The Coptic Christian culture was introduced to Egypt by the Apostle Mark. The church stands as one of the oldest Christian churches in the Middle East and is the second most popular religion in Egypt to this day. Their faith is rooted in the words of the Ten Commandments and they are lead by the Pope of Alexander. The Coptic Art Era was heavily influenced by both the classical Hellenic world and the ancient Egyptian world. With the help of previous influencers, this group of artists mastered many formal practices. Some of these practices include architecture, stone reliefs, wood carvings, wall paintings, bookbinding, manuscripts, and woven goods.
Ancient Coptic culture begins with a history of illiteracy. While this did not help them evolve through formal education, they used methods of art to communicate the teachings of the Bible. Because of this, Coptic art has a rich history unlike any other. The artists used unique styles such as exaggerated features to depict their images. To this day, it is a distinguishing characteristic of Coptic art. Yet another characteristic of Coptic imagery is the use of graphic features to further communicate a story or parable. Whereas Byzantine art would normally depict fairly standard and tame imagery, Coptic art pushes the boundaries by including extra content such as plants, animals, weapons, and other details surrounding the saint or Bible story. The following image is a depiction of the biblical story of Joseph. The shape of the woven object reveals a continuous journey that is found within the story of Joseph. Between the repetition of patterns to the progressive movement of imagery the continuity of this serial piece. The graphic narrative and vibrant colors prevail a fable of the trials that Joseph faces as he navigates life.
Ironically, due to the lack of a written word, there is little to no official record of who the artist of the image was nor the title of the piece. The same can be said for nearly all of the ancient Coptic art. This further adds to the mystery of Coptic art.
This next image is a fresco from the Coptic Monastery of Saqqara. The date of its creation is unknown however its beauty remains to this day. This painting holds many of the elements of traditional Coptic art. The darker brown colors mixed with the red and yellow shades of the halos and clothing creates an aesthetic of sacred iconography. With the help of spacing and proportion, the viewer can depict the importance of each figure and the story that is associated with the piece as a whole. The principles and elements found within this era are that of ancient Egyptians with hints of the Hellenistic influence. Paintings like these can be found frequently in ancient Coptic monasteries and are often found in modern Coptic churches throughout the world.
As was mentioned before, one highly specific trait or characteristic of ancient Coptic art is the graphic element. This is not just limited to extra images or depictions in the works of art, but also fairly shocking or explicit imagery. Ancient Coptic art does not shy away from nudity in many of the pieces and embraces it. The following icon can be found in the Coptic monastery of the Holy Virgin and St. John which is located in Wadi El-Natroun, Egypt. The fresco depicts the Virgin Mary breastfeeding infant Jesus, symbolizing the promising fertility of Mary and the human characteristics of Jesus. An emphasis is placed around the head of Mary and Jesus with an orange-yellow halo that illuminating their importance and stature. The stark contrast between the pure child Jesus against the dark clothing of Mary generates interests and allows the eye to move from Mary to Jesus.
The Coptic group of artists paved the way for many of the techniques and styles that are used in art today. Its impact on the art world is powerful and worth studying. The art created during this era helped to spread to word of the Lord to a group of people who may never had the opportunity to learn from the written word.
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