Early Christian art and architecture is the art produced by Christians or under Christian patronage from about the year 200 to about the year 500. Prior to 200 there is no surviving art that can be called Christian with certainty. After about 500 Christian art shows the beginnings of Byzantine artistic style.
Prior to 200 Christians may have been constrained by their position as a persecuted group from producing durable works of art. Since Christianity was largely a religion of lower classes in this period, the lack of surviving art may reflect a lack of funds for patronage. The Old Testament restrictions against the production of graven images may also have constrained Christians from producing art. It is also possible that Christians purchased art using pagan iconography, but gave it Christian meanings. If this happened, "Christian" art would not be immediately recognizable as such.
After about the year 200 Christian art must be broken into two periods: before and after the Edict of Milan in 313.
Christian Art Prior to 313
Funerary art
- Catacomb Frescos
- Sarcophagi
House Church - Dura-Europos
Christian Art after 313
Constantinian Basilicas
- St. John Lateran
- Old St. Peters
- Church of Holy Sepulcher
- Church of the Nativity
- Santa Constanza
- Vienna Genesis
- Rossano Gospels
- Cotton Genesis
Sculpture and Carving
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