Art and Idolatry in Roman-Christian History (500 to 1200 AD)

Christianity, when it was embraced by Roman Emperor Constantine in 312 AD, brought many changes to the Roman empire. As a seat of the world's power, its policies and beliefs were radically moved in a new direction. The Gods the Romans worshipped were considered pagan, and the idea that they once persecuted mercilessly, filled the lot of their temples. 

This change in religion also altered the course of Art at the time. During this period, Hellenistic art permeated Europe all the way to Asia minor. These artworks improved Greek's greatness in capturing lifelikeness as evident in Apollo Belvedere (350 BC, left) and Discobolos (450 BC, right). 

This inclination came to a halt as Christianity permeated the subjects of what was to be made from thereon. The reason is an adherence to a verse from the book of Exodus, stating:

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the Earth beneath, or that is in the water under the Earth: thou shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the lord am a jealous God.

Roman artists made deliberate decisions to put aside techniques, skills, and experimentations to adapt to the new religion. Making their artworks using Greek and Hellenistic themes was deemed risky, even taboo, since carving, say, the face of Christ in his exact likeness would be contrary to what is said in the book of Exodus. 

Art's development was forestalled, its function was no longer for its own sake, nor for beauty's, but to be a medium to proclaim the message of the gospels. 

The debate between artistic depictions of biblical scenes continued until Pope Gregory the great (540 to 604 AD) gave a critical verdict. He allowed art about the gospels to be created. His reason was that artworks, especially painting, can serve as a language for the illiterate masses. Through them, more people can know the message of the Christian faith. 

While Roman artists felt liberation because of Pope Gregory's judgment, the works that they produced had traces of suppression. One of such artwork is called The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes (520 AD).

The difference between Greek art and this new art style is clear. It was made to portray a scene from the gospel with simplicity. Imbuing it with realistic representation could border on the blasphemous, hence the artist's use of straightforward imagery. The portrait of Jesus, the apostles, the fish and the loaves are reminiscent of the state of the Art before the Greeks: that of Egyptian art. 

Early Roman-Christian art shared the rigidity of Egyptian art as they both wanted religious representation to be as simple as possible. This effort to maintain clarity is what makes for the stiffness of form observed in the examples above. 

Thousands of years set them apart, but because artists are faced with the same task-that of portraying sacredness-convergences have occurred. 

A sacrifice in skill had to be made in favor of careful religious portrayal. In Roman-Christian's case, the essence of artworks is representing scenes of the gospels. Anything other than this aim was to be omitted. 

Detail of Chartres Cathedral (1194)

Soon proclaiming that God can make himself known through images, the western church advanced the creation of statues and realistic paintings. Thus, ensued the veneration of religious artworks as reflections of the divine. 

The eastern Christian congregation in Byzantium had a different stand. They remained keen in forbidding idol worship. The bulk of Byzantine art are paintings and mosaics, true to the essence of simple representation. 

This portrait of the Madonna and the child (1280) is by no means realistic, nor is it vague to not be able to express sacredness. It maintained many similarities with early Roman-Christian art but it has adopted a style of its own. 

Instead of statues, mosaics adorned the eastern churches. Examples of these Byzantine artworks can still be seen today inside Hagia Sophia in Turkey, and in other parts of Asia.

These drawbacks in art's perspective is not a complete regression. For instance, Greek elements like representing folds in draperies can be seen even in these Christian artworks. Foreshortening, the depiction of perspective and space, can also be observed. 

Regressive, and even primitive, as they may be, Roman-Christian artworks are not without guides. The Greek spirit, though slumbering, is alive in them, and it will made its will known until it completely re-emerges in the renaissance.

Study notes: The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich.