Pdf / English / 1962 / 188 pag illustrated / 22.7 MB

Early Christian Art
EDUARD SYNDIC US

TRANSLATED BY J. R. FOSTER

Christian art today consists of many masterpieces: cathedrals, sculpture, and  painting; these furnish evidence to prove that art is a factor by which spiritual messages of revelation are conveyed and by which a means of comprehending the divine is provided. Until late in the third century, however, there was no Christian art as such; in fact, Christianity was frequently said to be a primitive religion because it lacked a cultural means of expression.
In this book, Eduard Syndicus outlines the history of Christian art from its beginning through the first six centuries of its development. It actually began with drawings on tombstones and in burial vaults. A study of such drawings clearly shows the gradual change in attitude brought about by Christianity: the first drawings portrayed everyday scenes in life but, as Christian teachings spread, the art began
to depict man's thoughts of death and resurrection