Byzantine Art

As Rome and the western Empire were overrun by northern European tribes, the east rose to prominence under Justinian, the distinction between the Eastern and Western Empires became more pronounced, and Early Christian and Byzantine started to diverge.

The term "Byzantine" is derived from the city of Byzantium, the name of the style that originated in the Eastern roman Empire. It is also used to include works made in Italy under Byzantine influence. The Empire was centered in the city of Constantinople (present-day Istanbul). Though civilization proceeded along separate paths in the East and in the West, there was constant interaction between the Byzantines and the westerners from the sixth century to the fifteenth c. The idea of the Roman empire never died, and both the Byzantines and the Europeans sought, from time to time to reunite its two parts.

The geographical separation and political divergence of east and west was paralleled by a schism within the Church itself. In Rome and the western Empire, the pope was the undisputed head of the Church. The eastern branch of the Church was led by Justinian, the emperor. Justinian was convinced of his divine calling as leader of church and state as the co-regent of Christ on earth, he instituted a policy that combined temporal and religious spheres into one, whereby the emperor ruled with absolute authority as a sacred monarch, an emperor-pope. However, despite their differences in liturgical practice, theology, and politicla status, the notion of a single church of Christ never disappeared, and the two churches were often in close contact.

First Golden Age - Justinian and the Rise of Byzantine Power

In the 5th century A.D., the Western Roman Empire fell to Germanic tribes, with the Ostrogoths occupying Ravenna. In 540, Emperor Justinian of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire recaptured Ravenna, signaling a resurgence of imperial power.

• Under Justinian, the Byzantine Empire reached new political and artistic heights.

• His armies:

  • Drove the Goths out of Italy

  • Defeated the Vandals in North Africa

  • Pushed back the Persians in Asia Minor

Justinian’s Architectural Legacy

Justinian launched an ambitious building campaign, leaving a lasting mark on both Constantinople and Ravenna.

• His churches are known for their innovative design and rich decoration.

• In San Vitale (Ravenna), the interior glows with gold mosaics, bathing the space in warm, yellow light.

• The mosaics depict Christian themes and stand as some of the finest examples of Byzantine mural art.

Stylistic Features

While there are traces of Roman naturalism—in the landscape and light shading—the overall style is more conceptual and symbolic.

• Figures are frontal, with stiff draperies that lack realistic movement.

• Perspective is absent; Christ appears to hover on a globe, rather than sit with realistic weight.

• The mosaic emphasizes flat patterns and iconic presence over illusionistic space.

Symbolism

• Christ sits on a globe, symbolizing His role as universal ruler.

• Beneath His feet (not visible in all views) are the four rivers of Paradise, representing the four evangelists who spread God's word across the world.

• The mosaic displays obvious hierarchic characteristics in the symmetry, frontality, stiffness of pose, centrality of Justinian. An iconic elevation of Justinian's person was intended here. He is portrayed as the saintly emperor eternally present at the celebration of the Mass in San Vitale.

• We can see in both works the lack of naturalism, the love for elaborate patterns and repetition. Their diagonal feet are not supported by a three-dimensional floor. A good example of typical Byzantine disregard for perspective can be found in the fountain in Theodora's mosaic. The bowl tilts forward, which in a natural setting would spill the water forward.

• Light, as expounded by the abundance of gold backgrounds, their reflected surfaces is symbolic of Christ's self proclaimed role as "light of the world".

The same spiritual quality found in the light within the mosaics is found is other Byzantine architecture as well.

Justinian commissioned two Greek architects, Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus, to design a new kind of church centered on a vast central dome. Completed in just six years, the dome soars 184 feet high and, together with half-domes, covers an area of approximately 100 by 250 feet.