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Article: CHRIST AND THE ART OF AGONY.(religious art and martyrdom)
- Article from:
- History Today
- Article date:
- August 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 History Today Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Nigel Spivey considers the roots of Christian art and iconography, discovering its origins in the cruelty of the Roman arena and the shameful punishment of crucifixion.
TWO ANCIENT MOSAICS TO compare and contrast. The first from a Roman villa in North Africa. Repeated scenes of half-naked people being mauled by animals. In one vignette the victim is tied to a pole mounted on a trolley, so that his tormentors can gingerly propel him towards the beasts. In another, the bound victim is held upright by an arena stooge, as a leopard tucks into his face. Gashes and gargles of blood are graphically picked out by the mosaicist in trails of blood.
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