Reply To: Artistic Conventions

[Rachel Nelson]

Realism showed and depicted what actually happened or the literal appearance of the muse. In the case of much of the art created from the Byzantine Empire, much was more symbolic than art from the Greco-Roman traditions. For example, the Virgin with Child and Saints and Angels Icon seems almost less realistic than far older art we’ve encountered, especially the proportions of the infant. The art is not only literally less realistic, but also figuratively. Much of what is depicted are stories from the Old Testament of the Bible, which would have been ancient even in this time period, and is most likely inaccurately represented. The political climate at this time was a volatile and often violent one, perhaps making its citizens cling to a religion full of hope and reward after death for the faithful.