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Lesson Plans
Art History ©1999
by Marilyn Stokstad
Focus Lesson 7
Chapter 7: "Early Christian, Jewish, and Byzantine Art"
AP* Course Description
- Ancient Through Medieval
- Early Christian, Islamic, Byzantine, Early Medieval
Key Components
- Instructor's Resource Manual with Tests, Vol. I: pp. 7–10, 58, 80–86, 191–193
- Study Guide, Vol. I: pp. 4–7
Key Web Sites
Check the Online Companion Web site for updated information and links to other sites.
Key Words and Terms
- cherubim
- lunette
- baptistry
- transept
- Greek-cross plan
- barrel-vaulted
- pendentive dome
- iconostasis
- reverse perspective
- illuminated
- shater
- allegory
- syncretism
- loculus
- basilica-plan
- Latin cross
- ciborium
- illusionistic
- ambulatory
- pendentive
- gallery
- icons
- rotulus
- vellum
- vignette
- quincunx
- scriptorium
- orant
- house-synagogue
- narthex
- central-plan
- crypt
- tesserae
- putti
- blind arcading
- exedrae
- mandorla
- codex
- manuscripts
- iconoclasm
- Deesis
- Good Shepherd
- house-church
- portal
- martyrium
- spandrel
- mausoleum
- cruciform
- conch
- squinches
- hieratic
- parchment
- miniature
- expressionistic
- cloisonné
Suggested Pacing
Allow one week for this chapter. Most of the time should be spent on the early Christian churches—especially in Ravenna—and on Byzantine art. Architecture and mosaics are the two subjects that require the greatest attention.
Test Strategy
When taking the multiple-choice portion of the AP* exam, students need to make efficient use of time. If a student gets stuck on a question, he/she should scratch out any answer choices known to be incorrect, circle or star the question in the question booklet—not on the answer sheet—and move on, returning to the question later. Students need to be aware of the number of the question they skip so that they can skip the answer row on the answer sheet.
Key Concepts
- Basilica-plan
The evolution of basilica-plan and central-plan churches from earlier architectural models is a major theme in this chapter and is a stage in the eventual development of the cathedral in the Middle Ages. Students should be familiar with the ways in which architects solved the problems of converting the public basilica into a place of worship. Methods for placing a dome over a square base should also be studied in depth. The text provides a good discussion of pendentives and squinches on p. 310. Questions about the nave, apse, and transepts often appear on the AP* exam in some form. Students should begin to keep notes on the different styles of churches so that they will be able to compare and contrast them as they review their coursework. - Iconography of the life of Jesus
The table "Iconography of the Life of Jesus" on pp. 306–307 is a useful compendium of the "cycles" of the life of Jesus, the basis of much of Christian art. Students should return to this table often during the course to verify their identification of the literal and symbolic meanings of artworks. It is a highly useful reference on Christian symbolism.
Summing Up Student Understanding
Ask students to familiarize themselves with the above mentioned table. You might eliminate some entries as less important, and ask students to memorize the rest for homework. Then, to simulate the slide portion of the AP* exam, ask students to identify scenes from the life of Jesus that you show them on slides without the aid of their books. Ask students to write their answers on a sheet of paper, numbering their responses as they go. Allow two minutes per image.
You may wish to pick images that do not fit neatly into one category to challenge your students, or show them a piece with multiple scenes and ask them what cycle the work depicts. Consider using images from the history of art from this point forward, since many excellent examples come from the later Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. The important thing is that students can identify the scenes based only on what they see.
After you have completed a series of ten or so images, go back to the first and discuss the answers. Before revealing to students whether or not they are correct, ask them what iconographical evidence made them choose the episode they did. Are there conflicting opinions in the class? Emphasize the importance of careful observation, missing no details—the guiding principle of an art historian.