Dome of the Rock

687-692 CE

Islamic, Umayyad Period

Jerusalem, Israel

Commissioned by Abd Al-Malik

--Temple Mount = Where Solomon's Temple stood; held Arc of the Covenant; temple was destroyed

--Herod's Temple built on site; destroyed 70 CE by Titus ("Spoils of Jerusalem")

--Believed site where Abraham attempted to sacrifice Isaac

--638 CE: Caliph Umar conquers Jerusalem and builds SMALL SHRINE commemorating Muhammad (died 6 years prior)

--Believed place where Gabriel took Muhammad into Heaven to meet God; place of ASCENSION AND RETURN

--Finally, Abd Al-Malik builds LARGE SHRINE to commemorate Muhammad's ascension/return

--al-Haram al-Sharif = "Noble Sanctuary"; IT IS NOT A MOSQUE

--Western wall = Wailing Wall; believed to be only remaining wall of Solomon's Temple

The Great Mosque

10th century

Islamic, Umayyad Period

Cordoba, Spain

Commissioned by Abd al-Rahman I

--Entry Gate = formal entrance to courtyard

--Courtyard = NOT and atrium, but same intent (transition from secular to spiritual)

--Hypostyle Hall = colonnaded space where prayers are done

--Qibla Wall = orients people worshipping to direction of Mecca

--Mihrab Niche = where Qur'an is held

--Idea of mosque derived from Muhammad's house in Medina

--Oasis in desert

--Prototype for all mosques

Prayer Hall

--Colonnade = double arcade (2 arches); allows more light; transfers light toward center space

--alternating colors red and white because those are the colors of the Umayyads

--Double Arcade = derived from study of ROMAN AQUEDUCTS (Merida, Spain)

--Columns = Spolia columns ("reused, spoils"; borrowed from other structures)

Masqura Screen

--Across from MIHRAB NICHE to separate from rest of mosque

--Where caliph would sit; distanced from participants but closer to Qur'an

--Mihrab = Horseshoe Arch

--Trilobe Arches = "3 lobes"

--Mihrab Dome = elaborately decorated with mosaic

Significance of Center Space in Groundplan

--In shape of a CROSS

--Christians took over Cordoba and built a church in the middle of the mosque

--16th century = Charles V says "Christians ruined one of the world's greatest buildings"

Hiberno-Saxon Art

--"Insular Art" = of Island (Ireland, Scotland, England)

--Monastic Learning = monasteries became center of intellectual activity; repositories of books

--Illuminated Manuscripts = books copied by hand; precious items; monks transcribe them

Lindisfarne Gospels

c. 698

Hiberno-Saxon Period

Ink on Vellum

Bishop Eadfrith

--Illuminated Manuscripts = direct correlation between material and preciousness of word

--Text and image = mixed (text is elaborately decorated)

--Canon Tables = concordance between Old Testament (prophecy) and New Testament (fulfillment)

--Gospel Book = 4 gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)

--Matt. Mark and Luke = "synoptic", all tell life of Christ

--John = teachings of Christ

--Each Gospel gets Carpet page (1st image), Initial Page (1st page of text) and Evangelist Page (Image of evangelist)

St. Matthew Carpet Page

From Lindisfarne Gospels

--Frontispiece = book cover for specific Gospel

--Interlace Design = comes from region associated with metal=smithing

--Zoomorphic = animals intertwining (peacocks = associated with eternal life)

--Recto = Carpet Page

--Verso = Initial Page

St. Matthew Initial Page

From Lindisfarne Gospels

--1st page of text

--1st letter decorated to emphasize importance of "the word"

--Chi-Rho = Greek letters of Christ (like Constantine's vision)

--Genealogy of Christ = goes all the way back to David

--Christ embodies mortal body

--Divine but with human presence; Christ = "word incarnate"; Decoration of Chi-Rho is "animated" coming from "animi" which means "spirit", thus it is the "INSPIRITED WORD = WORD MADE FLESH"

--Reader is meant to meditate on everything word symbolizes

St. Matthew Evangelist Page

From Lindisfarne Gospels

--Image of evangelist

--NOT A PORTRAIT BECAUSE A PORTRAIT MUST BE OF A LIVING PERSON

--Matthew with emblem of Gospel = TETRAMORPH; Matthew's is a WINGED MAN to emphasize genealogy of Christ

--Seated Philosopher Type = connection of Matt. as philosopher = conveyor of diving wisdom

--Seen in act of writing to ETERNALIZE WORK; forever made present

St. Mark Evangelist Page

From Lindisfarne Gospels

--Mark = Lion = emphasizes resurrection; was believed lions were stillborn and only came to life after their birth

--Seated philosopher type

St. Luke Evangelist Page

From Lindisfarne Gospels

--Luke = Ox = emphasizes crucifixion/sacrifice

--Seated philosopher type

St. John Evangelist Page

From Lindisfarne Gospels

--John = Eagle = flying above heavens

--Apollonian = youthful, beardless, Christ-like

--Alpha = beginning, Omega = end

--Words highlighted with same colors that are in halo: John's name, suggestion of "in the beginning"

--John also associated with omega because he wrote Revelation

--Pose of Authority gained at beginning and end (Alpha and Omega)

--Parallels = Synoptic gospels all have similar pages

--Simplicity suggestive of divine nature in CHrist because simplicity leads to complexity

Equestrian Portrait of Charlemagne

c. 9th Centure CE

Bronze

Carolingian Period

--Carolingian emperors wanted to revive glory and imagery of ancient Roman Empire

--Holding glob as symbol of world dominion

--Inspired by portrain of Theodoric, 1st Germanic ruler of Rome

--Ultimate model = equestrian portrait of Marcus Aurelius in Rome

Plan for Palatine Chapel

792-805 CE

Carolingian Period

Aachen, Germany

--Charlemagne wanted to emulate Byzantine splendor in Germany

--Plan based on San Vitale in Ravenna, but Carolingian plan = simpler

--Architect converted "floating quality" of San Vitale into "massive geometric form"

--Foreshadows "Romanesque" style of 11th and 12th centuries

--Palatine = a "royal chapel"; Charlemagne's son, Louis the Pious, was coronated here

St. Matthew Evangelist Page

From The Coronation Gospels (Gospel Book of Charlemagne)

800-810 CE

Carolingian Period

Ink and tempera on vellum

--Artist used light, shade and perspective to reate illusion of 3D form

--Charlemagne = admirer of learning, arts and classical culture

--Placed high value on books (sacred and secular)

--Classical painting style = Charlemagne's way of establishing Aachen, Germany as capital of renewed Christian Roman Empire