Byzantine art

Byzantine art is art that comes from a place called Byzantium, which is now called Istanbul in Turkey. Many years ago, people in Byzantium created art that was different from the art made by other people in other places. The special thing about Byzantine art is that it mostly focused on religion, or things related to God and religious stories.

Byzantine art had many different styles, but some common features were really bright colors, gold backgrounds, and big, round halos around the heads of important people like Jesus, Mary, and saints. These brightly colored works of art were often created using mosaics, which are tiny pieces of glass or stone arranged to make a bigger picture, kind of like a puzzle.

In addition to mosaics, Byzantine art also featured many painted images on things like panels, walls, and manuscripts (which were like big books). These paintings often showed religious figures like Jesus, Mary, angels, and saints, and sometimes even featured landscapes or other scenes from religious stories.

One thing that makes Byzantine art really interesting is that it evolved over time. For example, early Byzantine art mostly showed very stylized figures with big heads and tiny bodies, but as time went on, the figures started to look more realistic and naturalistic. This means that they looked more like real people!

Overall, Byzantine art is really special because it helped to communicate important religious stories and ideas to people who may not have been able to read or write. With its bright colors, gold backgrounds, and intricate details, Byzantine art was a way for people to connect with their faith and feel closer to God.