Les Voies de la création en iconographie chrétienne : Antiquité et Moyen Âge

by André Grabar

Magnifique vue d'ensemble de l'histoire de la création en matière d'iconographie chrétienne pendant un millier d'années, cet ouvrage est consacré aux interprétations par l'image des sujets religieux dans l'Antiquité et au Moyen Âge : c'est-à-dire aux époques où ces transpositions furent les plus élaborées et les plus déterminantes dans la vie des églises et des fidèles.

Genres: Art, History

446 pages, Pocket Book

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a LONG book about the origins of Christian Iconography from the Paleochristian period (from 33 AD to roughly 800 AD) through the Middle Ages (both in the Byzantine Empire and Gothic art). As it is a rather complex subject, the book itself is quite erudite amd heavy going. In fact, this book is considered as one of the most important works on the subject. It was written back in 1979, so I may need to read something else more current, but my teacher at the Ecole du Louvre said most of his analysis remains accurate.

During the period after the legendary death of Christ, there exist almost no written, painted or sculpted references that we have found until about the 3rd century around when Emperor Constantine converted and made Christianity a legal faith in the empire. Well, more accurately, it was never illegal before Constantine, but, like all other Roman citizens, Christians were expected to respect the Roman cults (particularly that in favor of the emperor) and the refusal of some led to the infamous persecutions under many Roman emperors, most notably Nero and Diocletian. During this period, and starting roughly 200 or 300 AD (dating is quite complex), the Christians in Rome and elsewhere took to hiding in underground catacombs and it is the parietal (wall) paintings from that period that are the first visual evidences we have of their faith. There are a number of codes that were developed by borrowing from imperial signs and adapting them to burgeoning Christian theology. Initially, the preferred images were of loaves and fishes (references to Christ’s most famous miracles as well as the “fishers of men” quote) and images of the Good Shepherd. Christ is drawn (without a halo - that comes several hundred years later) with and without a beard without really a conscious effort at realism. At this point, the images were purely symbolic.

Important to note here is the reticence to represent “god” himself in the Israeli religion which conflicted with pagan traditions of idol worship.. When Constantine concerted, Christian images were allowed and gradually encouraged in the public sphere, but always faced this philosophical issue about representation.

After the fall of the iconoclast movement in 843 AD, in

[Blanca · Rating 1 out of 5]

worst experience of my fucking life

[Albi · Rating 1 out of 5]

no repetiría aunque sea un libro a tener muy en cuenta en mi carrera, nunca más.

[Alia · Rating 1 out of 5]

una puta mierda pinchada en un palo mal hecho

[Pao Manzo]

the people tearing this book to shreds in the reviews are sending me 😭😭