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Essay On Byzantine Art

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Words 823
Pages 4
Samantha Fitzgerald
HIST 110
Winter 2018

How Did Art Reflect the Byzantine Era?
INTRO:
Art reflects life. Art reflects society. Art reflects emotions. Whether a painting portrays a king, or a building reflects advancements within a society, all art communicates ideas and feelings. While looking at a piece of art, you look into the mind of the artist at that exact period in time. The artist has been influenced by a variety of beliefs, perceptions, and community, all leading up to the final product. During the Byzantine Empire, there was a drastic shift after the Byzantine had separated from, but was an extension of, the Roman Empire. Roman and Greek culture was prevalent in the Byzantine Empire, making this period unique on its own. The laws …show more content…
MIDDLE BYZ
The Middle Byzantine Period began in 843 after the ban of religious images was dismantled. Artists throughout this period “sought to recapture old traditions and to forge new ways of expressing the Orthodox faith.” (Jones, p.734) The ban put a hold on peoples faiths, and this now allowed every expression of Christianity to flourish. Sarah Brooks, in the Department of Medieval Art and the Cloisters at The Metropolitan Museum of Art states “Art and architecture flourished during the Middle Byzantine Period, owing to the empire’s growing wealth and broad base of affluent patrons.” Already, art was changing drastically from this period to the other, and builders and artists began to favor characteristics that were unheard of in the past. Brooks also revealed that there was “an intensified revival of interest in classical art forms and ancient literature” that displayed the connection to classical times and styles, which connected the past empires, where much of the influence was held. A Psalter, a book of Psalms, began to popularize, as they would consist of “the nine Old Testament odes and sometimes hymons as well” (Jones p.734), and also portrayed the life of David with pictures. This showed the shift towards people present within the bible being illustrated in art outside of mosaics and

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