1. LATE ANTIQUITY
GARDINER 11-3 PP

2. RAVENNA 324 -> founding of Constantinople, the new Rome in the East
327 -> the death of Constantine -> pace of Christianization of Roman Empire quickens
380 -> Emperor Theodosius issues edict establishing Christianity as the state religion
391 -> ban on pagan worship
394 -> Olympic Games abolished
404 -> capital is moved from Rome to Ravenna
410 -> Rome falls to Alaric and the Ostrogoths
476 -> Ravenna falls -> first German king of Italy
493 -> Thoedoric, king of the Ostrogoths, establishes his capital at Ravenna
539 -> Ravenna falls to the Byzantine emperor Justinian
RAVENNA

3. MAUSOLEUM OF GALLA PLACIDIA
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy, ca. 425
CRUCIFORM (cross shaped) chapel w/ barrel vaulted arms and a tower at the crossing
Arms are of unequal length = longitudinal orientation, but emphasis is on the tall crossing tower w/vault resembling a dome
Fusion of the two basic Late Antique plans -> longitudinal + central
Unadorned brick exterior
Interior -> rich ensemble of mosaics

4. MOSAICS
Christ as the Good Shepherd, mosaic from the entrance wall of the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, ca. 425
Jesus sits among his flock -> haloed and robed in gold and purple
Landscape and figures cast shadows and have three- dimensional bulk -> still rooted in the naturalistic classical tradition

5. SANT’APOLLINAIRE NUOVO
Interior of Saint’Apollonaire Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy, dedicated 504
Three aisled basilica constructed by Theodoric as his palace-church
Rich mosaic decoration on the nave walls -> divided into 3 zones
Old testament figures stand between clerestory windows -> above them are scenes from Christ’s life

6. Miracle of the loaves and fishes, mosaic from the top register of the nave wall (above the clerestory windows) of Sant’Apollonaire Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy, 504
Sharp contrast w/the 80 yr earlier mosaics of Galla Placidia
Beardless Jesus in imperial dress of gold and purple -> cross inscribed nimbus (halo) signifies divinity
No attempt to supply details of the event -> it is a miracle removed from time -> the blue sky has given way to the otherworldy splendor of heavenly gold
Weightless figures with flat curtain like garments

7. LUXURY ARTS
“MINOR ARTS” = jewelry, metalwork, cameos, ivories, and other “crafts”
“MAJOR ARTS” = sculpture and painting
These terms refer to size not importance or quality
Luxury Arts = another term for the minor arts

8. ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS – VATICAN VERGIL
The old farmer of Corycus, folio 7 verso of the Vatican Vergil, ca , tempera on parchment
The oldest surviving painted Latin manuscript is a collection of the poet Vergil’s works
This page includes part of the text of the Georgics and a pastoral scene reminiscent of Roman landscape murals

9. ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS – VIENNA GENESIS
Rebecca and Eliezer at the well, folio 7 recto of the Vienna Genesis, early 6th century
Tempera, gold, and silver on purple vellum
Sumptuously painted book is the oldest well preserved manuscript containing biblical scenes
Two episodes of the Rebecca story appear in a single setting filled with classical motifs

10. MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPT ILLUMINATION
CODEX = type of book that replaces scrolls
VELLUM (calfskin) and PARCHMENT (lambskin) replace papyrus
ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS = luxurious painted books produced before the invention of the printing press

11. ROSSANO GOSPELS
Christ before Pilate, folio 8 verso of the Rossano Gospels, early 6th century, tempera on purple vellum
The sources for medieval manuscript illiustratrions were diverse
The way people form an arch around Pilate on this page suggests that the composition derives from a painting in a church apse
Below – Jesus and the bound Barrabas

12. IVORY CARVING Ivory has been prized since earliest times
Ivory sources were the elephants of India and Africa
Carved ivories found at Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and ancient Aegean sites
Most often for household items – votive offerings and gifts to the deceased
Ivory was rare and costly
Only highly skilled artists capable of working w/ivory
In Late Antiquity and early medieval -> used for book covers, chests, boxes, and diptychs
DIPTYCH = pair of hinged tablets w/a wax layer on the inner sides for writing letters and other documents
Diptychs made of ivory were created for ceremonial and official purposes

13. IVORY CARVING – CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST
Suicide of Judas and the Crucifixion of Christ, plaque from a box, ca. 420, ivory
This plaque from a luxurious ivory box is the first known representation of the Crucifixion
Christ is a beardless youth who experiences no pain

14. DIPTYCH OF THE SYMMACHI
Woman sacrificing at an altar, right leaf of the diptych of the Nicomachi and Symmachi, ca. 400, ivory
This displays the endurance of pagan themes and patrons and the classical style
Idealized human beauty is the focus
The classical tradition lives on and was never fully extinguished in the Middle Ages
Contrast this w/ the non-naturalistic Late Antique aesthetic featuring wafer thin frontal figures