File:Monuments of the early church (1901) (14783506965).jpg

Identifier: monumentsofearly00lowr (find matches)
Title: Monuments of the early church
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Lowrie, Walter, 1868-1959
Subjects: Christian antiquities Christian art and symbolism Church architecture Church history -- Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600
Publisher: New York, The Macmillan Company London, MacMillan & Co.
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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tance a division of the field intotwo zones — a principle which was usually carried out muchmore rigidly in order to allow of the representation of thegreatest possible number of figures. The common arrangement is well illustrated in Fig. 9r>, asarcophagus of the fourth century, which was once in S. l^auls 258 PICTOniAL ABT and is now in the Lateran Museum. We see here that theeffort after symmetry has resulted in a monotonous uniformity.The attitude of the individual figures is good, but the generaleffect is impaired by crowding. In this case the faces are veryroughly finished. It may be noticed, by the way, that thebusts of the deceased couple are only blocked out, and that thelid has received neither carving nor inscription. We have inthis an intimation of the fact that the sarcophagi were not gen-erally made to order, but selected out of the general stock ofa studio, ready made except for the inscription and portraitswhich had to be added after the purchase. In this case, for
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Fig. 97.— Fragment of a sarcophagus in the Lateran Museum. Fourth century. Elijahgiving his mantle to Elisha, the sons of the prophets and the bear. some reason or another, neither the portraits nor the inscriptionwere executed. The centre of the composition is plainly marked by the shell,which contains the busts of the deceased, and is supportedby two little cupids; and belov*^, by the group of Daniel betweenthe lions, to whom Habakkuk offers a loaf of bread. The fig-ures which here and elsewhere appear in the background haveno significance, and are added only to fill out the space. Thereis in this case an unusually strict symmetry of arrangementbetween the upper and the lower zone. Moses striking therock corresponds to the raising of Lazarus. At the other endGod is seated upon a throne, — or rather a cathedra velata, —and below, seated upon a similar cathedra (without a covering), SCULPTURE— Sarcophagi 259 the Virgin and Child receive the adoration of the Magi. Thefigure beh

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