Greek Classical Art's Influence on Early Christian Art
This paper traces the evolution of Western art from the Greek Classical era through the rise of early Christian art, examining how idealized realism in Greek and Roman traditions was gradually absorbed, transformed, and ultimately rejected in favor of symbolic, stylized representation. Beginning with the Classical period's anatomical idealism and moving through Roman imperial art, Byzantine iconography, Romanesque sculpture, and Gothic style, the paper shows how the philosophy of each era shaped its artistic output. It also explores how early Christian artists consciously borrowed pagan imagery—such as depicting Christ as a beardless Apollo—before the Church's growing emphasis on scripture and symbolism led to a decisive break from classical naturalism, a break not reversed until the Renaissance.
- The Greek Classical Style and Its Idealized Realism: Idealized human form in Classical Greek sculpture
- Roman Art and the Transition to Christian Imagery: Roman adaptations adding humanity and individuality
- Early Christian Art and the Assimilation of Pagan Forms: Christians borrowing pagan imagery and symbolism
- Byzantine Shifts Away from Classical Naturalism: Byzantine art distorting space and human proportion
- Romanesque and Gothic Art: Symbolism Over Humanity: Church militancy driving stylized, symbolic art forms
- The Renaissance and the Return to Classicism: Renaissance revival of classical naturalism and anatomy
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper traces a clear chronological argument, linking artistic style to the dominant philosophy or religious ideology of each period rather than simply describing visual features.
- Specific works—the Tomb of Mausolus, the Ara Pacis, the ivory plaque of Archangel Michael, and the Saint-Pierre Moissac prophet figure—ground abstract claims in concrete visual evidence.
- The paper balances multiple scholarly voices (Boardman, Kleiner, Cartwright, Yeomans) to support each stage of the argument without over-relying on any single source.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper uses comparative art analysis across chronological periods, identifying not merely aesthetic differences but the ideological forces (religious, political, philosophical) that produced them. This technique—reading art as an expression of cultural values—is the core method of art history and is executed consistently from the Classical era through the Gothic.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with Greek Classical idealism, moves into the Roman adaptation of that tradition, then examines how early Christian artists initially borrowed pagan forms before theology pushed art toward abstraction. The Romanesque and Gothic sections show the farthest departure from naturalism, and the brief concluding paragraph on the Renaissance frames the entire arc as cyclical, with Classicism receding and then returning. Each section transitions logically to the next, creating a coherent developmental narrative.
The Greek Classical Style and Its Idealized Realism
The fifth century B.C.E. initiated a new philosophy in Greek art. While before this era Greek representations of the human form tended to be static and relatively stylized—much like Egyptian art—the Classical era exhibited a notable break with previous artistic images. Representations of the human form became much more realistic. Knowledge of anatomy combined with an ideology that celebrated and idealized the human form (while still keeping it recognizably human) characterized the style of this era, as can be seen in one of the wonders of the ancient world, the Tomb of Mausolus (Asia Minor, 359–351 B.C.E.). One famous relief on the Tomb depicts Greek warriors and Amazon women in combat. Both the soldiers and the women are intricately detailed in terms of the folds of their clothing and musculature. Both sides are also perfectly proportioned, and while all look recognizably human, the male and female warriors represent the pinnacle of athletic perfection. Their faces are, however, more emotional than some examples of earlier Classical art. The women and men facing defeat show despair, not simply calm passivity. Classicism was notable for its "idealized realism," even in dress, "in which body forms were often more regular than in life, and heads, except for monsters like centaurs, seem passionless, calm" (Boardman).
Thus there is a marked difference between the Early and Late Classical styles. "The Early Classical, sometimes called the Severe Style," as in the case of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, depicts figures that "are mainly lifelike" but are more stylized (Boardman). The later the art, the more "deliberate attempts at depiction of emotion in faces and of different ages in rendering of bodies," which became even more notable during the Hellenistic period of sculpture that followed the Classical era (Boardman).
Roman Art and the Transition to Christian Imagery
Classical Roman art was heavily influenced by Classical Greek art, and many of the surviving images of ancient Greek works are in fact Roman replicas. However, in the Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace), the "Imperial Procession" portion of the frieze (13–9 B.C.E.) shows the beginning of a distinct new style. Although the images of the triumphant Imperial family are similar to those of the monumental works of the Greek past, there is also more subtlety and humanizing of the figures. "Some figures are speaking to each other, one figure (possibly Augustus' sister) holds a finger to her lips and calls for silence whilst elsewhere some children look decidedly bored with one small child pulling the toga of an adult in order to be picked up" (Cartwright). Thus there is "animation and individuality of the figures" as well as a sense of humor, even though the images presented are characterized by idealized classical perfection (Cartwright).
Once again, the influence of the emotionalism and idiosyncrasies of the Hellenistic period are blended with classicism. "Interestingly, although Augustus is present in the scene, the emperor is actually not so easy to pick out, which is in great contrast to later Imperial sculpture where the emperor of the time is very much the focal point of the monument" (Cartwright). This greater realism may have been reflective of the ideology Augustus wished to project: while he was the first emperor to be deified and held absolute power, he also wished to stress the extent to which he embodied classically humble Roman values and his status as a family man.
Early Christian Art and the Assimilation of Pagan Forms
The rise of the Christian faith in the Roman Empire did not initially bring about a notable change in the ways in which artistic representations were depicted. This can be seen in the depiction of the Archangel Michael on an ivory plaque from Constantinople in the early sixth century. The plaque depicts Michael in a style similar to a Classical winged victory, incorporating pagan symbolism into Christian iconography. "The archangel's flowing drapery, which reveals the body's shape, the delicately incised wings, and the facial type and coiffure are other indications that the artist who carved the ivory was working within the traditions of classical art" (Kleiner 92). Victory was traditionally depicted as a woman, not a man, holding a palm branch; Michael is obviously male and holds a royal scepter bearing the image of a crucifix and a staff. "The Christian artist adopted a pagan motif and imbued it with new meaning" (Kleiner 92).
The reasons for this may be simply due to the fact that pagan images and symbolism were familiar to the artist and to the likely viewers. There could also be a more conscious desire to shift viewers' associations from pagan to Christian images. Artists naturally wanted to "draw from a set of rich artistic paradigms when they set out to depict their stories and beliefs in decorative contexts. This often led to the assimilation of well-established pagan artistic styles and images into early Christian art" (Yeomans). "As emerging underdogs in a nation with a long and well-established artistic tradition, those same artisans and craftsmen who were now creating art in a Christian context naturally turned to images and styles that were familiar to them" (Yeomans). In contrast to how Christ is portrayed in iconography today, he was often shown to resemble a beardless Apollo in early Christian art, or Orpheus—the famous lyre player who descended into the world of the dead to bring back his beloved Eurydice (Yeomans).
Works Cited
"Art of the Crusades Era." 8 Dec. 1997. Web. 28 Dec. 2015.
Boardman, John. "The Classical Period (5th–4th Century BC)." Classical Art Research Centre. Web. 28 Dec. 2015.
Cartwright, Mark. "Ara Pacis Augustae." The Ancient History Encyclopedia. Web. 28 Dec. 2015.
Janson, Horst Woldemar, and Anthony F. Janson. History of Art: The Western Tradition. Prentice Hall Professional, 2003.
Kleiner, Fred. Gardner's Art through the Ages: Backpack Edition, Book B, The Middle Ages. Cengage Learning, 2009.
Yeomans, Sarah. "Borrowing from the Neighbors: Pagan Imagery in Christian Art." Biblical Archaeology Today. 14 Sept. 2014. Web. 28 Dec. 2015.
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