Envisioning Worlds in Late Antique Art: New Perspectives on Abstraction and Symbolism in Late-Roman and Early-Byzantine Visual Culture (c. 300-600)

It Has Long Been An Accepted Assumption That The Abstracted Mode Of Visual Representation That Emerged In Late Antiquity Reflected A Collective Shift From The Outer-directed And 'material' World-view Of Classical Antiquity To An Inner-directed, 'spiritual' Mentality Informed By Christianity: The Purpose Of This Volume Is To Offer A More Nuanced And Diverse Image Of The Nature And Meanings Of Abstraction And Symbolism In Late Antique And Early Medieval Art, Beyond Normative Intepretation Models, And From A Number Of Different Methodological And Interpretative Perspectives. In Ten Chapters, Ten Authors Specialised In Various Fields Of Late-antique And Byzantine Art Explore The Historiographical Background Of The 'spiritual' Interpretation Paradigm, Neuroscientific And Theological Dimensions Of Christian Visual Aesthetics, Meanings And Motive Factors Behind Apparently Wholly Abstract And Aniconic Compositions, Symbolic Motifs And Schemes For Visualising Cosmic Order And The Cosmic State Of Christ, And The Re-use Of Symbolic Greco-roman Themes In Christian Contexts. The Result Is A Multi-focal Image Of Late Antique Abstraction And Symbolism That Illuminates The Heterogeneity And Complexity Of The Phenomena And Of Their Study. Frontmatter -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Introduction / Olovsdotter, Cecilia -- 1. Late Antique Art And Modernist Vision / Bassett, Sarah -- 2. The Other Hippocampus: Neuroscience And Early Christian Art / Onians, John -- 3. Image And Meta-image: Byzantine Aesthetics And Orthodox Faith / Karahan, Anne -- 4. Abstraction In Late Antique Art / Kiilerich, Bente -- 5. The Twelve-silver-column Programme In The Martyrium Church In Jerusalem / Brenk, Beat -- 6. Defining Space: Abstraction, Symbolism And Allegory On Display In Early Byzantine Art / Warland, Rainer -- 7. Architecture And The Spheres Of The Universe In Late Antique Art / Olovsdotter, Cecilia -- 8. Christus Verus Sol - Christus Imperator: Religious And Imperial Symbolism In The Mosaics Of The Rotunda In Thessaloniki / Torp, Hjalmar -- 9. A Modern Myth: The Sixth-century Starting Date Of The Eastern Representation Of Christ's Ascension / Engemann, Josef -- 10. Symbolic Aspects Of The Mosaics In The Church Of The Multiplication Of The Loaves And Fishes At Tabgha / Bevilacqua, Livia -- Index Anna Cecilia Olovsdotter. Mode Of Access: Internet Via World Wide Web. In English.