Byzantine Art: The Transfiguration of Christ Mosaic in Saint Catherine's Monastery

Founder of Constantinople, Constantine claimed the great Byzantine Empire and in turn inherited the new Holy Roman Empire. With the Edict of Milan in 313, Constantine proclaimed religious tolerance of Christians throughout the empire and soon the religion spread. Constantine then transformed the city of Byzantium into the new capital of the Roman Empire, which then was known and proclaimed as Constantinople. The new capital would profit from its location being closer to the east frontier, having then the advantage of better trading, and a militarily sound location being protected on three sides by water.

In the 4th century, the Roman Empire underwent major changes, becoming the Byzantine Empire. The Roman religion was replaced by Christianity, specifically the Eastern Orthodox Church, as the new state religion. Artists helped to spread this new religion by building churches and producing manuscripts. The artists imagined what religious figures looked like to portray them in art. But the Church criticized the visual representation of figures at certain periods during the Byzantine Era. Artists lost their creative freedom during these periods, called iconoclasm.

In the Byzantine Church of San Vitale, there is extensive artwork that depicts a variety of figures. One of these important artworks is the mosaic of the emperor Justinian and his attendants. This mosaic was created in 547 and depicts Justinian, who was a ruler of the Byzantine Empire from 527 to 565.

The Roman Empire influenced the Byzantine Empire’s culture, mainly through the religion of Christianity. Christianity first appeared in the Roman Empire, with the birth, teachings, and supposed resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the beginning years of it’s arrival, Christianity was not tolerated and Christians were mainly, and most often brutally prosecuted. However, with Constantine’s Edict of Milan, Christianity was officially tolerated, and under Theodosius, it became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The Byzantine Empire inherited this relatively new religion, continuing to follow the beliefs and traditions of the church, as well as spreading the word of Jesus Christ and the message of god. Churches sprung up in the empire, such as the mighty Hagia Sophia. Located in Constantinople and built by Justinian, this church especially exemplified

Shortly after Rome made the transition from pagan practices to embracing Christianity as their formal faith, Christ's depiction in art went through various restorations. Some of the most widely popular illustrations were that of Christ sacrificed on the cross to his ultimate ascension into the Kingdom of Heaven after overcoming death. Since the image portrays Christ in luxurious attire resembling the Roman toga, the viewer can perceive that the mosaic was meant to present Christ in an imperialistic fashion. This is perhaps directed in part to the Byzantine emperors preferring to worship Christ in a way traditional and symbolic of their historical and early customs rather than how he really looked.

The Edict of Milan was very crucial because Constantine I and Lincinius demanded to allow Christianity there. Many churches also began to make the same change, which made the Justinian laws accept it too. Orthodox was basically the only one who had trouble making this change.

Constantine is best remembered in modern times for the Edict of Milan in 313, which fully legalized Christianity in the empire for the first time. Constantine’s edict gave Christians the right to openly practice their faith. Until then, they had met in the homes of fellow believers. Within a year of edit, Constantine ordered the building of churches throughout the empire. Although some Christians were very worried about the future of the churches if it became too close with the empire. The only people edit mentioned by name were the Christian, and the laws that came afterwards radically limited the rights of Jews as citizens of the Roman Empire.

Constantine issued the Edict of Milan to proclaimed and promoted religious tolerance in the Roman Empire. The edict of Milan allowed people to live together as one and have heart of toleration of Christianity religion within the Empire. It was the historic agreement between Emperor Constantine the great and the brave and wise Licinius in Milan. The agreement also brought peace and stabilities among people of west and eastern of Roman Empire governed by two different emperors. Constantine the great was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity and he did so for many reasons. Constantine I converted to Christianity because he wanted to become a true believer of God and united the Roman Empire. Constantine also converted to Christianity

With the adoption of Christianity as the official religion, art was able, so to speak, to come above ground in the old pagan city of Rome, and painting, instead of being restricted to the decoration of the walls of the Catacombs or of small chambers and chapels, came into use on a large scale in the new churches that were at once set up. At the same time patronage moved from the hands of the poorer classes to the richer, and artists of outstanding quality came to be employed as well as those of obscurer character, who would work for small fees (www.religion-online.org). To wall painting was added the more luxurious art of mosaic; numerous sculptures were done, and minor objects, often in expensive materials, were in addition produced in the service of the Church, so that art production became at the same time both more extensive and more luxurious (www.religion-online.org ).

The Justinian and Attendants is a mosaic which was created by an unknown artist in the Byzantine period dating back to 547 CE. The work measures 8' 8" X 12' and is located in Ravenna, Italy inside the Church of San Vitale. This landscape format mosaic depicts an outdoor scene with eleven figures that are at least partially visible, if not entirely visible, within the scene. The figures are all very different from the stocky large-headed figures in the art of the 4th and 5th centuries. These figures are all very tall, however; they all have eye-levels that are more or less precisely the same. Their bodies are slim, faces are all fairly similar and they all have petite feet. The figure in the middle wears a crown and appears to be holding a basket, while the figure directly to the right is holding a cross in his right hand, the one to his right is cradling

This past spring, I had the opportunity to spend the semester in Athens where I was able to visit many museums. One particular visit late in the semester still stands out as particularly moving. I was following my classmates as we made our way through the Byzantine and Christian Museum when we entered one room and one by one everyone’s gaze was drawn upward until the entire class was staring open-mouthed and with craned necks at a 13th century Byzantine dome. We were all left speechless at seeing the dome above us, as if it were still a part of a church. In fact, the entire room was designed in the typical manner of mirror the layout of the church they had originally come from. That skeleton of a Byzantine church resonated with the class, and

The increase in mosaics in churches in Late Antiquity and the Byzantine Era was largely due to the influence of the Roman Emperor Constantine (ruled from 306 to 337 AD). During his rule as emperor, Christianity became the major religion and there was a push for more buildings to house the followers of Christ. Along with the new buildings there was a need to decorate these places of worship accordingly and express the religion in a grandiose sort of way. Mosaics were generally the inexpensive and impressive answer that was used to convey the church’s message. Through mosaics, the people of the church could learn and be informed of the spiritual and cultural symbolism (Kleiner and Mamiya 313).

A formal analysis, contextualizing, and compare and contrast of the Egyptian sculpture of Isis nurturing Horus and the Byzantine icon, The Virgin of Vladimir

Early Christian and Byzantine art started after Jesusí death in the first century ranging and ending to the fourth century AD. The art produced during this period was secretive because Christianity was not a formal religion but as a cult; the Romans and rest of Europe persecuted Christians so the artist disguised their work with symbols and hints of Christian aspects. Christianity was the first cult to not involve rituals of sacrifice of animals and refused to worship an Emperor causing the Roman Empire to make Christianity illegal. Byzantine art excelled in the Justinian period in the east during 520-540 AD. The art was produced in Ravenna, Byzantine, Venice, Sicily, Greece, and Russia. The

Constantine’s continuous support for Christianity is one of the reasons that it is still a major religion today. I believe that Constantine was a great ruler because of his dedication to the unity of Christianity. Regardless of the different schisms in the religion, Constantine was determined to make Christianity unified. The Edict of Milan shows that Constantine had respect for other religions and allowed them, but preferred Christianity. It also shows that, even