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1. | Course materials etc |
2. | (Snyder 1-26; Beckwith 21-22) Roman Houses; Domus Ecclesiae; Shrine of St Peter, Rome, late C2; Jonah and the Whale, statuette, C3; Good Shepherd, statuette, C3; Sarcophagus with story of Jonah, Rome, late C3; Projecta Casket, Rome, late C4; Catacomb of Sts Peter and Marcellinus, Rome, C4 (Good Shepherd and Jonah, Adam and Eve frescoes) |
Salvation: Constantine and the Early Christian Basilica
3. | (Snyder 27-39; also 66-78 for information) Old St Peter's, Rome, c.324-40; S Paolo fuori le mure, Rome, 385 , S Lorenzo fuori le mure, Rome, c.330; Sta Costanza (mausoleum), Rome, c.350; Lateran Baptistery, Rome, c.315 and c.423-40 |
Early Christian Italian Reliefs
4. | (Snyder 90-96; Beckwith 20-21; reminder, compare units 1
and 2) Brescia Casket, c. 360-70; Maries at Sepulcher panel, Rome, late C4; Maries and Ascension panel, Rome, late C4/early C5; British Museum Passion Casket, c.420; Wooden Doors, Sta Sabina, Milan, 422-32; Miracles of Christ diptych, Rome, c.475-c.500; Agnus Dei book cover, Milan Cathedral, late C5 |
Early Christian Illustrated Books and Picture Cycles
5. | (Snyder 79-90) Vatican Vergil, C5; Iliad Ambrosiana, C5; Vienna Dioscurides, 512; St Augustine Gospels, c.600 |
Early Christian Church Decoration: Rome
6. | (Snyder 40-65; reminder, Doors: Sta Sabina, Milan,
422-32, unit 4)
Apse Mosaics: Old St Peter's (reconstruction, C4?); Sta Pudenziana, c.400 |
7. | DISCUSSION #1 If Early Christian art is neither illusionistic nor logically narrative, how did the artists seek to get its message across? What are the main outlines of that message and how does it relate to the historical context? Illustrate your answer by analyzing one main church and its decoration (complete the analysis with reference to others) and one independent work. |
Constantinople under Justinian (527-565)
8. | (Snyder 101-105; reminder, compare and contrast unit 3
and its extra reading) Imperial Chapels: Hagia Sophia, 532-527; Sts Sergius and Bacchus, by 536 |
Early Byzantine Illustrated Books and Picture Cycles
9a. | (Snyder 83-87; reminder, compare unit 5) Vienna Genesis, mid C6; Rossano Gospels, mid C6 |
Ivories from Constantinople
9b. | (Snyder 103-106; 95-96; Beckwith 35-37; reminder,
compare unit
4) Consular Diptych of Anastasius, 517; St Michael Plaque, early C6; Ariadne Panel, early C6; Barberini Diptych, mid C6; Throne of Maximian, for archbishop of Ravenna, c.547, Adoration Plaque, Coptic, C6 |
Churches in Ravenna
10. | (Snyder 111-115; reminder compare units 3 and 8)
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, c.425-50; Orthodox Baptistery, 450-60; Arian Baptistery,
c.500 |
11. | (Snyder 115-125; reminder compare units 3, 8 and 9) S Apollinare Nuovo, c.500; S Vitale, 546-48; S Apollinare in Classe, c.549 |
A New Importance for the Virgin
12. | (no reading, but you should have seen these objects in
your reading to-date) Virgin and Child, Catacomb of Commodilla, Rome, c.528; Virgin and Child, Sta Maria Antiqua, Rome, C6-C7; Virgin and Child, apse mosaic, Sta Maria Nova, Rome, redone in C12; Enthroned Virgin and Majesty diptych, Constantinople, mid C6; Virgin and Child, apse mosaic, Euphrasian basilica, Pore , c.550 |
Icons and Iconoclasm
13. | (Snyder 126-129; Beckwith 37-42)
Transfiguration, apse mosaic, St Catherine, Mt Sinai, Egypt, c.550-65; |
14. | DISCUSSION #2 Which aspect of the human mind did Early Byzantine artists and architects seek to "hook"? How did they do this, and how might this have affected the issue of Iconoclasm? Illustrate your answer by analyzing one church and its decoration, and by analyzing a surviving icon which might have been particularly inflammatory. |
For interest Old English Pages: Art and Artifacts - 6th to 11th century mix. Check it out.
