Christian images have a long history within the Western art tradition from the narrative and devotional works of the Medieval and Renaissance periods, to the radical new interpretations of the twenty-first century. This fascinating new book explores the changing nature of the representation of key themes and subjects found in Christian art, covering the Eucharist, the crucifixion, the Virgin Mary, and the saints. Other sections deal with the changes to Christian art after the sixteenth-century Reformation, and with Christian art in the modern world. Within these themes, the book explores the work of major artists such as Memling, Holbein, El Greco and Rossetti, and well-known examples including the frescoes of St Francis at Assisi. Didactic and consciously devotional works are discussed alongside the controversial work of contemporary artists such as Andres Serrano and Chris Ofili.
[...]... was recognized as being an adaptation of pagan practice, which made the process and its development extremely controversial, as we shall see The visual form of Byzantine icons also descended directly from the tradition of Roman portrait painting, with an extraordinary degree of apparent realism The portrait character of icons was crucial because, in these images, Christians believed that they saw a. .. Virgin and/or Christ by their patron saints Such images were produced as a means of indicating the donors’ own devotion, but also, in the case of large-scale or public works, as a means of commemorating their piety and generosity in having such an artwork made (see Chapter 3) Christian Art from as early as 200 ce As with the adaptation of Graeco-Roman images to create images of Jesus Christ, the veneration... throughout Christian art The essentials remain the same: an angel (whose status as such is normally indicated by the possession of wings) approaches a woman, with a hand raised in a gesture indicating speech Often he – although angels theologically have no gender, they are often represented as young males, albeit fairly androgynous – holds a staff in his other hand which, by the late Middle Ages has often... being portrayed carrying a sheep or a ram Pagan imagery of Hermes in this aspect was adapted by Christians to form the image of Christ the Good Shepherd (Fig 1) Besides Old and New Testament images referring to deliverance, and representations of the Good Shepherd, the catacombs also contain depictions of New Testament narratives, such as the Annunciation and the Breaking of Bread at the Last Supper,... architecture, nor on sculpture, nor ‘applied arts’ such as metalwork or textiles The choice as to how to limit such a large range of material will inevitably be somewhat arbitrary and personal, and the particular examples discussed here are not even selected qualitatively: this book does not attempt to delineate a range of the ‘greatest masterpieces’ of Christian art Instead, some central themes have... in cathedrals, abbeys, and great churches, royal palaces, government buildings and public spaces, as well as in smaller parish churches, private homes, and even in apparently secular spaces such as shops and markets Christian imagery could be seen in great cycles of wall-paintings and mosaics on church walls, which told the universal stories of Christian history It could be seen on smaller paintings... true and authentic likeness of the holy person there portrayed In fact, despite this claim to historical accuracy, early icons of Christ seem to be based more upon a general facial type that had already become associated with the great male gods of ancient Greece and Egypt The Greek father-god Zeus, and other similar divinities, were portrayed with long hair and a full beard, and this became the standard... things that makes up the specific and fundamental character of Christianity Christian Art Catacomb paintings The earliest surviving Christian art is found in Rome, in the catacombs – the elaborate underground tomb chambers in which the Christian communities buried their dead There is some uncertainty as to the date of the earliest catacomb paintings, but according to current opinion, it would seem that the... small sector of the Christian church The production of Christian art goes on, in many of the same ways that it has since the 9th century, in public, monumental artworks for churches and ecclesiastical buildings, as well as in smaller scale, more private works In addition, Christian imagery has become part of the fabric of western culture, and has become part of the wider artistic and cultural vocabulary... post -Christian world, which is not to say that Christianity no longer has any relevance, but that Christianity is no longer so vastly dominant in religious, intellectual, and cultural terms as it once was Nevertheless, the enormous historical importance of Christianity, and the pervasiveness of Christian art and imagery throughout the past 2,000 years, means that it is still essential to understand something . now: ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY Julia Annas THE ANGLO-SAXON AGE John Blair ANIMAL RIGHTS David DeGrazia ARCHAEOLOGY Paul Bahn ARCHITECTURE Andrew Ballantyne ARISTOTLE. class="bi x0 y0 w0 h0" alt="" Christian Art: A Very Short Introduction Very Short Introductions are for anyone wanting a stimulating and accessible way