Early Christian Art and Architecture: 4th to 7th Century
Early Christian Art: Relief Sculpture and Iconography
Left: Depiction of Jesus healing the blind. Jesus touches the eyes of a blind man holding a cane.
Bottom: An unusual representation of the expulsion of demons in Gadara. The demons, after being cast out of a possessed man, enter a herd of pigs. Above, a figurine emerges from the head of a bound demon.
Right: The resurrection of Lazarus is depicted at the top. Below, the healing of the paralytic, who carries a stretcher on his shoulders.
At the bottom, the cycle of Jonah is represented. This was a beloved cycle in early Christian art, as Jonah, among the prophets, had the most adventurous features.
PIXYDE, British Museum
This piece maintains the cylindrical shape of the tusk and exhibits narrative continuity.
There are two distinct areas. In one corner, Judas is depicted hanging, with the coins he received for betraying Christ at his feet.
The following scene shows the Virgin Mary, St. John, and the crucified Christ. Crucifixions during this period were very subtle. Next to them is Longinus (meaning “spear”), the saint who pierced Christ’s side.
Baptistery of Frejus, Northern France (5th Century)
This baptistery presents dating problems due to its centralized architecture.
It features an octagonal exterior and a central dome. The building materials (capitals and bases) were likely reused.
The octagon is inscribed within a square, differing from the Provencal series of baptisteries that have an ambulatory. It is also distinguished by its medieval polygonal drum with large windows.
The baptismal font is in the center, surrounded by niches with columns. There is no continuous cornice; instead, the cornices are cut to match.
In baptisteries without two entries, there would be a tour around the ambulacrum to move from the baptistery to the nave. Now, they can move on to the nave to view and hear mass.
The dome rests on a drum with alternating open and blind windows.
It probably featured themes related to baptism. Basilicas were often part of these complexes.
There is no significant difference from Roman architectural solutions, as all are late-Roman.
Saint Pierre de Vienne (2nd Half of the 5th Century)
This structure has been preserved because it was transformed in the 11th century.
Initially dedicated to the Holy Apostles, Saint Pierre de Vienne is now a lapidary museum.
Originally a single-nave basilica, its conversion into a church during the Romanesque period resulted in three naves.
The remaining elements are from the Romanesque period; the original base was much simpler.
It retains the burials of the bishops of Vienna.
Arcadia Slab, Worms (Late 4th Century)
This piece is very simple, with only a Chrismon incision. Complex works were typically found in Ravenna, where imperial workshops were located.
Emperors and dignitaries could have their monograms stamped. Christ would not be an exception. This practice arises from the vision Constantine had before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, where the cross and the monogram of Christ appeared to him.
This is what he claimed to have seen, as recorded by Eusebius of Caesarea.
It was very common for these symbols to appear on tombstones, along with a funerary inscription and two ships.
Tombstone of Ludin, Worms (2nd Quarter of the 5th Century)
Artistic productions were increasingly declining in quality compared to the great sculptures of earlier periods.
Baptistery of San Juan de Poitiers, Vienne (7th Century)
The original rectangular building, part of the center, corresponds to a structure from the 4th century. Only the original baptismal font, inserted into the floor with a staircase, remains from this period.
By the mid-7th century, it was significantly remodeled. Several changes are visible: a narthex with five spans (allowing catechumens to exit on the other side already baptized) and three apses in the baptistery.
The central hall contains the 4th-century baptismal font. The side apses are reflected on the outside, while the interior features a polygonal apse. The outer trapezoid dates to the 7th century.