Download Constantine the Great

Constantine the Great
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Christianity’s situation
changed abruptly in 313
under the direction of
emperor Constantine
Issued a tolerance for all
religions
Old St. Peter’s built on
the spot in Rome where it
was believed Peter the
apostle had been buried
BYZANTINE
CHRISTINAITY BECAME THE
OFFICAL STATE RELIGION
CHURCH AND STATE WERE
INTERWINED
IMAGES OF ART FOCUSED ON AN
ETERNAL HEAVENLY ONE
NUDES WERE FORBIDDEN
ART BECAME THE SERVANT OF
THE CHURCH
MOSAICS
SMALL PIECES OF STONE, TILT OR GLASS
ARE FITTED TOGETHER AND EMBEDDED
INTO A BACKGROUND TO MAKE A PATTERN
OR IMAGE
 SUBJECT GENERALLY RELIGION WITH
CHRIST SHOWN AS A TEACHER AND ALL
POWERFUL RULER
 GRANDEUR-HALOS-SHIMMERING GOLD
BACKGROUNDS CHARACTERIZED THEIR
WORK
 NO INTEREST IN PROJECTING PERSPECTIVE
OR VOLUME
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PANTOKRATOR FROM THE ABBEY
CHURCH OF MONREALE
1183—MOSAIC
SET IN A HALF DOME
EMPHASIZES—
DIVINE CHRIST
GENTLE
 Pantokrator Greek for
“Ruler of All”
 Images show no
depth instead they
are flat
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Icon with the Crucifixion
1100. Tempera on wood
11
1/8”
x
8
1/2”
Icon a picture of a sacred
subject painted on a wooden
panel
Posses supernatural powers
Had magical
properties/according to legend
one wept another emitted the
odor of incense
Believers carried them into
battle or wore away their faces
by kissing them
Painting about ideas
Mary and disciple John
CHARACTERISTICS
MOSAICS
 ICONS
 CENTRAL-DOME CHURCHES
 CHRISTIANITY
 RELIGION ART
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ROMANESQUE
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1050-1200
BUILDING BOOM
BUILDERS BORROWED ELEMENTS FROM
ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
ROUNDED ARCHES –COLUMNS
MEDIEVAL ARTISANS BEGAN TO ROOF
CHURCHES WITH STONE VAULTING
EXTERIOR OF CHURCHES WERE PLAIN, EXCEPT
SCULPTURAL RELIEF AROUND THE MAIN
PORTAL
TOLD BIBICAL STORIES IN STONE
AERIAL VIEW OF SAINTE-FOY—
FRANCE
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EARLIEST
ROMANESQUE
CHURCH—1050-1120
STILL STANDING
NAVE-BARREL
VAULTED
GROIN VAULTED
AISLES
BAYEUX TAPESTRY
(misnamed work of embroidery)
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technique of colored
yarns are sew to an
existing woven
backgrounds ---form
of decorative motifs—
long picture book—
20” high and 231 ft.
long telling the
conquest of England
by William Normandy-1066
CHARACTERISTICS
ROUND ARCHES
 BARREL AND GRION VAULTS
 TAPESTRIES
 ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS
 MEDIEVAL
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GOTHIC
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2 ENIGINEERING BREAKTHROUGHS
RIBBED VAULTING
EXTERNAL SUPPORTS(FLYING BUTTRESSES)
FIELDS OF COLORED, STORY-TELLING GLASS
POINTED ARCH-INCREASED BOTH THE
REALITY AND ILLUSION OF GREATER
HEIGHT
BUILDINGS WERE SO ELABORATE THAT
CONSTRUCTION LITERALLY TOOK AGES
ONE CATHEDRAL TOOK 6 CENTURIES TO
WHICH EXPLAINS WHY SOME SEEM A
HODGE-PODGE OF SUCCESSIVE STYLES
CHARTRES CATHEDRAL, FRANCE--1134—COMPLETED 1260
ORNATE, LINEAR,
VERTICAL ELEMENTS
 FLYING BUTTRESSES
 PORTIONS OF
CHARTRES WERE
BUILT AT DIFFERENT
 TIMES
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Romanesque style
Elongated and flattened bodies
12th century
Linear folds of draperies
Gothic style carved 100 years later
More fully rounded
Carved with awareness of a body
underneath
ROSE WINDOWS
CHARTRES CATHEDRAL
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13TH CENTURY
42’ FEET DIAMETER
150 STAINED GLASS
WINDOWS
MOST INTACT
COLLECTION OF
MEDIEVAL GLASS IN
THE WORLD—26,900
FT—TOTAL AREA
Duccio. Christ Entering Jerusalem
1308-11
Made a shift in art
styles from Middle
Ages to Renaissance
 Multi section panel
 Attempt to create
believable space
 Architecture plays an
important role in
defining space and
directing movement
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CHARACTERISTICS
POINTED ARCHES (HEIGHT AND LIGHT)
 STAINED GLASS WINDOWS
 CHARTRES-FRANCE
 MEDIEVAL
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