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The Civilizations of Late Rome, Byzantium, and the Early Medieval West

1. Early Christian Sculpture (p. 184)
Art > Texture > Physical
http://www.mhhe.com/HumanitiesStudio/1/1/3/1/3.html
The early Christian sculpture of Young Christ (Fig. 7.1, p. 184) adapts classical sculptural techniques and forms to create a marble figure with a new religious meaning. Among the characteristics of Roman carving adapted are the use of texture in the figure’s folded clothing, hair, and bodily features. Zoom in on the examples of physical texture in the above link, noting how visual texture changes radically with scale. How has the sculptor used both visual and physical textures to render this sculpture more lifelike, encouraging us to relate to it? How does touch affect your understanding of a work of sculpture, based on its material and form?

2. Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture (p. 192)
Architecture > Order > Organization
http://www.mhhe.com/HumanitiesStudio/2/3/1.html
As the early Christians began to construct churches, they adapted the Roman form of the basilica, keeping the basic form of this rectangular structure and transforming it into one appropriate for their religious needs (see Fig. 7.8, p. 193). Byzantine churches were typically constructed around a centralized plan (see Fig. 7.21, p. 208). Click on the link above and examine ways in which space can be organized. What historical forces may have led to building of linear versus centralized plans for these churches? What are some other ways in which a space can be organized?








Matthews: Western HumanitiesOnline Learning Center

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