Discuss artistic production during the Byzantine period Essay

Discuss artistic production during the Byzantine period - Essay Example The history of artistic production in the Byzantine period Arguably, artistic production denotes the creation of objects that viewers would perceive as significant or rather beautiful. Further, art highlights on the important factors prevailing in a certain community over a given period. During the Byzantine period, Emperor Constantine ruled the territory and enforced construction of Aelia Capitolina, which served as the main city after replacing the ruins of Jerusalem city (Nici 261). He emphasized that the whole empire needed to profess the Christian faith thus inhibiting the inhabitants from adapting or embracing any other religions presented in the kingdom. Fig. 1 Constantine Sculpture Therefore, Constantine served as a major stimulating factor towards the renowned artistic production in the empire as he ordered the building of some of the historically renowned churches in the Middle East (Richardson, Angeliki, and Kim 82). For instance, Constantine ordered for the building of th e Basilica church and other monuments around the city. Chronological accounts further present that the Byzantine society built the Rotunda during the reign of Emperor Constantine as an owner to his mother’s dreams about the tomb of Jesus Christ (Jeffreys 132). Further, the society had other numerous distinctive cultures that prevailed over several dynasties. Mainly, the building of streets marked the second largest and globally recognized cultural activity of the Byzantium dynasty. For instance, the building of the Cardo street and narrowing of the Roman-built streets such that the Byzantine streets intersected at the empires city square and extended perpendicularly to other worshipping sites in the North and South regions, and the East and West regions of the empire. Further, Constantine elevated numerous monuments along the streets that led to the worshipping centers to honor numerous biblical teachings (Onians 164). Therefore, it is sound to argue out that Byzantine art wa s a form of denoting Christian teachings and promoting the religion during the barbaric period. Further, the empire’s culture contributed to the recognition of the Renaissance period after the evasion of obstacles that focused on savoring the empire into rubbles. Some of the period’s most renowned artistic productions The empire’s artists were well known for their passion in the creation of monuments and mosaics for example, creation of â€Å"The Image of Christ of Pantocrator.† The artistic production is one of the most infamous mosaics of the Byzantine period, from the Hagia and Sophia in Constantinople period. Mainly, history assumes that most of the Christian paintings targeted to draw the involvement of Christianity in the region despite the threat of Muslim invaders who were apparently seeking to spread their religion across the Asian and European regions (Richardson, Angeliki, and Kim 85). Fig.2 the mosaic of Christ of Pantocrator Since the Constan tinople Empire toppled the Roman Empire, it did not readily produce its own art but continued to develop the Roman Empire’s arts. Mainly, the Byzantine art coincided with the Greek artwork since the predecessors had borrowed their artistic designs,