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EN
EARLY CHRISTIAN ART 200 – 600 AD
Early Christian Art was first characterized by and also overlapped that of Late Antiquity. The period further developes in the West into the Early Medieval, pre-Romanesque epoch and in the East into Byzantine Art. In the early days, Christians could celebrate their religion only secretely in private houses and in the catacombs; in the Edict of Milan in the year 313, the emperor Constantine guarantees the Christians full religious freedom equalling them with those who follow other religions. So Christianity could develop side by side with other religions. At the time Christianity still had been practized in secrecy, artworks were installed in private houses. Style and techniques of the artworks (mainly mosaics, frescoes, reliefs) are influenced by the art of Late Antiquity, only the motifs varied. As Theodosius I. made Christianity official religion, roman basilics were transformed ino meeting places where Christians could practise their religion together, such as Alt Sankt Peter (does not exist any more), Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano, both sited in Rome.[1] The motifs adopted were "The Good Shepherd" or Christian symbols such as the dove, the fish or an anchor.[2] If women were depicted, they were represented in symbolic way or as Mother of God. Only a few artworks have survived. In her book "Vulva"[3] Mithu Sanyal presents a research conducted by Gloria Steinem who discovered an interesting approach to interpreting the architectural structure of churches. The architecture is compared to the female genitalia. There is an interior and exterior porch like there are inner and outer vaginal labia; there is a vaginal nave to the altar; two bent aisles similar to ovaries; and then, in the holy center, the altar or the uterus."[4] It is not known who developped this approach. The resemblance of early sacred buildings with the female genitalia provides a very interesting perception. Sanyal further describes that in the early church the almond was considered as symbol for the vulva of the Virgin Mary.[5] Some depictions of "Mary in the Mandorla" survived from the Middle Ages. Sanyal further has found out that the Early Christianity the woman's vulva was denominated air bladder, in latin "vesica piscis".[6]
Early Christian Art was first characterized by and also overlapped that of Late Antiquity. The period further developes in the West into the Early Medieval, pre-Romanesque epoch and in the East into Byzantine Art. In the early days, Christians could celebrate their religion only secretely in private houses and in the catacombs; in the Edict of Milan in the year 313, the emperor Constantine guarantees the Christians full religious freedom equalling them with those who follow other religions. So Christianity could develop side by side with other religions. At the time Christianity still had been practized in secrecy, artworks were installed in private houses. Style and techniques of the artworks (mainly mosaics, frescoes, reliefs) are influenced by the art of Late Antiquity, only the motifs varied. As Theodosius I. made Christianity official religion, roman basilics were transformed ino meeting places where Christians could practise their religion together, such as Alt Sankt Peter (does not exist any more), Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano, both sited in Rome.[1] The motifs adopted were "The Good Shepherd" or Christian symbols such as the dove, the fish or an anchor.[2] If women were depicted, they were represented in symbolic way or as Mother of God. Only a few artworks have survived. In her book "Vulva"[3] Mithu Sanyal presents a research conducted by Gloria Steinem who discovered an interesting approach to interpreting the architectural structure of churches. The architecture is compared to the female genitalia. There is an interior and exterior porch like there are inner and outer vaginal labia; there is a vaginal nave to the altar; two bent aisles similar to ovaries; and then, in the holy center, the altar or the uterus."[4] It is not known who developped this approach. The resemblance of early sacred buildings with the female genitalia provides a very interesting perception. Sanyal further describes that in the early church the almond was considered as symbol for the vulva of the Virgin Mary.[5] Some depictions of "Mary in the Mandorla" survived from the Middle Ages. Sanyal further has found out that the Early Christianity the woman's vulva was denominated air bladder, in latin "vesica piscis".[6]
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