by Rose Spotts

Created on: June 23, 2008

The art of the Byzantine Empire (330-1453), which began around Constantinople (now Istanbul), consisted of several periods. These were known as Early Byzantine, Age of Justinian, Seventh-Century Crisis, Iconoclasm, Macedonian, Comnenian and Palaeologan. The most common images painted during this time were Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, apostles, saints, angels and other religious figures because this artwork centered on the Orthodox Church. Byzantine artists had a way of presenting religious icons and imagery that inspired Christian art from that point on. Mainly done as frescoes (painting with plaster on ceilings and walls of cathedrals), the paintings seemed to abandon all ideas of creating a natural look in order to involve a more abstract symbolism. There were many artists who stood out during this time and influenced much of the Christian art after that period.

Coppo di Marcovaldo (1225-1276) was an Italian painter who was most famously noted for his painting of "Madonna and Child". His painting "Crucifixion" is also a well known piece which can be found at the Civic Gallery in San Gimignano, Italy. He also frescoed the St. James Chapel in Pistoia, Italy.

Another Byzantine artist was Theophanes the Greek (1330-1410), obviously a Greek painter, he is known for his somewhat mono-coloured done in churches throughout Moscow and although not the most well known artist of the Byzantine era, his artwork was by far some of the most influential. Some of his important pieces include "Our Lady of the Don" and "The Transfiguration".

Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1290-1384) was an Italian painter during the 1300's whose frescoes in Siena are considered some of the most important of the Byzantine era. His paintings entitled "Allegory of Good Government" produced some of the most remarkable artwork of his time. He is also known for painting one of the first instances of an hourglass in one of his works.

There were many artists working during the Byzantine era, since it spanned over such a large amount of time. The influence can still be seen in many Byzantine churches today, as well as art galleries and museums. The era created some of the most compelling symbolic and religious imagery that still impresses us today. People travel from all over the world to see these masterpieces and experience a time when the Orthodox church compelled these artists to express this imagery that would forever change the face of art by creating it's own style and form of abstract symbolism still seen today.

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