The Early Christians were opposed to monumental religious sculpture,
even though they continued ancient Roman sculptural traditions.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Differentiate Early Christian sculpture from earlier Roman sculptural traditions
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
Early Christians continued ancient Roman traditions in portrait busts and sarcophagus reliefs, as
well as smaller objects such as the consular diptych.
Such objects, often in valuable materials, were also the main sculptural traditions of the
barbaric civilizations of the Migration period. This may be seen in the hybrid Christian and
animal style productions of Insular art.
However, there was the beginnings of a production ofmonumental statues in courts and major
churches in the West during the Carolingian and Ottonian periods. By the tenth and eleventh
centuries, there are records of several apparently life-size sculptures in Anglo-Saxon churches.
TERMS [ edit ]
sculpture in the round
Free-standing sculpture, such as a statue, that is not attached (except possibly at the base) to any
other surface.
Sculpture
The art of shaping figures or designs in the round or in relief, professionally performed by a
sculptor.
Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [edit ]
The Early Christians were opposed tomonumentalreligioussculpture. Nevertheless, they
continued ancient Roman sculptural traditions in portrait busts andsarcophagus reliefs, as
well as smaller objects such as the
consular diptych (a pair of linked panels,
generally in ivory, wood or metal and
decorated with rich sculpted decoration).
Such objects, often in valuable materials,
were also the main sculptural traditions
(as far as is known) of the
barbariccivilizations of the Migration
period. This is specifically seen in the
objects found in the sixth-century burial
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treasure at Sutton Hoo, the jewelry of
Scythian art, and the hybrid Christian and animal style productions of Insular art. Following
the Byzantinetradition, Carolingian art revived ivory carving, often in panels for the treasure
bindings of grand illuminated manuscripts, as well as crozier heads and other small fittings.
Byzantine art, though producing superb ivory reliefs and architectural decorative carving,
never returned to monumental sculpture, or even much small sculpture in the round.
However, there was the beginnings of a production of monumental statues in courts and
major churches in the West during the Carolingian and Ottonian periods. This gradually
spread and there are records of several apparently life-size sculptures in Anglo-Saxon
churches by the tenth and eleventh centuries. These sculptures are probably of precious
metal around a wooden frame, like the Golden Madonna of Essen. The Golden Madonna of
Essen is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus. It is a wooden core covered with
sheets of thingold leaf . Dated around the year 980, it is both the oldest known sculpture of
the Madonna and the oldest free-standingmedieval sculpture north of the Alps. It is also one
of the few major works of art to survive from Ottonian times. The Golden Madonna of Essen
is the only full-length survivor from what appears to have been a common form of statue
among the wealthiest churches and abbeys of tenth and eleventh century Northern Europe.
Some of these statues, especially figures of the Crucifixion, were life-size.
Golden Madonna of Essen
The Golden Madonna of Essen has a wood core covered by thin gold leaf.
The Gero Cross (circa 965–70), a crucifix sculpture , was evidently the most common type of
early Christian sculpture. The figure appears to be the earliest and finest of a number of lifesize German wood sculpted crucifixions that appeared in the late Ottonian or
early Romanesque period, later spreading to much of Europe. Charlemagne had set one up in
the Palatine Chapel in Aachen, around 800 AD. These continued to grow in popularity,
especially in Germany and Italy. Furthermore, engraved stones were northern sculptural
traditions that bridged the period of early Christian sculpture. Some examples are Nordic
tradition rune stones, the Pictish stones of Scotland, and possibly the high cross reliefs of
Christian Great Britain.
Gero Cross
The Gero Cross Sculpture appears to be the earliest and finest of a number of life­size German wood
sculpted crucifixions that appeared in the late Ottonian or early Romanesque period, later spreading to
much of Europe.