The History Of Ancient Early Christian And Medieval Painting

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1880 Edition.

Excerpt from History of Ancient, Early Christian, and Medieval Painting IN the study of painting, as in so many other studies, the critical and historical spirit of our age continues to be ever more and more actively at work. Since we have learnt to realise how large and vital a part of the genius of the past survives in the images of the painter, the labours of many industrious inquirers have been constantly directed towards the solution of chronological, personal, and technical problems connected with every period and phase of the art. At the same time, the inherent attraction of the subject has drawn towards it a constantly increasing measure of popular interest and curiosity. Hence there has made itself felt the need of an adequate general History of Painting, in which the scattered results of research should be collected and set forth for the benefit alike of the student and the general reader. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from History of Ancient, Early Christian, and Medieval Painting In the study of painting, as in so many other studies, the critical and historical spirit of our age continues to be ever more and more actively at work. Since we have learnt to realise how large and vital a part of the genius of the past survives in the images of the painter, the labours of many industrious inquirers have been constantly directed towards the solution of chronological, personal, and technical problems connected with every period and phase of the art. At the same time, the inherent attraction of the subject has drawn towards it a constantly increasing measure of popular interest and curiosity. Hence there has made itself felt the need of an adequate general History of Painting, in which the scattered results of research should be collected and set forth for the benefit alike of the student and the general reader. This need one of the most distinguished of the several distinguished German historians of art, the late Professor Woltmann of Strassburg, undertook a few years ago to satisfy. The first volume of his work, carrying the subject from the dawn of ancient Egyptian down to the transformation of Italian mediaeval civilisation, is now laid before the English public. The standard general book on the subject has hitherto been the Handbook of Dr. Kugler, which, in its successive English editions, had the advantage of translation and revision by thoroughly accomplished hands. The present work not only represents the existing state of knowledge better than that of Kugler, but follows a more comprehensive plan, inasmuch as it prefixes to the story of Christian painting the story of painting as practised in Ancient Egypt, the Asiatic Empires,( Greece, and Rome; a portion of his task which Professor Woltmann confided to a highly instructed colleague. Dr. Woermann of Dusseldorf. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The early Christian period, especially the time between the third and sixth centuries, is one of the most fascinating in church history. The Christianity which developed into a state church in the Roman empire during the fourth century gave new content to traditional Graeco-Roman art and adapted it to changed needs. Different forms of churches, monasteries and baptisms came into being, as did Christian art in paintings, mosaics and sculptures; biblical manuscripts were illustrated and liturgical furnishings and vessels were given new form. Here for the first time in a single volume is an account of architecture sacred and profane, funerary art in catacombs and tombs and especially sarcophagi, the graphic arts and the various forms of art in miniature. The text is illustrated with numerous line drawings and photographs, including ground plans and elevations of churches, actual and conjectural, and there are full descriptions of the art and architecture discussed against its social and historical background. In addition there are full bibliographies and details of the most important collections of Christian art. This will prove not only an invaluable work for art historians but also a guide for those travelling in the Mediterranean area and an indication of the riches of the first centuries of the church. Guntram Koch is Professor of Christian Archaeology and the History of Byzantine Art in the University of Marburg.

Understanding Early Christian Art is designed for students of both religion and of art history. It makes the critical tools of art historians accessible to students of religion, to help them understand better the visual representations of Christianity. It will also aid art historians in comprehending the complex theology, history and context of Christian art. This interdisciplinary and boundary-breaking approach will enable students in several fields to further their understanding and knowledge of the art of the early Christian era. Understanding Early Christian Art contains over fifty images with parallel text.

The Routledge Handbook of Early Christian Art surveys a broad spectrum of Christian art produced from the late second to the sixth centuries. The first part of the book opens with a general survey of the subject and then presents fifteen essays that discuss specific media of visual art—catacomb paintings, sculpture, mosaics, gold glass, gems, reliquaries, ceramics, icons, ivories, textiles, silver, and illuminated manuscripts. Each is written by a noted expert in the field. The second part of the book takes up themes relevant to the study of early Christian art. These seven chapters consider the ritual practices in decorated spaces, the emergence of images of Christ’s Passion and miracles, the functions of Christian secular portraits, the exemplary mosaics of Ravenna, the early modern history of Christian art and archaeology studies, and further reflection on this field called “early Christian art.” Each of the volume’s chapters includes photographs of many of the objects discussed, plus bibliographic notes and recommendations for further reading. The result is an invaluable introduction to and appraisal of the art that developed out of the spread of Christianity through the late antique world. Undergraduate and graduate students of late classical, early Christian, and Byzantine culture, religion, or art will find it an accessible and insightful orientation to the field. Additionally, professional academics, archivists, and curators working in these areas will also find it valuable as a resource for their own research, as well as a textbook or reference work for their students.