In my Humanities essay 1 paper, I will be discussing how Christ was found in many Byzantine mosaics and icons. I will also discuss what these symbols represented and the many values that were and represented and not represented. To fully understand what these symbols meant you have to first under the full history behind Byzantine art meant. I am going to fully explain this concept in my essay, and give an understanding of how Mosaic were used and formed during this time and how many artworks were created. I will also explain the rise and fall of new Christianity and old Christianity. I will also explain how many new ideas and concepts were used to create many new art works.
Shortly, after Emperor Constantine the first fall roughly around 313, this was the recognizing point were Christianity was starting to be seen as the main religion. When Rome was captured by a man name Visigoths around the time span of 476 many arrangements were made to separate the Roman Empire into two different halves. Consisting of a Western half which would be ruled by Rome and an Eastern half which would be ruled by Byzantium. This is where we start to see a great divide between the two halves of the empire. The western side of the Roman Empire started to experience the dark ages, the eastern capital in Byzantium (Constantinople) named after Constantine would get rid of millions of Roman craftsmen and women along with painters. These artist would form many new arts, Christian icons and create an artwork called Byzantine Art. Byzantine art not only created new Christian icons and images, although concern with the idea of Christian art being used in Byzantine, many different techniques and forms of combined methods of Greek/ Egyptian formed a new concept for Byzantine and spread rapidly through the corners of the Byzantine empire, where what we would know as common Christianity would flourish. Some of the earliest examples would be the Mausoleum of Galla Placida of Ravenna and the Church of St. Sophia. Due to the structure and how each was set up, they both showed how people saw Christianity in the artist eyes …show more content…
It was rumored that the believer through the icon could achieve spirituality. Another value that I notice was neglected was decoration of the churches this signaled the presence of divinity showing that the icons of Orthodox churches had never died down. Though the phase heading into the twelfth century the icons expanded more and more for the comfortability of new Christ. You still saw paintings and sculptures of Virgins, patron saints and Christ but what made the twelfth century different was action was added in like crucifixions and choir screens. Iconoclasm ended around 843 people protested against believing in images this led to the revival of religious art that was based on principles were images were accepted for what value that had and not for worship purposes. This was another thing I notice about Byzantine art it rarely showed had any function and was didactic, was focused more on being symbolic and impersonal. It main purpose was to serve as a ritual. Images of churches were codified and were focused more on new Christianity rather than orthodox
Shortly, after Emperor Constantine the first fall roughly around 313, this was the recognizing point were Christianity was starting to be seen as the main religion. When Rome was captured by a man name Visigoths around the time span of 476 many arrangements were made to separate the Roman Empire into two different halves. Consisting of a Western half which would be ruled by Rome and an Eastern half which would be ruled by Byzantium. This is where we start to see a great divide between the two halves of the empire. The western side of the Roman Empire started to experience the dark ages, the eastern capital in Byzantium (Constantinople) named after Constantine would get rid of millions of Roman craftsmen and women along with painters. These artist would form many new arts, Christian icons and create an artwork called Byzantine Art. Byzantine art not only created new Christian icons and images, although concern with the idea of Christian art being used in Byzantine, many different techniques and forms of combined methods of Greek/ Egyptian formed a new concept for Byzantine and spread rapidly through the corners of the Byzantine empire, where what we would know as common Christianity would flourish. Some of the earliest examples would be the Mausoleum of Galla Placida of Ravenna and the Church of St. Sophia. Due to the structure and how each was set up, they both showed how people saw Christianity in the artist eyes …show more content…
It was rumored that the believer through the icon could achieve spirituality. Another value that I notice was neglected was decoration of the churches this signaled the presence of divinity showing that the icons of Orthodox churches had never died down. Though the phase heading into the twelfth century the icons expanded more and more for the comfortability of new Christ. You still saw paintings and sculptures of Virgins, patron saints and Christ but what made the twelfth century different was action was added in like crucifixions and choir screens. Iconoclasm ended around 843 people protested against believing in images this led to the revival of religious art that was based on principles were images were accepted for what value that had and not for worship purposes. This was another thing I notice about Byzantine art it rarely showed had any function and was didactic, was focused more on being symbolic and impersonal. It main purpose was to serve as a ritual. Images of churches were codified and were focused more on new Christianity rather than orthodox