Paleochristian art
Paleo-Christian art is the art that developed during the first five centuries of our era, from the appearance of Christianity, during Roman domination, until the invasion of barbarian peoples, although in the East it has its continuation, after the split of the Empire, in the so-called Byzantine art.
In the West, Rome is the center and symbol of Christianity, which is why the first artistic manifestations of the primitive Christians or paleo-Christians took place there, receiving a great influence of Roman art both in architecture and in the figurative arts. The same as the history of Christianity in its first moments, in art there are two stages, separated by the promulgation of the Edict of Milan by Constantine in the year 313, granting Christians full rights to publicly manifest their beliefs.
Catacombs
Until the year 313, the sculptural art of the Christians focused on the excavation of the catacombs and the reinforcement of their structures. These were Roman cemeteries, originally dug in the gardens of some Christian patrician houses, such as those of Domitilla and Priscilla in Rome. Later in the V century, and with the increase in believers, these cemeteries became insufficient by acquiring land on the outskirts of the cities where public cemeteries arise, in which successive floors are excavated, forming the characteristic catacombs that we now know.
The first time the term catacomb was applied is to that of Saint Sebastian in Rome, Italy. The cemetery or catacomb (where the dead bodies were found) is organized in several parts: narrow galleries (ambulacrum) with longitudinal niches (loculi) in the walls for burial of the corpses. In some burials the notability of the buried person was highlighted, sheltering his tomb under a semicircular arch (arcosolium).
In the IV century, some widenings were opened at the intersection of the galleries or at their ends (cubiculum) for the performance of some liturgical ceremonies. The catacombs were completed on the outside with a building in the open air, as a shrine (cella memoriae), indicative of a rest of relics that enjoyed special veneration. Among the most important catacombs, in addition to those already mentioned, those of San Callisto in Santa Maria de Trastevere, Santa Constanza and Santa Agnes in Sant'Agnese in Agone stand out, all of them in Rome, although there were also ones in Naples, Alexandria and Asia Minor.
Basilicas
In the temples of pagan worship, the processions and sacrifices were held outdoors and inside there was only the altar of the god. These temples were very small. In the Empire of Constantine, the need arose to use buildings with a greater capacity for Christian worship. The new Christian churches needed more space to contain the faithful who came to pray inside the temple. That is why the churches did not take pagan temples as their model, but took the great public meeting rooms that were already known as basilicas.
Thus, at the end of the IV century and at the beginning of the V, irregular-shaped churches began to be suppressed to replace them with regular-shaped churches, that is, regular basilicas, with three naves with an apse on one of the smaller sides and on the other smaller side the entrance in front of the choir. Throughout the Empire the concept of church was associated with that of basilica.
After the Edict of Milan, from the year 313, the basilica is the most characteristic ecclesiastical construction of the Christian world. Its origin is doubtful, since it is considered a derivation of the Roman basilica, or it is related to some models of patrician houses, or even to some thermal rooms. The basilica organizes its space, generally, in three longitudinal naves, which can be five, separated by columns; the central nave is somewhat higher than the lateral ones, on whose walls windows are raised for interior lighting. The roof is flat and made of wood and the head has an apse with a quarter sphere vault under which the altar is housed.
In the great basilicas, such as Saint Peter and Saint John Lateran, in Rome, the head structure was completed with a transverse nave called a transept that sought the symbolism of reproducing the cross of Christ on the floor plan of the temple. The basilica building is accessed through the atrium or rectangular patio (precedent of the cloisters), with a fountain in the center, which led to the narthex or transversal room, located at the foot of the naves, from where the catechumens. The most notable basilicas, in addition to those mentioned, are that of Santa María la Mayor, San Pablo Extramuros and that of Santa Inés and San Juan de la Real (Church where Francisco Franco married).
Other buildings of a religious nature were the baptisteries, buildings with a polygonal floor plan, often octagonal, which had a large font inside for baptisms by immersion. The best known is the Baptistery of San Juan de Letrán, in Rome, built in the time of Constantine. Some burials that follow the Roman tradition are also central plan; The Mausoleum of Santa Constanza has a circular plan with vaults and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna has a Greek cross plan.
In Eastern paleo-Christian art there is a marked tendency to use constructions with the plan of a Greek cross, with four equal arms, such as the Church of San Simeon el Estilita.
Paleochristian art in Spain
Paleo-Christian art is the final stage of Roman influence. The cultural change that took place during the II centuries to the IV had little validity in the Peninsula, since the invasions of the Germanic peoples began in the year 409. Despite this, and increasingly, abundant testimonies of the vitality of early Christian art have appeared Hispanic.
Sculpture
The sculpture of the time is especially represented by the sarcophagi decorated with themes from the Crismón, strigilos, biblical scenes and allegorical representations. Among them, the one of Leocadius in Tarragona and the one of Santa Engracia in Zaragoza stand out. Some free-standing statues are also preserved, such as several with the theme of the Good Shepherd, tombstones and mosaics that, due to their technique and sense of colour, follow Roman models.
Painting
The paleo-Christian or Latin-Christian painting was developed during the Roman Empire, so it can be considered chronologically within Roman painting; however, by its theme and characteristics, it implies the initiation of medieval painting.
