Because it was produced over a long period of time and spans a number of topographical regions that radiate from Constantinople, the Roman Empire's capital, Byzantine art is difficult to define (Khan Academy, n.d.). Emperor Justinian constructed the mosaics in the cathedral of San Vitale in the sixth century. Emperor Constantinople initially embraced Christianity in 330, and it slowly expanded throughout the empire, displacing the veneration of Roman gods (Iannucci et al, n.d). However, during the Iconoclastic Controversy of the Early Byzantine period, the usage of religious pictures was fiercely contested. Several members of the Christian society claimed that the images amounted to idolatry and blasphemy therefore destroyed most of the monuments and mosaics. However a few of them survived into the Middle Byzantine period like those in the church of Van Vitale.
Changes in the structure of the political rule led to significant change in the architecture of the mosaic and monuments. Roman Empire expanded into the Slavic lands which led to adoption of Roman Orthodox Christianity in Russia (Hurst, n.d). Churches were increasingly decorated using the Byzantine architecture with most of them having domes. Late Byzantine period was marked by the Latin Occupation crisis. Christianity was by this time divided into Orthodox Christianity practiced by the Romans and Western Christianity practiced by the Latin (Iannucci et al, n.d). Crusaders from the Western Latin community attacked and captured Constantinople in an effort to spread their philosophies. By 1216 the Roman Empire had regained control of Byzantine only for it to be captured again by the Ottomans in 1453 bringing the Byzantine art period to an end (Hurst, n.d).
Byzantine art forms were assumed by the Russians and Italians during the period of 1280-1290 (Hurst, n.d). Towards the demise of the Roman Empire in the 1400’s, the culture of mosaics and monuments had spread throughout the eastern side onto countries like Greece.
I. Techniques and media
Mosaic in the church represent the heavenly demesne because of the image of wraithlike figures who seemed to be floating in a space with a background made out of gold (Farber, n.d). Private devotion objects were made out of carved ion because the period when they were made was marked with stability and wealth. Miniature mosaics were created out of semiprecious stones and glass made out of modest materials including wood (Farber, n.d). Garments were depicted by the use of tesserae which was fashioned from materials like glazed and unglazed ceramics. In mosaics like the mother of pearl, marble was used to depict pearl. Byzantine involved the use of stone to produce faces and marble crystals used to depict woolen garments. In order to create illusion, marble and limestone was used to showcase important details on the mosaic. Black basalt and marble were painted red to showcase red glass. Uncut pebbles of uniform size were used in highlighting features of the face.
II. Size or dimensions of the work
Mosaics align the entire interior walls of the San Vitale Church. Externally, the church has very prominent pillars and windows. It also has a porch and a bell is placed on top of one of two towers. Inside the right entrance is an extension that instigates a circular perception of the gallery. In the left entrance one can perceive the interior longitudinally due to the axis of the church. It is however impossible to determine the interior of the church due to its characteristic arches. Eight arches support an expansive hemisphere dome which houses the central room. Various shapes in the interior of the church give an impression of diverging expansion. Several arches in the church create concentric waves which can be heard rhythmically.
III. Style or Movements associated with the work
Most of the symbols used in this mosaic are also associated with other art pieces. For instance, the mosaic of the Child’s Sarcophagus from the fourth century also has chi-ro crown resembling he one presented to St Vitale to reward his martyrdom (Farber, n.d). Emperor Justinian is also wearing this crown in the mosaic. Hence there exists a connection between the art dating back to the second century monuments that were created by the then emperor Hadrian (Khan Academy, n.d.). Another example is the symbolic use of the Eucharist as a proxy of faith and sacrifice. Roman churches had the image of Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) above most alters which was a representation of the sacrifice of Christ for the salvation of all humanity. Emperor Justinian also acknowledges this ideology in the mosaic as he is portrayed holding the bowl with Eucharist (Farber, n.d).
