The Infant Church:
Early Christian and Byzantine Art

Division of the Roman Empire at the Time of Constantine

Christian religion was not legal for many years throughout the Roman Empire. As such, early Christian art was produced largely (and literally) underground. Early Christians dug catacombs, or underground passageways outside of the city to bury their dead and hold occasional religious services. In time, these catacombs grew to be massive underground networks of tunnnels, which were lighted and ventilated by air shafts.

An Early Christian Catacomb

Early Christian art in these catacombs differed from the art of Rome in many ways. Early Christian artists showed little interest in the grace and power of the human body, which was so important to Greek and Roman artists. Christian art was intended to illustrate the glory and power of Christ. How is the depiction of Christ below different from those that we see in churches today? How is it similar? What function would it have served?

Catacomb Painting, Rome, c. AD 350.

The Basilica

When Constantine proclaimed Christianity to be the official religion of the Roman empire in AD 313, Christians were able to bring their religion to the surface in the wake of the dying Roman Empire. They had to then decide on a kind of building to use for their churches. Christians again borrowed from the Romans and selected as their model the basilica, a long spacious building that the Romans had traditionally used for meeting halls. The outside of these churches was quite plain, especially when compared to classical Roman and Greek temples. How does the structure above differ from temples we have studied? How is interior space divided up?

The Byzantine Era

Constantine, before he died, established a new centre of power in the east of the Roman Empire, called Constantinople. This centre (now Istanbul) gradually grew in wealth and power as Romein the West gradually declined and was eventually fell by barbarian invasions from the north. This left Constantinople as the sole seat of Roman power, and as such, the capital was moved to this eastern location in the mid fourth century, as was the head of the church - and the papacy. This alliance of church and state became known as the Byzantine Empire, an amalgamation that was to survive into the middle ages.

Three Churches

Not all early Christian and Byzantine churches took the form of the Roman basilica. Study closely the three churches below, all from different locations within the Roman Empire. List three similarities and three differences for each. What peculiarities or points of interest do you note as well?

Sant Apollinaire in Italy, c. AD 400.

San Vitale in Ravenna, c. AD 400.

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, c. AD 400.