File:Monuments of the early church (1901) (14596880319).jpg

Identifier: monumentsofearly00lowr (find matches)
Title: Monuments of the early church
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Lowrie, Walter, 1868-1959
Subjects: Christian antiquities Christian art and symbolism Church architecture Church history -- Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600
Publisher: New York, The Macmillan Company London, MacMillan & Co.
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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Fir.. 144. —Mosaicdrawn ; before it,paenula. S. Georg-e. Thessalonica. An altar and ciborium, with curtainthe attitude of i)rayer, stand a man and a \%oman clad in the MIXIATUBES 333 ski!.l. The most interesting feature of the decoration of thischurch is the series of medallion portraits of the bishops ofRavenna, which are arranged in long line above the colonnade.They are an imitation of the portraits of the popes at S. Paulsat Rome. Figure 142 represents one of the bishops which aredepicted between the windows of the apsidal wall. This, likethe seventh-century mosaic in the Lateran baptistery (Fig.181), is illustrated here more expressly as an example of thecostume of the period. D. MINIATURES It is only quite lately that the subject of early Biblical min-iatures has received serious attention, and there is yet a good
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 145. — Miniature from the Joshua Eoll of the Vatican. Fifth centur)\ Joshua andambassadors of Gibeon, in two scenes. deal of difference of opinion about the date and origin of theearliest illustrated manuscripts. The art of miniature illustra-tion was practised before the Christian era, and even afterthe fourth century it continued to be employed for Classicalauthors as well as for the Bible and ecclesiastical books. Ina sense it may be called, however, a Christian art, for it firstcame into general use in the fourth century as applied to theBible. The substitution of the codex for the roll was largelydue to the use of the Christian Scriptures as books of reference,and this change in itself must have served to encourage, or atleast facilitate, the illustration of manuscripts. The develop-ment of this art was, however, more positively due to thegrowing interest in the interpretation of the Biblical text. Itis not likely that in the early period the whole Bible was ever 334 riCTO

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