The Art History of the Byzantine Empire

Throughout history, various cultures have created numerous artworks depicting religious salvation and damnation, with the most common depictions coming from Christianity. The religion as a whole focuses a great deal on the concepts of sin as well as redemption through faith and worship. This theme has been shown in art through periods such as the Byzantine Empire as well as the Romanesque era. This theme is represented repeatedly throughout history due to the popularity Christianity has held as a major world religion. Both the Byzantine and Romanesque era view christ as a holy divinity who judges a person on whether or not they are able to enter heaven and gives judgment on those who commit sins. Christ’s significance as a judge is portrayed in both Byzantine and Romanesque art to convey a religious message that emphasizes the worship of Christ and the abstain of sin to reach paradise. Some art pieces also convey what happens to those who do not pass Christ’s judgment and are sent to hell for their sins. The Anastasis represents those who are saved from Hell’s prison through the worship of Christ while the Last Judgement shows souls that are either sent to heaven or condemned to hell through the weighing of the souls.

The Byzantine Empire began in 330 CE, shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire. Constantine I subsequently became emperor of Byzantium after he decided to establish the capital known as Constantinople on the land itself. The capital allowed for profitable trade between the East and the West, as it sat near the border of Europe and Asia. Because of Constantinople's location, Byzantine art was greatly influenced by its surrounding areas. For example, figures with an appearance that is less realistic looking and have bright colors were influenced by the Coptic style of Alexandria. Another is the oriental style of Antioch which influenced the use of decorative patterns and frontal portraits similar to Syrian art. Christianity was the religion of the empire and was ran by the bishop whom the emperor choose and whom the emperor could remove (Cartwright, 2019). The religion played a vital role within politics and art as bishops were very important and wealthy members of society since they represented both the church and the emperor. The empire’s choice in religion was due to Constantine’s sponsorship as well as the Roman Empire’s previous involvement in it.

However, there were many debates on how the religion should be viewed, especially in art, with the separation of church in the East and West. For example, there was a debate over whether or not Jesus Christ had more than one form. Another was over the use of Icons. This controversy occurred during a period called Iconoclasm, also known as “the destruction of images”, which took place in both 726-787 CE and 814-843 CE (Cartwright, 2019). Icons were the representation of figures such as Jesus Christ. Many Byzantines approved the idea of them, however, those in support of iconoclasm believed that it was sacrilegious for God to be presented in art and would, therefore, destroy any art that has the use of icons within them. Because of the huge role Christianity played in the empire, many art pieces were created displaying some sort of religious message. Artists created their masterpieces using paintings, mosaics, or icons, with the most popular medium being painted wooden panels that could be carried or hung on walls (Cartwright, 2019).

The Anastasis, greek for “resurrection”, is a fresco painting that was created during the late byzantine empire. It is held in the apse of the parekklesion of the church of Christ in Chora in Constantinople. It depicts Jesus Christ standing over both Satan and the keys and locks of hell’s prison while pulling Adam and Eve out from their tombs. To the left, John the Baptist, King David, and King Solomon watch from the side and on the right martyr saints stand there as well. The figures are shown in a spaceless and spiritual atmosphere with no volume to cast shadows. The painting was created as part of a series of paintings that show human mortality and redemption through Christ, as well as conciliation from the virgin Mary. In the piece, Christ has a mandorla illuminated around his head while he reaches out to Adam and Eve with this graceful and fluid-like appearance. All the figures have a smooth and light appearance with slight changes in coloration. The clothes of the figures are precise as the cloths drape over the figures in a naturalistic way rather than through hard abstract lines.

The piece is inspired by a scripture from the Gospel of Nicodemus, where John the Baptist tells the other prophets and patriarchs that Christ is coming to the underworld to rescue them if they are ready to worship him. The prophets and patriarchs agree that they are ready to, and when Christ arrives he defeats Satan and takes them to heaven (Stracke, 2017). The piece demonstrates the theme of salvation or deliverance from sin and its consequences. Christ saves Adam and Eve, the ones who established original sin when they went against God’s word by eating the forbidden fruit they were told not to consume. Through their worship of Christ, they are saved from their sins and taken to heaven.

The painting demonstrates the Byzantines’ use of art to convey religious messages of salvation and redemption, as well as strengthen people's faith. The piece also uses the icon of Jesus Christ and shows the viewer his divinity through the depiction of a halo around his head. This is common for icon artists of the time, as it was a way to emphasize their figure’s holiness (Cartwright, 2019). This piece, as well as many other Christian art pieces, was created because of the significance the religion had on society as a whole. Since it was the religion of the empire, and the bishop was chosen by the emperor, many churches and religious art pieces were a result of the emperor’s sponsorship as well as the wealth of the church. The Anastasis holds a message of salvation similar to the Last Judgement, however, the Last Judgement also illustrates those who are deemed unworthy to enter heaven and are condemned to hell. While the Anastasis serves as a reminder of what happens to those who follow Christ, the Last Judgement serves as a warning to those who don't.

The Romanesque period took place during the late middle ages, between 1050 and 1200 CE. The name 'Romanesque' was taken from the era's artistic style, which uses aspects similar to those found in ancient Roman art and architecture. They also took inspiration from previous empires such as the Byzantine empire. The spread of the art style was mainly due to the growth of monasticism. Monasticism is defined as 'an institutionalized religious practice or movement whose members attempt to live by a rule that requires works that go beyond those of either the laity or the ordinary spiritual leaders of their religions'. This means people became monks, priests, or nuns in order to renounce worldly pleasures and devote themselves to religious work. Additionally, many clerical buildings were constructed or remodeled as there was an increase in independent cities. Pilgrimages to monasteries containing relics continued to grow, allowing for them to gain funding for future monasteries. From this era, relief sculptures were used to tell biblical stories as well as display church doctrine.