The Bizantine Empire was born in relation to the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AC and the later division of the Roman Empire in the Teodosio face in 395 AC.
Government was based on the Caesar. In other words, the concentration of temporary power and spiritual power in the hands of a ruler and was founded on the doctrine where the emperors were assigned by divine right.
The court was the intellectual, social life and the only client of the most artistic works. Bizantine art was varied and complex, even whe it represents certain permanent characteristics:
· Reflects a triple influence: Roman, Greek and Oriental.
· It is the product of a autonomous or single ruler system based on Orthodox Christianism
· It was under strict rules. It was a conservative art, uniform and strict to conventionalism.
This art’s influence supersedes its boundaries and its durations is temporary since it lasted until the XVII century in the Balcan era, proclaiming Cristianity. It attributes a great prestige in the West during the Middle age, influencing in different occasions of diversse worlds. Historic Bizantine evolution was dominated by two types of events:
o Uninterrupted wars against Persians, Bulgarians and more than anyhting Islam
o Internal crisis of political-religious character and open conflict with Rome that would culminate in 1054.
In 527, Justinian was the chosen Roman emperor and inaugurated the 1st Bizantine Golden Age. This emperor was immortalized in the celebrated mosaic of San Vitale in Ravenna,Italy.
http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/images/109images/early_christian/san_vitale/justinian.jpg
It was installed after his victory of the Ostrogoths. It represents the halo of his imperial dignity, accompanied by the bishops and the politicians of his court. He is dressed in silk and jewelry and giving an offerring made of gold to San Vital.
The most amazing element that characterized this church was the dome. This is the most noticeable characteristic of the Bizantine arquitecture. Its location over the circular platform, square and poligonal, was of a central arquitecture where no dimension dominated with clarity. The origins of this design, hid a symbiology: it was the image in the cosmos, the dome was the top of the sky and the living room for prayer was earth.
http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/images/109images/early_christian/san_vitale/chancel.jpg
The arquitectural emblem of the Justininano government was the Hagia Sophia (Sancta Sophia) church, which is an icon for Bizantine art. It began in 532 and ended only after six years due to financial means. The clever work of Bizantine construction workers consisted of alternating rows of brick with layers of pourous shingles and marble.
The authors of this work where two scientists: Anthemius of Tralles and Isodore of Miletus, geometrists, mathematicians and inventors.
The structure is at the center of a rectangle where 4 pilars were planted to hold 55 meters of ground and a dome with a ring of windows. Lateral arches support in reinforced pilars. The atrium was extended in front of the church.
http://intranet.arc.miami.edu/rjohn/images/Byzantine/Section%20Maria%20Sophia%20Church.jpg
The material used was marble in teh columns and walls. Other walls are rock and brick and the dome had light materials such as ceramics, pumice sotne, and porous shingles.
It is a balanced and harmonious structure. The space is centralized: the great dome has all of the protagoism. The light gives different lights, the interior reflects mosaics, giving the space a very dynamic and different from infiere al espacio un carácter dinámico muy diferente to Romano art which lacked as much movement if any.