Art: General

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Further reading

iconography, Christian

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church | 2000 | | Copyright

iconography, Christian. The earliest Christian art was mainly symbolical: Christ was represented by a fish or as a young shepherd, the Church by a ship. It was soon possible to detect a difference of emphasis in the E. and W., the E. stressing the liturgical function of art, whereas the W. regarded art as providing pictorial illustrations of biblical events and religious doctrines. Byzantine churches often exhibit a planned system of stylized and didactic decoration covering the whole interior. In the W., partly under the influence of the growing devotion to Christ's humanity, a new realistic, less symbolic style of art began to develop from the 12th cent. While individualism had some play, art commonly conformed to a pattern determined by the Church. In the 14th cent. religious art grew less intellectual and more emotional; in the 15th cent. it became frankly realistic and picturesque. See also ICON.

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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "iconography, Christian." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "iconography, Christian." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-iconographyChristian.html

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "iconography, Christian." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-iconographyChristian.html

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Christian iconography

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Christian iconography see under iconography .

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"Christian iconography." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Christian iconography." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-Christia-ic.html

"Christian iconography." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-Christia-ic.html

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