Byzantine art is the artistic products of the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire, as well as the nations and states that inherited culturally from the empire. Though the empire itself emerged from Romes decline and lasted until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, many Eastern Orthodox states in Eastern Europe, as well as to some degree the Muslim states of the eastern Mediterranean, preserved many aspects of the empires culture and art for centuries afterward. Factors for growth Edict of Milan allowed for public Christian worship The dedication of Constantinople in 330 created a great new artistic centre for the eastern half of the Empire, and a specifically Christian one.
Feuillet dun diptyque. Le consul Areobindus prsidant les jeux, Constantinople, 506
Glorified God and Jesus (not man); very religious "The style that characterized Byzantine art was almost entirely concerned with religious expression; specifically with the translation of church theology into artistic terms" Abstract/anti-naturalistic--did not mimic reality. Icons -- "One of the most important genres of Byzantine art was the icon, an image of Christ, the Virgin, or a saint, used as an object of veneration in Orthodox churches and private homes alike. Icons were more religious than aesthetic in nature"
Characteristics
Quick Facts: Early Christian Art: Engraved in Roman Catacombs. Prosecuted Pagan religion followers. Practices and Rituals Illegal. Purpose of early art was to quickly spread a message. Aesthetics was not a major concern. No time for details and precision. Detailing was introduced much later
Architecture
Characteristics of Bascillicas Rectangular structures Large dome Entrance on the west and thats where all the elaborate designs etc. are. Arched pillars Alter in the center Eastern Niche Prevalence of Corinthian pillars
St.Peters Bascilica
Architecture
St Marks, Venice Variation in the domes carry influence from Mughal Architecture Also, distribution, geometry.
St Petersburg, Russia
Greatest Contribution: Paintings In Chapels and Bascilicas. Wall frescos Vibrant colors to attract attention and pass along a message Glass Mosiacs over the limited color stone mosiacs
Justinian Art Paid for Commisioned art Mosiacs Gold Silver and Bronze Added Drew more attention
MADONNA COL BAMBINO E SAN GIOVANNINO (Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John)
Their [Byzantine architects] combination of the basilica and symmetrical central-plan (circular or polygonal) religious structures resulted in the characteristic Byzantine Greek-crossplan church, with a square central mass and four arms of equal length. The most distinctive feature was the domed roof. To allow a dome to rest above a square base, either of two devices was used: the squinch (an arch in each of the corners of a square base that transforms it into an octagon) or the pendentive. Byzantine structures featured soaring spaces and sumptuous decoration: marble columns and inlay, mosaics on the vaults, inlaid-stone pavements, and sometimes gold coffered ceilings.
The two greatest examples of Byzantine churches are Hagia Sophia - pronounced ah YEE ah so FEE ah - (532-537) in Constantinople, and St. Mark's Basilica (830) in Venice. Byzantine church architecture is concerned almost exclusively with a decorated interior. The intention was to sculpt out a holy space where the congregation would be confronted with the true nature of the cosmos, cleared of all worldly distractions The mosaics and frescoes portraying the whole body of the church, from Christ downwards, have a dual purpose: they give inspiration to the worshiper and are windows to the spiritual world.
Figures:
Face in pictures mosaics etc. elongated nose and oval eyes Christ always has a halo around him Not important to represent details. Hide the details of the bodies behind robes to emphasize the face More religious than artistic