Byzantine Art

For centuries, Greco-Roman style was the standard that ruled the known art world. All power, including artistic interpretation, emanated from these two empires. In 313 AD, however, after hundreds of years of religious persecution, the Emperor Constantine finally recognized the Christian Church as the official religion of the Roman Empire, rejecting paganistic gods. The earliest Christian art differed from the Greco-Roman style in subject matter more than style. In the East, however, a new style was evolving, which would become the basis for Byzantine art that would carry on to this day (albeit mostly in Russia and countries in which the Eastern Orthodox tradition is strongest).

First Byzantine Artwork
One of the earliest examples of Byzantine art can be seen in the early straight-faced "Faiyum" paintings of the 2nd century. Egyptian artistic style is reflected in the Early Christian mosaics in the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. This is a coastal area of land that was an area liberated by Byzantium from the Goths. Within this church is one of the finest Byzantine artworks, "Justinian and His Attendants" from the "Great Cycle" of mosaics (526-547 AD). In this religious mosaic, the ruler Justinian is shown along with bishops, clergy, and a section of his army (showing the united forces of Church and State). This mosaic piece is classic Byzantine art: restrained elegance, emotionally austere, with an almost "frozen" solemnity.

While mosaic artworks tended to be larger and more public works, most Byzantine art (especially the style that carries on to the present day) is seen in the form of icons. These small, more portable panels were used for devotional purposes and are associated with individual worship within the Eastern Orthodox Church. Icons are religious images (usually of Christ, the Madonna, or saints), with each detail charged with special religious significance.

A classic Byzantine icon from the 6th century is "Virgin and Child Enthroned between St. Theodore and St. George" located in the Monastery of St. Catherine, Mount Sinai. This beautiful icon is infused with a sacred beauty that gives it unique power as an artistic work. In the icon, each element is ripe with symbolism: Mary has large eyes, a symbol of purity indicating a woman of vision; the angels of the icon look upward, only toward God; the four halos of Mary, Christ, and the two saints combine to form a cross, the greatest of Christian symbols.

Second Golden Age of Byzantine Art
By the 8th-9th century AD, however, the world of Byzantine art was riddled by controversy over the use of human figures in paintings or carvings of religious life. According to Church doctrine of the time, the depiction of human attributes in religious art was perceived to be a violation of the commandment not to worship "graven images."

By the year 730, Emperor Leo II decreed that any image of Christ, the Virgin Mary, saint, or angel in human form was illegal. This had a profound effect on artistic development. For more than a century, religious art was restricted to nonhuman imagery, such as leaves or abstract patterns. Power rested in the hands of "iconoclasts" (literally, "icon breakers"). There was a steady stream of artists departing from East to West in a rising tide against such practices, and this law was eventually abolished in 843 AD.

The two central components of Byzantine art remained: the mosaic and the icon. The most famous mosaic of the Second Age of Byzantine Art can be seen today in Sicily's most famous Cathedral of Monreale. The work "Christ as Ruler of the Universe" from 1125 AD is centered in the apse (a recessed dome behind the altar) of the cathedral. Along with the traditional golden hue associated with Byzantine art, what stands out about this work is the gigantic figure of Christ, a huge authoritative figure, judging the tiny world below him (populated by much smaller mosaics of the Madonna, archangels, and saints).

On the icon side, the most beautiful representation from this golden age is the "Vladimir Madonna" completed in 1125 AD and far smaller than the Sicilian mosaic. The "Vladimir Madonna" was painted in Constantinople and later taken to Russia, which today remains a center for Byzantine-styled artwork and icons. The icon is unique in its depiction of the Madonna and child. Although the theme is traditional, it is the first time in Byzantine art where intimate, human relations are expressed. In the "Vladimir Madonna," the mother and child touch faces in affection.

The timeframe of the icon dovetails neatly with the transfer of Christianity to Russia, and the adoption of Byzantine art as one that remains associated with Russia today. So unique is the Byzantine style that even in the 21st century, we recognize what an icon is, that golden hued artwork of religious importance.