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16-6
Man (St. Matthew)
Book of Durrow,
ca. 660-680
Book illustration
Hiberno-Saxon
Scotland(?)
compare figural form to Michelangelo: Creation of Adam |
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17-19 detail:
Michelangelo
Creation of Adam
1511-12
Fresco, Sistine Ceiling
Rome
compare to st. matthew from the book of dorrow
Both depict the male human figure in a way that would have been appropriate for the time/setting at which they were created. They serve different functions.
Adam - Done in somewhat of a classical Roman style (pose, physical makeup) but with definite Christian influences (he reaches to touch God). This figural depiction is meant to represent the perfect physical form of man, which we can tell from the look of his body. Also, this image adorns the ceiling of the sistine chapel, meaning it was purely for show depicting the scene between god and man. The fact that this image is purely for display tells us that this is meant to be the perfect image of the human figure. The pose is important bc it displays him lounging, but turned as to accentuate his muscles.
Matthew - This depiction of st matt is shown in 3/4 profile and he is wearing a large decorated cloak. The figure is much more geometric than realistic, and much of the figure is covered. The fact that this image would have led into Matthews biography of jesus explains the conservatism, along with the fact that the image was created some 800 years before the Adam image. |
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11-2 reconstructions:
Synagogue
ca. 245-256
Dura-Europos, Syria
Dura/Europos was the main (capital?) city on the border of the Holy Roman Empire and the Sassanid Empire. The romans and sassanids fought for control of this city regularly, and it becomes a melting pot for art with combined christian/jewish/roman influences. this is shown in the image of samuel and david |
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11-3 expanded view:
Samuel anoints David
ca. 245-256
Tempera on plaster
Synagogue, Dura-Europos, Syria
This image depicts samuel anointing a young david as a prophet while his (older) brothers stand in the background. He is pouring an oil over his head, as was customary at the time. This image mixes the stories from the hebrew texts with the visual artistic style of roman wall art
Samuel is much larger than the rest of the boys, though some of them would have been fully grown, and david is the largest among his brothers though he was the youngest and probably wasn't the biggest - this is an example of hierarchal scale
All the figures in the image are wearing decorated togas (davids is almost completely purple, signifying further importance) which would have been worn by important Roman figures and probably not by david, his brothers or samuel - this is a Roman influence on the stories of the hebrew bible |
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11-5:
Catacomb
Early 4th century, 300's
Good Shepherd, Story of Jonah, Orants
Painted plaster
Rome
This image of the catacomb ceiling (in Rome) depicts the story of Jonah in a couple images as well as a couple people praising him (orants). The images follow the story of jonah - he goes sailing, gets tossed overboard, gets swallowed by the sea creature and lives inside for 3 days, gets spit up and washes ashore.
The figures painted on the ceiling display characteristics of roman wall paintings (naked lounging body, figures have quite large upper bodies and thin, sleek legs, wearing clothing attributed to the romans) Also, the geometric arrangement of the images on the ceiling (starting with the center circle and moving out into larger circles and semicircles with the narrative along the perimeter) is common to these types of roman vault paintings.
The image further establishes the link between Roman artistic style and the stories of Christianity and the bible. At the time when these stories would have been happening ie. during jonahs existence, people would not have dressed or acted as they are depicted, but since the image is in rome and painted by roman artists, they come out looking as they do, and can be easily interpreted by romans that would have viewed them. |
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11-7
Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus
ca. 359
Marble, 8’ long
Rome
This sarcophagus (unlike the painted ceiling of the catacomb) would have been commissioned to only very skilled roman sculptors, as it was a memorial to an important magistrate rather than an underground burial site. The (10) scenes depicted are various depictions of jesus and other stories from the bible
junius bassus served under constantine II |
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11-7 detail:
Adam & Eve niche: Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus
ca. 359.
Rome
This niche depicts the scene from the bible where adam and eve eat the forbidden fruit, shown by the serpent at the base of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve face away from each other with their heads drooping with shame, and they cover their genitals as they have just realized they are naked (so says the bible story)
Hierarchal scale is shown in that their heads and pelvises are larger than the rest of their bodies - they have just realized they are naked, and their newfound shame is expressed in the size of their heads. behind adam is some wheat suggesting they must now cultivate their own food after being banished from the garden of eden for disobeying god
these images are iconographic representations of original sin |
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11-7 detail:
Entry of Jesus Into Jerusalem: Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus
ca. 359.
Rome
hierarchal scale is shown - jesus is much bigger than the donkey, the two boys climbing to get a look at jesus are much bigger than the tree they climb on
the columns on either side of this niche have putti (baby or child spirit figures) sculpted into them |
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11-7 detail:
Jesus between Peter & Paul niche: Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus,
ca. 359.
Rome
This image of jesus as a boy shows him between the two most important apostles, peter and paul, on a throne in heaven.
We know this is a depiction of heaven for a couple reasons.
1. child jesus is depicted with adult peter and paul, they would have been roughly the same age so this suggests they are all living in heaven. they both look to jesus on his throne, suggesting they submit to his rule as the king of the afterlife
2. this niche is the top center niche, suggesting it is the most important.
3. the godlike figure stretching a cloth over his head directly underneath the seated jesus is a personification of the sky, suggesting they are sitting above the clouds, where heaven was thought to be
all three figures wear heavy robes like that of an important roman figure, further suggesting the importance of the scene, the message created by the scene, and junius bassus himself.
putti also decorate the columns on either side of the niche |
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