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How Did Classical Rome Influence Christian Art

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Influence of Classical Rome on Christian Art and Architecture. Classical Rome's art and architecture had a great influence on the evolution of Christian art and architecture. Roman customs and culture ruled the early Christian community, which at first saw them as a persecuted minority. Christianity started incorporating elements of Roman architecture and art into its own visual manifestations as it gained popularity and eventually became the official religion of the Roman Empire (Farber, n.d.). The employment of architectural forms and techniques is one of the most noticeable effects of classical Rome on Christian art and building. Early Christians were drawn to Roman architecture because of its grandeur, symmetry, and enormous scale, which inspired them to …show more content…

Because of the Romans' talent for realistic portraiture and sculpture, Christian artists were able to portray biblical characters in a way that was both naturalistic and unique. Roman relief sculpture was a common technique used to carve biblical motifs into early Christian sarcophagi (Spanswick, n.d.). The Uniqueness of Christian Art and Architecture. While classical Rome had an impact on Christian art and architecture, they also acquired distinctive qualities that made them stand out. The change in emphasis from secular to religious topics was one significant distinction. Illustrations of gods, emperors, and scenes from mythology were common in classical Roman art. Christian art, on the other hand, emphasizes biblical tales, saints, martyrs, and events from Christ's life (Farber, n.d.). New features that represented the changing requirements of Christian society were also included in Christian architecture. For instance, Christian churches were distinguished from their Roman forebears by the incorporation of elements like baptisteries for baptismal rites, narthexes for catechumens, and choirs for liturgical music (Farber,

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