Christian Iconography: A Study of Its Origins

An illuminating look at the iconography of the early church and its important place in the history of Christian art

Christian Iconography examines how the earliest Christian images were created and sheds light on the role they played alongside other forms of Christian piety in their day. André Grabar looks at the most characteristic examples of paleo-Christian iconography, dwelling on their nature, form, and content. He explores the limits of originality in such art, its debt to figurative art, and the cultural climate in the Roman Empire more broadly, drawing a distinction between expressive images--that is, genuine works of art--and informative ones. Enriching our understanding of early Christian art, this classic book shows how early Christian iconography assimilated contemporary imagery. It establishes the importance of imperial iconography in the development of Christian portraits and discusses dogmas expressed in single and juxtaposed images.