Art in Focus

Chapter 13: Early Christian, Byzantine, and Islamic Art

Lesson Summaries-English

          As the Roman Empire declined, the Christian Church became a powerful influence. In the Byzantine Empire, Christians, as well as Muslims and Jews, developed a rich culture.

Lesson 1
Early Christian and Byzantine Art

          The rising power of Christianity touched on every aspect of life, especially the visual arts. Before A.D. 313, Christianity had been illegal in the Roman Empire, so art was created in catacombs, or underground passageways. Unlike those who believed in the Roman religion, Christians believed Christ to be their savior. Early Christian art was meant to illustrate Christ’s glory and tell the story of his life. This art had hidden meanings, in which common Roman features such as animals served as symbols for Christian ideas.

          When the emperor Constantine finally granted Christians the right to practice their faith, churches were built in the West using the form of the basilica. They were decorated with mosaics, designs made with small pieces of glass and stone set in cement. While the Roman West declined and the popes took over in place of the Roman rulers, the eastern part of the Roman Empire continued to thrive. The city of Constantinople was a great cultural center where brilliant art was created in the name of Christianity. There huge domed churches such as Hagia Sophia were built using a central plan. Dazzling mosaics decorated this church and told familiar stories from the Bible. When the emperor Justinian extended his control into the West in A.D. 540, he had the great church of San Vitale built in Ravenna. Mosaics in the church’s apse at the end of the nave show Justinian and his wife, Theodora, with the church authorities.

Lesson 2
Islamic Art

          In the seventh century A.D. a religion known as Islam emerged in the Middle East. Islam is based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, who said there is only one god, Allah. Today more than 925 million Muslims recognize Muhammad as the Messenger of God. The messages he received were recorded in the Koran, the holy scripture of Islam. The early center of Islam was the Fertile Crescent. Here Muslim builders built places of worship known as mosques. The massive ninth-century mosque in Samarra, Iraq, had a minaret, or tower, from which people were called to group worship.

          In A.D. 711 Muslim armies controlled Spain, establishing their court in Cordoba. The mosque there, known as the Mezquita, had an orange grove where worshipers could bathe before prayer. The art in Islamic mosques does not portray humans or animals, but consists of ornate calligraphy and geometric patterns. One Muslim ruler in Spain built a magnificent alcazar, or fortified palace, near Cordoba. Later rulers built the Alhambra palace-fortress in Granada. Walls and columns with delicate stucco decorations surround this palace’s Court of the Lions. Muslim rule came to an end in Spain in 1492 when King Boabdil surrendered Granada.

          Richly illustrated books were created throughout the Islamic empire. Book illustrators could depict images that would not have appeared in mosques, such as scenes of banquets and popular stories. The figures in these illustrations appear flat, with the emphasis on rich patterns and intense colors.