Latin-Christian painting.- Being Rome, the centre of Christianity since the beginning of the Church is easy to deduce that the art of being served by Christians in the first centuries for the manifestation of their ideals should be Roman. To this end, they adopted the painting with preference to the sculpture because it was the one of easier execution and to offer less likeness to the idols of paganism. During the first centuries the Christian brush was occupied in decorations and symbolic paintings rather than in true revered images following the discipline of the archaic or the secret that vetoed the public manifestation of some Catholic truths and which came to suppress the representation of every image when the circumstances demanded it as appears by the famous canon of the Council of Elvira or Ilíberis.The paleo-Christian painting extends to the sixth century when the Byzantine style begins. With the influences of this one forms in the West the "Latin-Byzantine" which is called Romanesque since the 11th century. But in the second half of the 13th century the Italian restoration arises with ways that are called Gothic to become perfect rebirth with greater beauty of forms from the 15th century.
In the paleo-Christian period, the frescos of the catacombs and from the peace of Constantine their compositions to the mosaic and also the fresco of the basilicas. Some and others offer a very high value on the part of the idea that envelops although by its technique and artistic execution they tend to be models.
The matters of the always simple pictorial compositions in the catacombs are usually already historical already symbolic and very rare it is observed that it is taken as a symbol some pagan motive despite the fact that the primitive artists had to possess a naturally pagan culture and lived in the midst of paganism that provided them with forms and emblems to cover the new Christian concepts. However, there is hardly any other mythological motive than that of Orpheus shaking the beastswhich, on the other hand, is harmonized with the prediction of Isaiah that announced to the Saviour of the world under a similar aspect (Isaiah, c. XI, 6). The technique and forms of the paleo-Christian paintings are in their material appearance characteristic of the decaying Roman style, both better or more classic flavor the older. But since the artists were not concerned but with the idea, their work is not aesthetic and they are very sober in the colourful. However, it is transparent in the figures, the simplicity, the naturality and candor of the faithful primitives and even the peace of their souls in the midst of persecutions without any fear being reflected for them.
Purely decorative painting is composed of geometrical motifs, foliage and fowls and geniecillos often remembering the pompeyana decorations of the best taste.
As for the Christian symbolism that manifests itself in these paintings, it should be noted that it owes its origin at least to the second century. It spreads or develops in the next century and tends to cease from the triumph of Constantine, while the discipline of the Arcano is disappearing which ends in the sixth century.
The most important and celebrated paintings of the catacombs are found in the Santa Priscilla where the first image of the Blessed Virgin is recognized with the Child and those of St. Calixto is recognized above all in the vault of the crypt of Saint Cecilia and in the well-known Houses of the Sacraments.
From the peace of Constantine, without abandoning the Christian painting his primitive procedure to the fresco on marble dust (and in some cases, to the temple) in the catacombs, crypts and oratory and even in the basilicas it manifests itself splendid in mosaics, above all, to decorate the apse of the basilicas and miniatures to illuminate precious codices.
The Christian miniatures began in Constantinople in the middle of the fourth century due to the teaching of the Hellenistic School of Alexandria but are not preserved but since the sixth century they are the oldest of the known date. His origin seems to be flattered in the Egyptian papyrus from where the Alexandrians and other Greek and Roman artists took it and were intended to adorn the manuscripts and illustrate the doctrinal text with figures or cartoons. The most famous and ancient Christian codex with religious miniatures (VI century) are the Genesis of Vienna and Evangelization of Rábula, due this to the Syrian monk Rábula in the monastery of Zagba (Irak).
In the Christian mosaics the Roman technique was followed as in painting with preference as material the coloured and sometimes gold-plated glass cubilles on the visible surface and as they were to be placed on the top of the inner walls of the churches, fragments of size were used more than in paganism. Although the style of the figures is Roman, these are drawn with the passing of the more and more rigid and monotonous time subjecting to conventionalism and forced asymmetry. But, on the other hand, it detaches in the new types the true Christian inspiration and manifests itself in the artistic composition greater unity, breadth and grandeur than in primitive works. The most commonly represented matters refer to the greatness of Jesus Christ, offices of the Virgin and the Apostles, scenes or symbols of the Revelation, existence and superiority of the Church, etc. The background on which the figures are highlighted is usually blue and the plane or terrain on which they appear to rise or be supported is presented in the form of clouds or a green meadow adorned with flowers and animalillos. The most remarkable mosaics in Rome from the Constantinian era to the determined influence of Byzantine style are:
In Spain, there were also some work of painting and decorative mosaic in the Constantinian era or at least in the visigoda as evidenced by reliable historical documents. But they are not preserved from such works but very few remains of paintings in Merida and Osuna and of pavement mosaics in Elche, Denia, Mérida and elsewhere. The oldest mosaic in Christian Spain (siglos IV or V) appears to be that of the funeral inscription of a certain Severina, found in Denia.
- of the mausoleum of Saint Constance, of the fourth century
- of the Basilica of Santa Pudenciana, of the same century
- of the Basilica of Santa Sabina
- of the Basilica of Saint Mary the Greater (except that of the apside)
- of the Baptisterium of San Juan de Letrán, in the 5th century
- of the Basilica of San Cosme and San Damián in the sixth century
- the primitives of the Basilica of St. Lawrence
- many others from Rávena
Francisco Naval and Yesterdaybe
Features
- They are limited to evoking a small number of figures and various objects.
- The variety of colors is limited.
- It's a painting, more than a figure, he suggests.
- The figures are directed to the viewer. They're usually in front, though it's not the same as frontality.
- The essence of divinity is impossible to represent. It is difficult to find divine representations, although from the s.IV We can find some representations.
- From a formal point of view, the hierarchization of the figures (as the larger figures are the most important), the reverse perspective (the figures behind them are larger), the disproportion, the interest in the gesture and, exceptionally, the nude, which would gradually disappear.
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