Byzantine Mosaics And San Marco Basilica Essay

1. The Christ as the Good Shepherd mosaic located on the entrance wall of the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy was made circa 425 AD. A mausoleum is a monumental tomb, usually meant for entombing the dead above ground. The mosaic is displayed in a lunette-a semi-circular wall of a vaulted room. Even though the image of Christ as the Good Shepherd was a common one in catacombs in previous centuries, the way that Christ was shown in art had changed since Christianity had been adopted as Rome's official religion and the image of Christ in the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia was no different. Previously Christ had been shown as a simple carpenter, but in the Christ as the Good Shepherd mosaic he is shown in a fine Roman wear. At the time, Greeks thought that they could create order within their environments and thus create statues that were "perfect." This is what they believed they were doing with the way Christ was shown in the mosaic at the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia; creating a more worldly, powerful image of Christ. Christ is shown with a large golden nimbus (halo), a royal purple mangle over a golden tunic and holding a tall cross. Also depicted in the mosaic at the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is a set of three sheep on each side of Christ, with him touching one on the nose.

With such support from the state and the Emperor, the church was given a massive financial support, which was invested in the building of the Basilicas. They were used to perform rituals such as worship, baptism, prayers, scripture reading, preaching and recognition of the dead and the after life. The liturgy of the early churches was very plain. They were build on a rectangular classical floor plan. The Basilica floor plan was simple; consisting of a narthex (the outside building short end), apse, transept, and aisle such formation gives the idea of building resembling to the cross. The early Christians were inspiration to represent such building to the cross. Once more this is part of the spiritual journey of Christianity. The other model was the central plan which would consist of a dome in the middle of the church. Were all the activities would take place. Like the worship and the baptismal ritual. This center plan was more common in the Eastern-Orthodox churches. This shows the heritage of Roman Christian art from the early ancestors such as the Greeks and the Middle East. A great example is the San Vitale in Ravenna which was an important Byzantine outpost in Italy. San Vitale was constructed under the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 547. This church has a domed central core which

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.

Justinian Mosaic is a Byzantine mosaic located in the apse of San Vitale, Ravenna in 540 AD. It was made from gold and glass mosaic tesserae. The artists painted or covered the glass with gold first and then pressed into the plaster background. The artists manipulated the space which was to utilize the illumination of the candles in the church to cause the sparkle of the glass. The overall looking of this piece is luxurious and magnificence. In this piece, Justinian is surrounded by his priests and his military. He is placed in the center of the whole piece, wearing jewelry-crown, jewelry-accessory and gold cloths with a halo behind his head. He offers a gift called Pater which contains the bread used for the Eucharist would be held. The main

With centuries between the two works of art known as Justinian and his Attendants and the Augustus of Primaporta¸ there is a notation of change in the citizens of the empire that encompassed around the Mediterranean Sea. From the rise and fall of the Roman Empire to the growth and fabrication of Byzantine, the art was the form of propaganda used by the elites to send a strong, clear message of power and undeniable righteousness. Augustus the General and Justinian made almost 500 years apart, completely different in style and empires, both wanted to create the same hype around their beliefs. They were the chosen ones, the leaders who had connections to the secular world. They were the representations on earth, in human form, of God or Gods themselves.

In some places the surface is rough, and in others it was smooth. This kind of surface allows for the activity of light and shade. The walls of the church at Athens are decorated with pieces of ancient Greek carving as well as reliefs from that time. The well known church of Saint Mark's in Venice, Italy has almost the same plan as the Little Metropolitan, another famous Byzantine church but is many times larger. Starting in 1063, it was most likely copied from a church in Constantinople.

Shifting Style: Early Christian art transitioned from naturalistic Roman styles to more symbolic and stylized representations, focusing on conveying messages rather than realistic depictions (Ross, n.d.). New Themes: Martyrdom, miracles, and the Virgin Mary became key themes, reflecting Christian beliefs and practices not present in Roman art. Church as a Sacred Space: The church itself became a symbolic representation of the heavenly realm, distinct from Roman public buildings (Spanswick, n.d.). Examples of Uniqueness: Catacomb Paintings: These underground burial chambers showcased early Christian narratives and symbolism in a unique setting (Farber, n.d.). Byzantine Mosaics: The San Vitale mosaics showcase masterful use of light and color, conveying both Roman technical skill and unique Christian theological themes (Khan Academy, n.d.).

The glass like surface of the tiles made it appear shiny in nature, very smooth looking stones were used. The design itself isn’t reminiscent of Byzantine Art from that time

The early Byzantine art mainly followed the Roman arts. The work I chose was a

The Byzantine Empire and Western Europe originally were part of the Roman Empire, but by the middle Ages(medieval times), they were very different, even though they did share some common traits, but by the 300's, the Byzantine Empire had far surpassed Western Europe in trade and economics and political unity, while both empires were having arguments over religion.

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 ).

During the 14th century, much Italian work was influenced by the previous cultures and their artistic convention. Specifically, the Byzantine Empire had a lot of influence on the artworks causing similar aspects and characteristics in the Italian style of painting. Cimabue and Giotto used key features of the Byzantine style of art, such as the use of gold and lack of individuation, yet they broke away from that style by adding depth and representation of space into their paintings. The Madonna Enthroned, by Cimabue and by Giotto di Bondone has some similarities as well as differences: Cimabue and Giotto are both known for breaking away from the Italo-Byzantine style of art and entering the Proto-Renaissance era.

This piece is the most interesting to me because Justinian had so much influence in a church where he had never stepped foot in (Khan Academy). In the San Vitale Mosaics portray the mighty and powerful Orthodox Emperor Justinian across from him his equally powerful Empress Theodora as well as numerous mosaics of Jesus Christ (khan academy). Much like the Hagia Sophia it is covered in many windows with lots of light to illuminate the beautiful art. The mosaics reflect Justinian’s belief in Christ as well as his belief that authority is divinity that Christ has given him. In this architecture the only intercultural influences I have found have been the bricks that were used from ancient Roman buildings for the exterior of the church. When the church was created the Iconography was not in Greek or any other form, they were trying to come up with a new art that have never been used for Christian art. This effected culture at that time by adding a new face or style to the types of art made instead of using styles from the

a. St. Peters of Rome built in Vatican City was built in Italian renaissance style.

husband, Roger Chillingworth, is a businessman, therefore, she has a financial situation, but she doesn’t care about anything from that perspective. Although she has just about any material possession that she could ever want, she misses her husband very much. She misses having someone, in her love life, to fill the empty void. Some feminist theoreticians have spoken out concerning this problem, of having financial stability, but not having a very good love life. Most women, who live in situations like this, are not at all happy with it. One would have to have a heart made of stone to live a happy life and not take these details of their daily life into consideration. Hester, however, admits her sin, and she accepts the punishment without protest. She faces life with a ton of courage, and she does not care about anyone or anything who tried to