The Kings of Northumbria, new converts: what they inherited
15. | (Wilson 9-27; reminder, compare and contrast
Constantine's inheritance, unit 2) The Sutton Hoo ship burial, East Anglia, c.625: note especially the great gold buckle, the purse-lid, the clasps (sort of), the hanging bowls. |
Northumbria turns to Iona
Kings of Northumbria: Oswald 634-642; Oswy 642-673; Ecfrith 673-685
6. | (Snyder 175-184; Wilson 29-38) Cathach of St Columba (a psalter), Iona?, c.600; Durham Gospels A.II.10, Lindisfarne, c.650; Book of Durrow, Ireland, Iona or Northumbria, c.625-64?; Durham Gospels A.II.17, Lindisfarne, by 664? |
Consolidation of Insular Art: Iona and Ireland after Whitby (664)
17. | (Snyder 185-189; Wilson 120-130)
Ardagh chalice, Ireland, c.700-750; Tara brooch, Ireland, c.700-750; Large Rogart brooch, Scotland,
c.750; St Ninian's Isle brooches, Scotland, c.750-800 |
Northumbria and Southern England turn to Rome
Kings of Northumbria: Aldfrith 685-704; Osred 705-716; Ceolwulf 729-737; Eadberht 737-758
18. | (Snyder 184-186; Wilson 36-49; 72-79; reminder, compare
unit 5 and Snyder 20-29)
Northumbria and the North: Codex
Amiatinus, Monkwearmouth-Jarrow,
c.700; Ruthwell Cross, c.730-750 and its associates |
Charlemagne, King of the Franks, a new convert: what he inherited
Charlemagne King of the Franks 768
19. | (Repeat Snyder 175-181; also read 188-189; 203-204;
Wilson 135-38; reminder, compare units 2 and 15) Gelasian Sacramentary, Frankish, c.750; Tassilo Chalice, Frankish, Lombardic or Insular?, 788; Lindau Gospels back cover, Frankish, Lombardic or Insular?, c.800; St Denis (royal mausoleum), nr Paris, c.754-775; Fulda, 971-819; Frescoes, S Benedetto, Malles, c.790; Frescoes, St John, Müstair, Switzerland, c.800 |
Charlemagne, King of the Franks, turns to Rome
Charlemagne King of the Franks 768
20. | (Snyder 192-206; reminder, compare units 4, 15 and 18)
Early Court/Ada School: Godescalc Evangelistary, 781-83; Dagulf Psalter; before 795; Lindau
Gospels, c.800 |
Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor, turns to Byzantium
Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor 800-814
21. | (Snyder 202-3; 206-8; reminder, compare units 9, 10 and
11)
Late Court/Ada School: Soissons Gospels, Ada Gospels, Lorsch Gospels, all c.800 |
22. | DISCUSSION #3 When a king seeks to impose a new religion on his people, how does he make this visible? And when he seeks to make new alliances, how does he make this visible too? Compare Oswald and his successors with Charlemagne, illustrating your answer with an analysis of two books each and one building or monumental sculpture each. |
The Empire Divided
Louis the Pious, Holy Roman Emperor 817-40 had three sons
Louis the Pious, Holy Roman Emperor 814-840
Ebbo, foster brother of Louis, Archbishop of Reims 816-835; 840-845
23. | (Snyder 208-219; reminder, compare units 2, 19 and 20)
Architecture: Corvey, consec 822; St Gall, designed 816 |
Lothar I, Co-Emperor 817-840; Holy Roman Emperor 840-855
Drogo, half-brother of Louis the Pious, Bishop of Metz 823-44, Archbishop 844-55
24a. | (Snyder 223-224)
Painting, Metz court scriptorium: Drogo Sacramentary, 823-55 |
Charles the Bald, King of "France" 843
Adalhard, father-in-law to Louis the Pious, Abbot of Tours 834-44, Abbot of Trier 844-79
24b. | (Snyder 219-223; reminder, compare units 5, 18 and 23) Painting, Tours and Trier scriptoria: Grandval Bible, Tours, c.840, Vivian Bible, Tours 843-846; Lothar Gospels, Trier 844-51 |
Charles the Bald, King of "France" 843-77, acquired half Lotharingia 869, Emperor 875-7
25. | Snyder 222-3; 225-9; compare units 5, 16, 17, 18 and
24a)
Painting, Franco-Saxon school: Second Bible of Charles the Bald, 871-73 |
