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May 29, 2017 · By the end of the first century, it is evident that Christian places of worship had developed a somewhat standard form of architecture. Churches from the first through the third centuries took classical Greek and Roman architecture in its most flourished form as its main influence.
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Early Christian art and architecture (or Paleochristian art) is the art produced by Christians, or under Christian patronage, from the earliest period of Christianity to, depending on the definition, sometime between 260 and 525.
- Overview
- Early Christian
Early in the 20th century it was thought that Christian art and architecture began after the death of Christ or, at least, in the second half of the 1st century ce. But later discoveries and studies showed that a truly Christian style did not exist before the end of the 2nd or beginning of the 3rd century. The terminal date of this period is even more difficult to establish; it may be placed in the 4th, 5th, or 6th century. Early Christian architecture penetrated all the provinces of the Roman Empire, adapting itself to existing pagan architecture. It subsequently created its own forms, which varied according to local stylistic evolution. The new capital at Constantinople (ancient Byzantium), founded by the emperor Constantine the Great (306–337), was to be an important centre. The art and architecture of this city henceforth became known as Byzantine and extended throughout the entire Christian East.
It is customary to distinguish early Christian architecture of the West, or Latin part of the Roman Empire, from the Christian architecture of regions dominated by the Greek language. It is also customary to consider the latter as proto-Byzantine, while acknowledging, however, a certain latitude in the initial date of this separation: 330, the foundation of Constantinople; 395, the separation of the Greek part of the empire from its Latin sector; or, finally, the reign of Justinian (527–565). For the purposes of this article, monuments shall be treated as early Christian mainly on the basis of their style, as distinct from the genuine Byzantine style of Constantinople; since the transition from the earlier to the later architecture discussed in the next section took place at different times in different locations, this section has no precise chronological boundary.
Only after Justinian’s reign did many Eastern regions submit to the ascendancy of Constantinople, as they followed the paths traced by Christian architecture in its beginnings until the 6th and even the 7th century. In the West the end of early Christian architecture is easier to determine. Closely tied to Roman architecture, it finished with the collapse of the empire at the end of the 5th century. Then, transformed into a multitude of regional styles, it assimilated various influences from the East and from the barbaric peoples who superseded their Roman masters.
Early Christian architecture is divided into two periods, quite unequal in length and in importance. During the first—which preceded the Edict of Milan, by which Constantine the Great in 313 decreed official tolerance of open practice of the Christian religion—Christianity was often persecuted, while in the second it soon became the state religion. The monuments of the first period were modest and few in number, while those of the second phase were numerous and splendid.
Early in the 20th century it was thought that Christian art and architecture began after the death of Christ or, at least, in the second half of the 1st century ce. But later discoveries and studies showed that a truly Christian style did not exist before the end of the 2nd or beginning of the 3rd century. The terminal date of this period is even more difficult to establish; it may be placed in the 4th, 5th, or 6th century. Early Christian architecture penetrated all the provinces of the Roman Empire, adapting itself to existing pagan architecture. It subsequently created its own forms, which varied according to local stylistic evolution. The new capital at Constantinople (ancient Byzantium), founded by the emperor Constantine the Great (306–337), was to be an important centre. The art and architecture of this city henceforth became known as Byzantine and extended throughout the entire Christian East.
It is customary to distinguish early Christian architecture of the West, or Latin part of the Roman Empire, from the Christian architecture of regions dominated by the Greek language. It is also customary to consider the latter as proto-Byzantine, while acknowledging, however, a certain latitude in the initial date of this separation: 330, the foundation of Constantinople; 395, the separation of the Greek part of the empire from its Latin sector; or, finally, the reign of Justinian (527–565). For the purposes of this article, monuments shall be treated as early Christian mainly on the basis of their style, as distinct from the genuine Byzantine style of Constantinople; since the transition from the earlier to the later architecture discussed in the next section took place at different times in different locations, this section has no precise chronological boundary.
Only after Justinian’s reign did many Eastern regions submit to the ascendancy of Constantinople, as they followed the paths traced by Christian architecture in its beginnings until the 6th and even the 7th century. In the West the end of early Christian architecture is easier to determine. Closely tied to Roman architecture, it finished with the collapse of the empire at the end of the 5th century. Then, transformed into a multitude of regional styles, it assimilated various influences from the East and from the barbaric peoples who superseded their Roman masters.
Early Christian architecture is divided into two periods, quite unequal in length and in importance. During the first—which preceded the Edict of Milan, by which Constantine the Great in 313 decreed official tolerance of open practice of the Christian religion—Christianity was often persecuted, while in the second it soon became the state religion. The monuments of the first period were modest and few in number, while those of the second phase were numerous and splendid.
Early Christian art and architecture after Constantine. By the beginning of the 4th century Christianity was a growing mystery religion in the cities of the Roman world. It was attracting converts from different social levels. Christian theology and art was enriched through the cultural interaction with the Greco-Roman world.
The earliest identifiably Christian art consists of a few 2nd-century wall and ceiling paintings in the Roman catacombs (underground burial chambers), which continued to be decorated in a sketchy style derived from Roman impressionism through the 4th century.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The beginnings of an identifiable Christian art can be traced to the end of the second century and the beginning of the third century. Considering the Old Testament prohibitions against graven images, it is important to consider why Christian art developed in the first place.
Oct 1, 2021 · After 313 AD, as Christianity became accepted by the Roman government under Constantine the Great, early churches were beginning to be established in Western Europe and the Roman Empire.
