I find it so odd that we have gone from realism and humanism, with such intent focus on what it is to be human, to a stoic image of humans. In Byzantine art, there is mainly focus on individuals from the Bible or religious context. There is also quite a bit of architectural design focus, mainly for the intent of worship. This makes me wonder if the icons that we have looked at also were for intent of worship. I honestly think the purpose of the art was to inspire people, as they are placing certain individuals on pedestals and highlighting their significance. Old religions became popular during this time, and there is much focus on virtue. So, instead of focusing on the visual appeal of art, there is focus on the purpose and message of the art. I think that REBECCA AT THE WELL is an example of this. It is an expensive work of art, and it has much significance in telling the story of Rebecca.
Maybe the stylistic shift in art is because focus on humans is shifting from the imperfect and sinful attributes to focusing on attributes that are considered holy and virtuous? I think that this could be one of the reasons to why we see such a drastic shift in art.