What are the characteristics of Byzantine art

The mature Byzantine style evolved from the stylization and standardization tendency of classical forms in the late period of early Christian art; Based on the dynamics of lines and plane colors, not on form. The personality characteristics of the characters are suppressed and replaced by standardized face shapes. The body is flat, and the folds are processed into vortex lines. The whole picture gives the impression that the soul is outside the body; The three-dimensional expression of characters has been replaced by spiritual strength, which is manifested in the strength of lines and the brightness of colors. Its characters adopt strict frontal posture and Byzantine's face, huge eyes and sharp eyes, with a typical golden background. This background makes the image seem to be suspended somewhere in the space between the wall and the audience on the screen of the isolated person. The Byzantine Empire rarely made sculptures. The most common small ivory reliefs are used for book covers and sacred boxes. In the upper class of Constantinople, other small works of art, embroidery, gold ware and glass products are also very popular. Although the manuscript decorative painting is not as impressive as the giant painting and mosaic painting, it plays an important role in spreading Byzantine style and icon painting in Europe.

The use of color in Byzantine portraits has its own significance. For example, red represents blood and war, but at the same time it represents youth and beauty. Yellow indicates that this person is a man of noble character. Green represents spring, rebirth and youth. Sometimes, painters will use gold to represent nobility. For example, drawing a golden halo on a person's head means that this person has a noble and pure soul and body. In addition, some people deliberately draw their noses long and thin. This is because people at that time thought that the slender nose was because it would not absorb the breath of the earth, but the breath from heaven.