Early Christian Art

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December 18, 2008

Early Christian Art

Early Christian art includes the art produced by Christians or under Christian patronage from the year 100 to about 500. It includes art and architecture. Early Christian art surrounded the themes of pagan culture and heritage, which included mosaic, fresco, sculpture and manuscript illumination. Majority of the early Christian art included roman styles and roman forms. Classical can be found in early Christian fresco like those in the catacombs of Rome.

In many of the early Christian arts, one can find adaptation of roman motifs by providing new meanings and styles to pagan symbols. Peacock, grapevines and the good shepherd were the commonly found roman motifs applied in early Christian art. There were exceptions when the early Christian art developed its own iconography such as symbol of fish that were different from the pagan iconography. Earliest Christian art from the late second to early fourth century is visible on the walls of Christian tombs in the catacombs of Rome. In the early Christian art, Jesus was depicted indirectly using the Pictogram symbols like fish, peacock, Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd (a beardless youth in pastoral scenes collecting sheep)