Viking Kings of York and Dublin: What they inherited
26. | (Xerox on reserve) Steinsvik Sword, C8; Borre and Gokstad mounts, C9; Rinkaby brooch, C9; Nonnebakken brooch, C9; Jellinge Cup, C10; Mammen horse collars, C10 |
Viking Dublin and York
27. | (Wilson 141-152; 95-96; compare and contrast units 15,
17 and 18)
York and Yorkshire: Middleton Cross, Yorkshire; Coppergate grave slab, York; Gosforth Cross,
Cumberland; Brompton hogback gravestones - all late C9/C10; Coppergate scabbard chape, York;
Goldsborough brooches, Yorkshire, c.920 For interest: Viking Age Silver Hoards in Ireland; Modern replicas of Viking jewellery; Bone and Antler work Regia Anglorum - an interactive site on Anglo-Saxon and Viking England |
Non-Viking Ireland and England
28. | (Wilson 152-74; Ireland compare units 16, 17 and 18;
England compare units 24b and 25)
Ireland: Book of Armagh, 807-8; Book of MacDurnan, by 888-927 |
29. | DISCUSSION #4 Today, books are mundane repositories of information. But it was not always like that. Highlight the Early Christian, Insular, Early and Late Carolingian attitudes to book design using specific examples. Which culture comes closest to our modern attitude, and can you suggest any reasons for this? |
The Macedonian Renaissance, or Second Golden Age
30. | (Snyder end 128-133; Beckwith end 85-91; compare Ada
school, unit 21) Standing Virgin, apse mosaic, Church of the Dormition, Nicea, C9; Dominion and Might, vault mosaic, Church of the Dormition, Nicea, C9; Enthroned Virgin, apse mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Constantinople, by 867; Leo VI kneeling before Christ, tympanum mosaic of imperial entrance, Hagia Sophia, late C9; enthroned Virgin with Emperors, tympanum mosaic of narthex door, Hagia Sophia, late C10 |
Imperial Scriptoria
31. | (Snyder 135-47; compare Ada school, unit 21) Homilies of Gregory of Nazianzus, for Basil I, Constantinople, 880-882; Paris Psalter, Constantinople?, early C10; Joshua Roll, C10; Menologion of Basil II, 976-1025 |
C11 Byzantine Churches
32. | (Snyder 147-56) Hosios Lukas, Greece, c.1020; Church of the Dormition, Daphni, c.1080-1100 |
33. | DISCUSSION#5 During Iconoclasm, artistic traditions in the Byzantine Empire foundered and many artists sought work in the west (remember Demetrius whose name appears in Charlemagne's Coronation Gospels). When images were again tolerated in the East, the style was quite different. Using at least FOUR examples, suggest sources for the Middle Byzantine style. |
The Ottonians turn to Charlemagne, then to Rome
Otto I King of "Germany" 936; Holy Roman Emperor 962-73; Otto II Co-Emperor 967, sole
Emperor 973-83; widow Theophanu Empress 973-983, regent 983-991
34. | (Snyder 234-47; compare Ada school, unit 21 and Early
Byzantine painting unit 91 )
Architecture: St Cyriakus, Gernrode, 961; Holy Trinity, Essen, 973 |
Something New: Sculpture (the approach of the Romanesque)
Archbishop Gero of Cologne, 969-976
Abbess Mathilde of Essen, 973-1011
Archbishop Etienne II of Clermont, 937-984
35. | (Snyder, 245-47)
Crucifixes: St Servatius crucifix reliquary pendant, Trier, 977-993?; Archbishop Gero Crucifix,
Cologne, 969-71 |
FINAL DISCUSSION (Final Exam)
The Second Commandment should pose a very real block to the development of figurative art in a Christian context. Survey the whole series of approaches traced in this course, and say why do you think iconoclasm did not happen in the west. Illustrate your points with specific examples. After iconoclasm, a new style was adopted in the east which became more pronounced as the centuries passed and is still in use today. How would you account for this?
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