After the Latin occupation of 1924 (Iannucci et al, n.d) many of the members of the ruling class among the Byzantine were displaced as the political structure was dismembered. Latinas moved in to occupy the capital of Constantinople and therefore most of the Byzantine people were sent into exile (Hurst, n.d). However, some of the monuments survived the expulsion to offer artistic inspiration to the Latin occupants and the Dynasty of Komnenoi (Iannucci et al, n.d). Subsequent art monuments contained a mix of the Roman architecture and the elements of Western European culture. Later on, the churches and monuments that were destroyed during the Latin Occupation were renovated albeit the financial constrains during the period. Due to limited funds, the decorations of gold and silver were replaced with steel (Hurst, n.d).
Construction of churches and monuments for many of the previous Roman Emperors was a way of demonstrating their values (Iannucci et al, n.d). These mosaics also provided a link to their ancestral ethnicities and reminded them of their cultural history. Adoption of Christianity in the fourth century prompted the military crusades that were carried out to reaffirm the position of the Roman Emperor Justinian. Therefore, the style of the mosaic in the church of San Vitale heavily borrow form the Roman concept of intertwined Political and Religion dimensions (Farber, n.d). It is based on the Byzantine culture of art that emphasized on the use of symbolism and hidden meaning in creation of monuments. Therefore, the physical characteristics may seem plain and vague unless critically analyzed (Farber, n.d). After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine art culture still survived the political demise (Khan Academy, n.d.) and spread out across continents influencing the structure of churches and monuments in Italy and Greece. Many artistes refer to the styles portrayed by the ancient Romans in an effort to develop art pieces that offer distinct insight. Tourists and art enthusiasts visit the Church at Ravenna in order to learn the distinguished art practiced by the Romans during the Byzantine period. Roman art is different from other forms of art due to its emphasis on plain mosaic that carries a hidden meaning. Therefore, the artistes are able to learn the cognitive process involved in the interpretation of art.
IV. Noteworthy Information about the work
Mosaics of San Vitale allude the actions of Jesus Christ in the New Testament and also how these actions were mirrored by Emperor Justinian. Therefore, the mosaics attest to the ideologies held by Justinian concerning the political and religious order. In his leadership, Justinian combined the methods of Emperor Caesar and the Orthodox Church (Hurst, n.d). In his mission to restore the Roman authority, Emperor Justinian regained control of the city of Ravenna off the shores of Italy which was under the rule of Theodoric (Hurst, n.d). He redesigned some of the monuments placed by Theodoric which focused on the political rulers of the Roman Empire and their families. Justinian refurbished these monuments to reflect on his leadership ideology which encompasses politics, military and religion (Farber, n.d).
Church of San Vitale was a crucial location for the mosaics because of the significant history of the church in relation to the leadership of Emperor Justinian. St Vitalis was believed to be the head of the family of martyrs and was killed at the site of the church along with Gervase and Prothase (Iannucci et al, n.d). Therefore, he was considered the head of the Church community at Ravenna under the leadership of the clergy and dedication by Bishop Maximan. Bishop Maximan was the only member of the clergy who was labelled in the mosaics of Emperor Justinian which explain his influence over the community from a Christianity point of view (Khan Academy, n.d.).
Emperor Justinian was involved in many construction projects during his reign. Some of these constructions included the defense walls surrounding the city of Constantinople and the renovations of churches like the Hagai Sophia with monuments and mosaics (Hurst, n.d). Interior architecture and images in the Church of San Vitale are aimed at providing a heavenly experience to the Christians. Church is a place of worship which inspires the piety of God and the glory of heaven. Therefore, most of the churches in the Roman Empire were designed to project the religious purity of God (Khan Academy, n.d.). In addition, the churches contained mosaics inspired by Biblical events such as the birth of Isaac and the story of Cain and Abel. Clergy encouraged reading the Bible as a way of appreciating the universal disposition of religion in the world’s history (Hurst, n.d).
In this mosaic, Emperor Justinian shows solidarity for the Christian values such as the novelty concerning Eucharist and sacrifice. In other art pieces such as that of Jonah, the theme of sacrament and baptism is also elaborated (Farber, n.d). Therefore, the different mosaics are used to propagate the values spelt out by the Bible in regards to Christian living. Every piece carries significant underlying messages concerning the use of religion in the political philosophy (Khan Academy, n.d.). For instance, the church at San Vitale bears significance to the crusades of Emperor Justinian due to its history. It is momentous to the theme of death and resurrection owing to the fact that martyrdom is considered dignified death. After the ascension of martyrs into heaven they sanctify their tombs and maintain their Christ-like aptitudes thereafter. Therefore, the church, being the location of the death of St Vitalis, is considered a consecrated sanctuary (Farber, n.d).
