Byzantine Art

TIME PERIOD:
EARLY BYZANTINE (500-726) 
ICONOCLASTIC CONTROVERSY (726-843) 
MIDDLE AND LATE BYZ. (843-1453) 

  • EMPIRE BORN FROM A SPLIT IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE; TOO LARGE FOR ONE RULER 
  • CONSTANTINOPLE WAS THE TRADING CENTER, ARTS PRODUCED FOR THE COURT 
  • ICON PRODUCTION WAS BYZANTINE SPECIALTY; CHRISTIANS ATTEST THAT ICONS ARE IMAGES THAT ACT AS REMINDERS TO THE FAITHFUL, NOT ACTUAL DEPICTIONS OF THE SACRED PERSONS THEMSELVES
  • HEATED DEBATE OVER ICONS; ICONS BECAME WORSHIPPED AS IDOLS; EMPEROR BANNED ALL IMAGE PRODUCTION, SACRILEGIOUS 
  • ICONOCLASTS DESTROYED PREVIOUS WORKS; ALMOST ALL BYZANTINE ART IS COMPLETELY LOST
  • THE CHURCH AND STATE WERE ONE; BYZANTINE BUILDINGS CROWDED WITH MANY RELIGIOUS WORKS 
  • ROYAL HOUSEHOLDS INTERESTED IN LUXURY OBJECTS: IVORY, MANUSCRIPTS, AND PRECIOUS METALS 
  • ART WAS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD; SIGNATURES REPRESENTED PRIDE; SINFUL; MANY ARTISTS WERE MONKS, PRIESTS, NUNS; ART AN EXPRESSION OF THEIR RELIGIOUS DEVOTION AND SINCERITY 
  • ARTISTS FAVORED FRONTAL POSES, SYMMETRY, WEIGHTLESS BODIES; DRAPERY EMPHASISED; GOLDEN BACKGROUNDS, HIGHLIGHTED HALOS; AVOIDS NUDITY
  • MANUSCRIPT PAINTED; TRAINED; GREAT PRECISION; METICULOUSLY EXECUTED; GOLD; FEW PEOPLE COULD READ; THESE BOOKS WERE SYMBOLS OF STATUS 
  • CONTINUES TRADITION OF FRESCO/MOSAIC PAINTING; GOLD, COLORED STONE, GLASS
  • EYES ARE CHARACTERISTICALLY WIDE OPEN, LARGE; NOSE LONG AND THIN; MOUTHS SMALL AND CLOSED
  • THE CHRIST CHILD PORTRAYED AS A LITTLE MAN; EMPHASISE WISDOM 
  • LABELS NAMES OF FIGURES; FLATTENED BACKGROUNDS; GOLD SYMBOLISES ETERNAL SPACE; ILLUSTRATES HEAVENLY WORLD
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