The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the biggest and most famous world museums containing the art collections of all the times and peoples. The rise and decline of Byzantium is one of the most important world history periods characterized by the formation of the Christianity and its expansion from Byzantium all over the world. The history of Byzantium is characterized by the crusades, first religious wars. The opposition of Islam to Christianity goes back to the history of crusades and Byzantium. All these historical processes found their reflection in the art of Byzantium period. Iconography as the art movement was one the main subsection of Byzantium art.
It reflected both religious and ideological bases of the Byzantium Empire as well as main theological adherence of that period. The formal opposition to the Ottoman Empire was mainly on the religious basis. This explains the theological meaning of the fine arts of Byzantium. Constantinople, the biggest city of Byzantium became the centre of the Orthodox religion. The history of Byzantium itself is the history of formation of the Orthodox religion on one hand and the history of counteraction to Muslim religion practiced in the Ottoman Empire. Iconography as it was stated above was one of the main directions of the Byzantium fine art.
In the arts, Italian and other European sources were most interested in Byzantine works that could be considered connected to the earliest history of the Church. Depictions of the Virgin and Child were especially prized for their presumed association with the images of the Holy Family believed to have been painted from life by Saint Luke. One image associated with the legend was Constantinople’s icon of the Virgin Hodegetria, which represents an early iconographic tradition.”1 The Virgin Hodegetria was considered to be one of the miracles and was honored by the Orthodox Church. The icons were created according to the accepted traditions and compositions. The church authorities made efforts to unify the church during the late Byzantium period. Byzantium was dominated by the Latin Christianity.
The Essay on Art History The World Beyond West
Art History: The World Beyond West Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that is influenced by the concepts of value and beauty as they connect to the arts. Philosophers throughout time, such as Plato, have presented solid ideas about what artists should create and what people should like. In the world of today people have become more liberal on the philosophy of art resulting in the vast array of ...
For two centuries, various attempts were made to reconcile the breach, but the Latin domination of Byzantium and certain theological issues rendered these aspirations ineffective. In 1274, Michael VIII Palaiologos and Pope Gregory X held the Council of Lyon to discuss a formal union. Michael’s representatives swore obedience to the Roman church and its faith.2 There was some kind of agreements between two churches. These attempts to find a compromise brought some influence to the Byzantium iconography. The Byzantium and the West artists influenced each other and that was reflected in their works. Thus the icon of Christ Bearing the Cross by Nicolaos Tzafouris reflects the processes of the interaction of both iconographic traditions and mutual exchange of ideas and views.
For example, the artist signs his name in Latin but writes the title of the scene in Greek. The rock formations are typically Byzantine, while the iconography of the scene is distinctly Italian.3 It is worth to note that though the compromise between two churches was unstable it caused the exchange of the iconographic traditions. The Crusades left their trace in the art of Byzantium and there are a lot of masterpieces dedicated to Crusades in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Knight background of Crusades found its reflection in the pieces of art dedicated to the Holy Wars. The keystone from vaulted ceiling in the form of cross from the Castle of Monfort reflects the monumental art of that period4. The forty year reign of Emperor Justinian I (52765) was marked by the extensive territorial expansion and military success for the Byzantine state.
The art of that period is characterized by monumentality reflecting the victorious raise of Byzantium. Justinian fulfilled a number of building campaigns constructing and restoring the temples. The rebuilding of Hagia Sophia (Church of Holy Wisdom) in Constantinople from 532 to 537 was the paramount achievement of Justinian’s building campaigns. As the most important church during the empire’s long history, Hagia Sophia set a standard in monumental building and domed architecture that would have a lasting effect on the history of Byzantine architecture. In addition to the cathedral of Hagia Sophia, Justinian patronized over thirty churches in the capital of Constantinople and both ecclesiastical and secular building throughout the empire’s territories, even as far as Mount Sinai in Egypt. During his reign, silk production was introduced from China, an art form for which Byzantium would soon become famous throughout the medieval world5. The exposition of Justinian period is mainly introduced by mosaic, jewelry, sculpture etc. Such masterpieces of Justinian period as Flask with Adoration of the Magi, Two Panel of an Ivory Diptych Announcing the Consulship of Justinian, Fragment of Floor Mosaic with a Personification of Ktisis are presented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art6. Another historic period presented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a period classified as Late Antiquity.
The Essay on Christian Byzantine Art Justinian
The Beginning of Christian Art In the first two centuries of Christianity there weren't any form of art recorded. Christians meet in small groups in a private phone and conducted simple services. In these services they would eat wine and bread that reminded them of Christ sacrifice on the cross. (Lamm 175) Christian symbols were a major form of art in the earlier years of Christian art. The ...
The late ancient period was characterized distinguishing the so-called world religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The masterpieces of the Late Antique period are represented in the Egyptian section of the museum. Jewelry from the Middle and New Kingdoms, models of daily life from the Tomb of Meketra at Thebes and sculpture depicting Queen Hatshepsut are shown beside important archaeological holdings. The Temple of Dendur, commanding a vast hangar-like space off the Met’s north wing is breath taking. Here, a complete temple removed from Egypt before it was submerged by the Aswan Dam project, has been reassembled in all its glory7. Citation Carter B. Horsley, Annie Labatt Ibid Available at http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/07/wae/ho_28.99.1 .htm, retrieved 2.11.2005 The Age of Justinian, available at www.metmuseum.org , retrieved 2.11.2005 Available at www.metmuseum.org Bibliography Carter B. Horsley, Byzantium Faith and Power (1261-1557), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, March 23 to July 4, 2004, “Bright-Sadness”, available at http://www.thecityreview.com/home.html, retrieved 02.11.2005 Wikipedia, Abstract expressionism, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_expressionis m, retrieved 02.11.2005 Annie Labatt, The Religious Relationships between Byzantium and the West, available at www.metmuseum.org, retrieved 02.11.2005 The Age of Justinian, available at www.metmuseum.org, retrieved 2.11.2005 Metropolitan Museum of Art, available at http://www.metmuseum.org/, retrieved 2.11.2005.
The Essay on Marcel duchamp for museum viewers
The Large Glass is an artwork by Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968). It is a two glass panel and the mediums incorporated are dust, lead wire, lead foil, varnish and oil. This “69 1/4 x 109 1/4″ painting is also known as The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even. This artwork was created over a span of 8 years from 1915 to 1923. (Deb, 321-322, 5-1) This artwork by Duchamp is a truly ...
