Term
| What is Early Christian Art? |
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Definition
| Art and architecture inspired by Rome - text will be in Latin. |
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Term
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Definition
| Art and architecture inspired by Constantinople/Byzantium - text will be in Greek. |
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Term
| Byzantine / San Vitale / Ravenna / 526-547 AD |
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Definition
| Plan: Double octagan (inner and outer), long narthex (foyer) as entrance, one large apse with altar,; complex structure (disorienting), walls are perforated in many ways, many windows; lower wall: wainscot sheathed in marble, upper wall is mosaic which gives the wall less of a stable look. |
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Term
| Who was the patron who funded San Vitale? |
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Definition
| Justinian - caesar for Eastern empire - a Christian and great general (we now have the concept of a Christian soldier). |
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Term
| Why was San Vitale built? |
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Definition
| To commemorate local saint and the re-conquest of Ravenna. |
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Term
| Describe the mosaic that is to the Left of the altar in San Vitale... |
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Definition
| Group of men - this is further from the Roman style. Figures are tall, gold background instead of blue sky, lines as drapery, figures flat and floating, heads in a row, very little overlapping, faces Greco-Roman, stylistically Byzantine. Meaning: center man is Justinian with a purple gown and pearly broach, crown of a king and halo to show holiness, holding eucharist container - carrying bread to altar; 3 men directly around Justinian are court; far left = soldiers carrying a shield with x and a little P or R (chi [kie] rho, the 1st 2 letters of Christ), some soldiers wore ropes of barbarians/Gauls; to right are 3 clerics - identified one is archbishop (bishop in charge of large area, but archbishop is head of larger area) - all 3 wearing priest garments, archbishop wearing stole, middle holding bible, right holding sensor for smelly stuff; everyone else is secular. This is intentionally ambiguous as to who is leading procession - Justinian vs. Archbishop depending on arms vs. feet. |
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Term
| Describe the mosaic that is to the Right of the altar in San Vitale... |
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Definition
| Procession lead by 2 young men (acolytes), women coming through Narthex, all beautifully dressed; woman in center is Theodora/empress wearing purple (her mother was an actress, her father was a bear trainer in the circus, Theodora was an actress as well), she's decked out in pearls (pearls are a jewel that wards off disease) and standing in front of niches shaped like shell - Mary symbol, pearl symbol of Jesus in her womb; hem of her robes = 3 kings/wise men/Magi (Balthasar, Caspar, Melchior) = story of wealthy supporting church with their wealth, she's holding chalice of wine with ladies in waiting behind her... |
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