Catacomb Ceiling Art Portraying the Good Shepherd in the Middle Dome of Heaven

Greek Chapel

Content: ten km or more than than 5 miles wide At least 40,000 tombs Multiple sarcophagi for family members Concept originated in ancient Arab republic of egypt Small tabular array Scenes from Old and New Testaments (on the walls) Depiction of figures suffering on account of their organized religion Volume of Daniel Divine intervention - young Jewish men told to worship a Heathen gold idol, they refused, were sentenced to be burned live but then saved Originated nether the papacy of Pope Zephyrin (199-217) Location where virtually important pontiffs of the 3rd century Context: fifth century Underground, in the due north of Rome The oldest role of the catacombs Closest to the entrance of Priscilla's villa Place where the earliest Christians were buries Some Christians would come hither to practice their faith covertly Class: "Cubiculum" Passageways are stacked on pinnacle of each other (general) Roman first style* painting Building up of plaster on the wall to wait like marble Wanted the tomb to expect rich and valuable Part: Burial location for the bodily members of Priscilla's family unit Not a place of worship or prayer (to God), not really a chapel

Orant

Content: Scenes from a Christian woman'south life Marriage, childbirth, expiry (orant position) (Left) Being married past a 'seedless bishop' (Right) Seated in a chair nursing her newborn baby, reference to motherhood (Center) Pose of prayer (orant) to correspond her soul in the afterlife every bit it rises up to heaven; she is resurrected Her optics wait up to heaven, referring to her conservancy Directly underneath a Good Shepherd fresco Context: "Cubiculum of the Veil" (Title) Woman is in a veil for each scene of her life Establishment of positions of worship Orant Peculiarly of import in Early on Christian art (c. 2nd - 6th) Woman represents hope of the family that she would be well received and happy in the afterlife Was painted in dim lite of oil lanterns (viewed now through fluorescent lighting) Form: Arms outstretched as if reaching upwards towards god (orant); pop prayer position Minimalistic use of perspective and bodily proportions Long, amorphous trunk of clothing instead of curves of the human form Ever facing the forepart Hierarchy of calibration used to depict the scenes small to big, middle to sides in society of the importance of each upshot Not in very good status; only preserved because it was underground, and not exposed to wear and tear of natural elements on the surface Shadow placed nether her chin to create illusionism Hands are too large for her torso, only face is represented naturalistically Function: Abstruse representation of soul of the deceased Educational and instructive Showing Christians what a skillful Christian life was like Demonstrated important aspects of life Christians must experience, road to salvation Enclosed with a lunette at the back of the cubiculum

Good Shepherd frescoes "Breaking of the Breadstuff"

Content: Different scenes of the Quondam and New Testaments Abraham in the middle Isaac off to the right carrying wood Sacrifice of Isaac Abraham'south wrists stayed by an angel Breaking of the Breadstuff Long table, seven men behind it Not 12 apostles and Christ 7 blankets (3 on one side, 4 on the other) filled with bread Christ as the Expert Shepherd Surrounded by 3 goats, one over his shoulder Represented young, has no beard (alludes to earliness of art) Doves with olive branches Context: Christ represented as the Good Shepherd Key figure of shallow domed ceiling (Later) Christian art Isaac about to be killed past Abraham (hence "Sacrifice") Abraham'due south willingness to sacrifice his ain son foreshadowed God's willingness to sacrifice Christ References to miracles Christ performed throughout his life and liturgy Typical of Christian iconography Do of the Eucharist Bread and wine as the trunk and blood of Christ Non set scenes, invention of iconography Christ will care for his followers every bit a shepherd tends his flock Form: Simplistic style, straightforward Cypher exists in information technology without educational value Multiple curved and angular lines Diminished hierarchy of calibration To betoken the significance of religious figures Foreshortening of dishes on table Stance (GS) is representative of contrapposto Represented center frontal with goats and bushes with doves on either side Very symmetrical Symbols that surround the roundel (residual of earth and sky) Peacocks - symbol of eternal life Quail - symbol of the world Function: Martyrdom/inspirational scenes Divine revelation, worship, and devotion Embodiment and reinforcement of Christian faith

Vocabulary List

i. Cubiculum - (northward.) Latin word for "bedroom"  two. Pontiff - (due north.) the Pope  3. Orant - (n.) Latin for "i who is praying or pleading"; posture or bodily attitude of prayer, normally standing, with the elbows shut to the sides of the torso and with the hands outstretched sideways, palms upwards  iv. Crypt - (north.)human-made subterranean passageways for religious practice; chambers of burial  5. Fresco - (n.)a painting done rapidly in watercolor on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling, and so that the colors penetrate the plaster and become fixed as information technology dries  vi. Lunette - (due north.)an arched aperture or window, specially one in a domed ceiling; a fortification with ii faces forming a projecting angle, and two flanks

Other:

• Gateways to Art excerpt
• "In the catacombs, frescoes ornament both the places used for burial and the rooms in which people could congregate. The paintings consisted of infidel, Jewish, and Christian scenes. Although the same imagery was seen by Romans of all iii faiths, item subjects, such equally feast scenes or shepherds, would exist interpreted differently, according to the viewer'due south religion. For example, the central figure in the Christian fresco from the catacombs of Priscilla is shown standing in a praying position [orant]. Such a pose appears in infidel art, simply it has a distinct meaning for Christians, who sympathise the effigy to be praying to their god. Using imagery, such as this prayerful person, that was familiar to practitioners of other religions probably helped win potential converts to Christianity while likewise conveying a clear bulletin to existing believers." (p. 479)

Links:

• https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-fine art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/medieval-europe-islamic-world/five/catacomb-priscilla
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/orant
• http://www.bbc.com/civilisation/story/20150224-the-secrets-of-the-catacombs
• http://world wide web.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_commissions/archeo/inglese/documents/rc_com_archeo_doc_20011010_cataccrist_en.html
• https://smecsundaymorningforum.org/2012/04/26/the-good-shepherd-fresco-ca-advertizing-225-crypt-of-priscilla-rome-italy/

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Source: https://sites.google.com/site/adairarthistory/iii-early-europe-and-colonial-americas/48-catacomb-of-priscilla-greek-chapel-orant-good-shepherd-frescos

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