Representations of architecture in late antiquity
Beatrice Leal
Buildings and architectural metaphors occupy an important place in early Christian literature. Heaven was conceived of as a city, Christ is cornerstone, apostles prophets are foundations pillars, the Virgin Mary gateway to salvation believers living stones. This dissertation studies equally inventive range visual symbolism art late Roman Empire its successor states. Taking examples from across Mediterranean basin, Rome Syria, it investigates why buildings were so often chosen for illustration how they functioned images, active protagonists within compositions.
Chapter one deals with fourth-century funerary monuments; chapter two discusses fifth-century apse mosaics churches; three covers mosaic floors Syrian Jordanian churches fourth seventh centuries, four moves between Umayyad eastern Carolingian papal Rome, discuss renewed enthusiasm imagery eighth ninth centuries.
Buildings embodied many positive qualities, such stability, tradition, authority, civilisation wealth, open-endedness iconography enabled viewers read multiple meanings into image. The flexibility symbolism, role depicted both agents mediators, their effectiveness embodiments material splendour all contributed impact imagery. shows images inventively deployed, especially at times heightened social competition, powerful expressions institutional religious identity personal status.