V. Subject Matter or Content, and Message of the work.
Emperor Justinian was the main source of focus in this mosaic authority being the theme of the art. It depicts the Emperor as a Christian leader with an aim of establishing control of the Roman Empire through Christian homogeneity (Farber, n.d). In the image, Justinian is depicted as a guardian of faith standing at the center in a purple robe wearing a crown. To his left are the members of the clergy and to his right are the elite members of administration and behind them are soldiers. Expounding on the theme of authority, the art seeks to define the contribution of the clergy, administration and the military. It also highlights on the conflict of power between these three groups and their influence on the events surrounding the Byzantine period (Hurst, n.d).
Mosaics built during the era of Emperor Justinian served as a spiritual tool for the Christian believers (Hurst, n.d). Roman art also carried political messages which affirmed the positions of the emperors during the Early Byzantine period. In this particular mosaic, the clergy members are holding a cross, a gospel book, a cleanser and the Eucharist bowl. It represents the beginning of the spread of Christianity which replaced worship of the Roman gods (Iannucci et al, n.d). In the mosaic, the men of the army carry shields with the symbol of Chi-Rho which symbolizes that they are the army of Christ under the leadership of Justinian who was chosen as Christ’s helper. His act of carrying the bowl of the Eucharist is symbolic of the respect accorded to the true king (Farber, n.d). Another analogy adopted from the image of Christ offering St. Vitale is expressed. Although in this instance the crown of martyrdom is offered to Justinian making him the right hand man of Christ (Farber, n.d). His focus on expanding religious affiliation contributed to the period of wealth and prosperity experienced in the empire during the Late Byzantine epoch (Iannucci et al, n.d).
Positioning of the characters in the mosaic also has a hidden message. It is not clear who between Justinian and Bishop Maximianus is closest to the viewer. Coinciding of the image places Justinian at the center while the plane of the image proves that the Bishop’s feet are the lowest thus placing him at the center (Farber, n.d). Abstruseness in placement of characters bespeaks of tension between the clergy and the emperor regarding matters of power and authority in the ancient Roman Empire.
Justinian instigated military campaigns aimed at the restoration of the old Roman Empire design of ruling. During his reign, he was influential in the architecture exploits by the administration increasing the number of churches and art projects (Khan Academy, n.d.). Political authority was concentrated in Constantinople while religious influence extended across the borders of the Roman Empire (Hurst, n.d). Hence it was much more challenging to affirm political authority on the vast expanse of the region. For this reason, religion survived the military and political problems of the Empire during the Late Byzantine period (Iannucci et al, n.d).
VI. Bibliography –
Farber, A. (n.d.). A beginner's guide to Byzantine Art (article). Khan Academy. Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/medieval-europe-islamic-world/a/byzantine-artintro
Hurst, E. (N.d) Late Antique and Early Christian Art, Third to Seventh Century. Age of Spirituality.
Iannucci, A. M. et al. (Ed). (N.d). Andreescu-Treadgold, Irina, "The Mosaic Workshop at San Vitale," in Attz del Convegno Mosaicz a San Vitale e altri restauri,
Khan Academy. (n.d.). Justinian Mosaic, San Vitale (article). Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/medieval-europe-islamic-world/a/justinian-mosaic-san-vitale
Ravenna, 1992, 30-41, and corrigenda insert, 1-8.
Weitzmann, Kurt, ed. (1979)
Additional Materials
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/medieval-world/byzantine1/beginners-guide-byzantine/a/byzantine-artintron
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/medieval-world/byzantine1/venice-ravenna/v/justinian-and-his-attendants-6th-century-ravenna
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/byza/hd_byza.htm
http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/ARTH/arth212/san_vitale.html
http://www.geometriefluide.com/pagina.asp?cat=artebiz&prod=sanvitale-arc-ra&l=en
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