimed to have worked miracles, and he encouraged his followers to abscond the temptation of the globe.� He was subsequently regarded as the patriarch of all monks and a healer of men and animals.�

Therefore, monasticism began in Egypt � but the idea traveled very chop-chop and within decades there were monastic communities as far north equally Ireland.�� The idea became so popular so apace that thousands of people left diverse cities � leaving officials truly worried about their taxation base, their military support, and their businesses.�

By the fifth century, there was much confusion surrounding diverse monastery practices that rules were finally written down by a monk � whom we know as St. Benedict.� The Benedictine order was written in 529, stressing that monks live in a common, enclosure under the rule of an abbot.�

The monastery of St. Catherine was congenital by Justinian at Mount Sinai in Egypt between 548 and 565, approximately two decades later the Benedictine order was written. The church at this monastery was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who had been recognized by the Greek Orthodox Church to exist the mother of God.�

The Transfiguration of Jesus, mosaic from the church building of the monastery of St. Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt, ca. 565

This is the apse mosaic inside the church at the monastery of St Catherine.  The manner is Byzantine.  Nosotros encounter Christ at the heart within a mandorla � an almond shaped enclosure that symbolizes glory.� Notice that he is now bearded.�� The Early Christian tradition has been modified.�� At his feet are the disciples John, Peter, and James.� On either side are the Old Testament prophets Elijah and Moses.

Once again, the scene is the Transfiguration of Jesus.� The figures are elongated and flat.  We see no shadows.  They take stylized linear draperies.  The scene takes place against a gold background � a timeless, spiritual realm.

First in the seven^th century, the Byzantine empire plant itself battling the Persians, and then the Arabs.� This really ended the Early on Byzantine period.� Over the next century, the Byzantine empire lost cities, population and wealth � so much and so that the Emperor Leo Iii concluded that God had punished the empire for its idolatrous worship of icons.� In 726 he prohibited the use of images.� For over one hundred years, his law held firm.

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