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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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Reading Response 2: A Documentary History of Art The narrative of art that Lorenzo Ghiberti tells in “The Second Commentary” is how the Christian faith was victorious in the time of Emperor Constantine and Pope Sylvester’s reign (152). But the decline of art began, when statutes of idols were destroyed and broken into pieces and that all ancient customs stop and temples were to made of all white (153). If anyone, made any statue or picture, they would suffer severe punishment (153). This form of punishment was created so that idol gods and people were not worshipped.

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This piece of evidence is also important because it shows how Roman art and architecture were “conquering the globe,” meaning other civilizations took some inspiration from Rome and integrated it into their art. Certain characteristics were identified as distinctive, such as realism in portraiture or spatial illusionism, continuous narrative, and historicity in relief. However, it became clear that all these elements were present in some way in ancient Greek art.6 This is important because it shows how the Romans did not invent this type of art themselves, but this type of art was around before they came. Although Rome was not the first civilization to use this type of art, they expanded this culture and influenced other civilizations in this way. In contrast, the Han Dynasty was extremely talented in art and architecture.

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The Influence of Roman Art and Architecture on Early Christianity. The development of Christian art and architecture was profoundly influenced by the artistic legacy of classical Rome. Early Christians, existing within the Roman Empire, naturally drew upon the artistic forms and techniques they encountered. However, their faith demanded a distinct visual language, leading them to adapt and ultimately break away from classical models, resulting in a unique and symbolic Christian aesthetic. One of the most significant influences of Roman art was in the realm of architecture.

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Early Christianity positively impacted the Roman Empire before 300 AD because it gave hope and promoted stability. Although Christianity had a rough start and people had a hard time excepting Jesus, there were other Biblical figures that were able to spread the Word and Christianity, for example, Paul. Also, Christianity expanded by the interchanges of the Roman Empire, in which they experienced spiritual growth. Many people were becoming accepting of Christianity and became leaders and workers in the church.

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For example, the use of perspective, which was a hallmark of classical Roman art, was employed by Christian artists to create a sense of depth and realism in their works (Cormack, 2000). This can be seen in the use of perspective in early Christian mosaics, such as the mosaic of Christ in the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy. While classical Roman art had a significant influence on Christian art and architecture, there were also several ways in which Christian art was unique. One of the most significant ways in which Christian art was unique was its focus on religious themes and narratives. Christian artists sought to convey the teachings and stories of the Bible through their art, creating works that were both beautiful and meaningful (Cormack, 2000).

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Rome not only seized the lands of those countries they conquered, but adopted many of the cultural leanings of those countries. This was particularly so with Greece. Greece was rich in architecture, philosophy, literature, art and religion. (Morey, 1901) Greek column design was adopted by Rome and used in their architecture, including the pantheon. Because there was an abundance of Greek art, the Roman’s used it to decorate their buildings and probably the homes of the aristocracy.

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The short story ”Where the Gods Fly” from 2012 is written by the Chinese American author Jean Kwok, who immigrated to the United States of America at the age of five. Being the The story is set in America, but the specific location is never mentioned it can be safe to assume that it is set in New York; Brooklyn due to the fact Jean Kwok also grew up in this area and therefore is familiar with its societal structure. The main characters of the story as a small family of three; the daughter Pearl, the father Ah Sun and the mother whose name is never mentioned throughout the story. The family are Chinese immigrants in the United States, just like the author herself.

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To beginning with, I believe that this sculpture clearly indicates just how much Romans were influenced by Greek culture. According to the Roman copies Greek statues essay, Romans were “impressed by the wealth, culture, and beauty of the Greek cities.”

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Classical Roman art was

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Most of the cultural foundations of the Western civilization is based upon ancient Greek and Roman culture and these had a powerful and influence on the spread of culture in the progressive periods of Western World. There was a naturalism and perfection in their art. The similarity of the Architecture was visualized between continents by travelling East, across atlantic ocean and by travelling to Rome and Italy and other parts of the world. The Greek sculpture emphasized the ideal human form and Roman sculture presented more realistic representations of people and the Romans were considered to be more practical minded. The influence has been shown to be immense on language, legal, politics, educational systems, Engineering and Technology as

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Christians enriched Roman theology and art through cultural interactions. Culture was dramatically changed due to the transformation of religion to Christianity. Emperors constructed many new temples in honor of Christianity. The architecture puts a greater emphasis on the interior and the meaningful visuals instead of the exterior like they used to do. Churches provided social services like schooling and medical care.

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Christianity owes much of its spread to its adoption as the main religion of the Empire from the fourth century AD and the design of many churches is based on the Roman basilica (public buildings). Modern spas and wellness culture are based on the principles of Roman baths. Many of today’s wine producing areas were established and developed in the Roman period! Today you can explore these legacies through fascinating journeys around Rome’s former frontiers, exploring the sites, museums and archaeological parks, the streetscapes of ancient cities, and the vibrant culture and traditions of modern

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All this created a very open society, while diverse and complex. Therefore, Roman art is not presented in compact form, with a strictly differentiated and defined as Egyptian art or Greek style. Roman art meets several trends that exist in parallel at one time or combined in a single work. This quality individualized and can start talking about a Roman art with specific characteristics from the second century

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