The first Christians treated to a fine art with prejudice, because they considered it the the most subjected to the influence of paganism and idolatry human activity. However, penetrated Greece and Rome, where art has always played a huge role, Christianity filled the old antique forms with new content. Christian sacred images that emerged very early are often divided into three groups: a symbolic, allegorical and historical.
Most religious symbols can be understood as a conceptual reduction and simplification aimed at illustration of holy books. The greatest number of symbols is devoted to Christ. Cross is a symbol of the suffering of Christ, His martyrdom and his victory over it. The name of Christ symbolically depicted in the form of fish - an image associated with the remembrance of The Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan River. In Greek, the word "fish" consists of the first letters of the phrase "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior."
Anchor - one of the most common Christian symbol of hope and perseverance, giving safety and salvation in the stormy sea of life.
Ship meant the Church of Christ, especially in the composition, where it was put on the back of a big fish, symbolizing Christ, supporting his church.
Lyre - symbol of Christ and His word. Strongly stretched strings of lira is a symbol of the Christ’s crucified body.
These images belong to the whole composition, with allegorical meaning, relating mainly to illustration of the Gospel parables.
One of the most common themes was the parable of the Good Shepherd, who is a type of Christ, according to his words: "I am the good shepherd" (John 10 14). This image was widely known not only depicted in the paintings, but was placed on the subjects of church and household items. Good Shepherd on Christian monuments is usually represented as a beardless young man with short hair, wearing a belted tunic and often bare-headed. Sometimes he stands between two trees, leaning on his staff. Very often, he keeps the sheep on his shoulders. Attributes of the Good Shepherd are a vessel for milk, flute, shepherd's staff, sometimes - the monogram of the name of Christ, the cross, as well as the sun, moon and stars.
Sometimes we can see the image of the Lamb with the halo and the cross standing on a hill, on which expire four water flows. Hill symbolizes Golgotha, and on other interpretations - the Church of Christ. River - the holy gospel and four rivers of paradise.
Historic images
These images are reflection of the events of the Old and New Testaments, as well as the image of the Savior, the Virgin Mary and the Apostles. From the Old Testament were mainly illustrated those events that had a direct connection with the New Testament.
Noah in the ark was often depicted, meeting a dove, returning after the flood with a branch in its beak.
Images of Moses, relieving sandals to walk up to a burning bush also were very popular. Such characters as Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Samson, David, Elijah ascended into heaven, Susanna as a lamb between two wolves were often portrayed in the catacombs.
Symbolism of early Christian art had a strong influence on its mosaic decoration, as well as on the development of iconography. Early Christian symbolic images become a link between church art of the first centuries and the sacred images of our time. It is symbolic images laid the basic principle of the Christian understanding of painting: on the external form to see the inner content, what then will be realized in the iconography as the image and archetype.
Works Cited
Hassett, Maurice. "The Lamb (in Early Christian Symbolism)." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 7Oct.2014 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08755b.htm>.
Thurston, Herbert. "Symbolism." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 7 Oct. 2014<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14373b.htm>.
Tyrwhitt, Richard St. John. The Art Teaching of the Primitive Church: With an Index of Subjects, Historical and Emblematic. 1874. Reprint. London: Forgotten Books, 2013. 132-3.
