Christian and Islamic Art

Christian Art

• Sarcophagus: funeral container for a corpse– Resurrection images absent = mysterious religion– Expensive!– Roman Christians

Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus

359 CE(Vatican City)

• Paintings

The Last SupperLeonardo da Vinci, 1498

(Milan, Italy)

– Roman Catholic Church– Helps depict figures or explain scenes from the Bible– For the illiterate

La PietáMichelangelo, 1499

(Vatican City)

• Sculpture

• Icons: flat panel depiction of a holy being or object– Eastern Orthodox Church– Canvas, metal, stone, cloth, mosaic…– Follows the commandment to not make “graven images”

Black Madonna of Częstochowa

14th century(Częstochowa,

Poland)

• Steeple: tall tower on a church, usually topped by a cross– Attempts to reach into the heavens– Guiding lights for the community

First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell

18th century(Caldwell, NJ)

• Cruciform Architecture– Roman Catholic Church– The ceiling of many churches

or cathedrals are in the shape of a cross

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

1878(New York, NY)

Islamic Art

• Dome: traditional roof structure– Cosmic shelter– Royalty– Direction of Prayer

The Sacred Mosque(Mecca, Saudi Arabia)

• Minarets: tall spire with onion-shaped crown– Call to prayer– Direction of prayer– Air conditioning

Twin MinaretsThe Sacred Mosque

(Mecca, Saudi Arabia)

• Islamic calligraphy: artistic practice of writing– Arabic language– Cannot represent God with images– Contains messages from the Koran

Timbuktu ManuscriptsCalligraphy in Arabic depicting

astronomy and mathematics(Timbuktu, Mali)

World Religions Connections

• What World Religion does this represent?• Why?• Wait…what religion?

Minaret of Jesus Great Mosque of Damascus

(Damascus, Syria)

Hagia Sophia(Istanbul, Turkey)

St. Peter’s Basilica(Vatican City)

Dome of the Rock(Jerusalem, Israel)