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San Marble At Ravenna Essay

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The mosaics of San Vitale at Ravenna are considered culturally relevant exemplifications of Byzantine artwork. Ravenna was in northern Italy a considerable distance from Constantinople the seat of the Byzantine Empire during the 6th-century rule of Justinian. The mosaics located in the apse feature Justinian and his Empress Theodora demonstrated the marriage of Christian dogma and the political power wielded by sovereigns. These artworks are filled with major and minor symbolism that support the trend of rulers during this period legitimizing their right to rule through the Christian Church as an ordained by God.
The Byzantine Empire had its capital in Constantinople founded by the namesake Constantine in 324 CE. Per Worlds Together, Worlds …show more content…

J. Robert Wright describes this panel as, “Christ the Redeemer sits enthroned upon a blue globe as Lord of Lord and King of Kings, young and beardless and ageless, fully divine as well as fully human” (Wright, 223). It appears the artist is providing equality with the Emperor and his wife as well as a heavenly and divine omnipresence. Many other earthly and celestial symbols are present in this depiction. In his left hand, Christ holds the Book of Seven Seals from the Apocalypse. The rivers of paradise are running under in the image as well as the clouds and a rainbow. These symbols are mentioned in Mark 13:26 – 27 that proclaim, “And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory (Kleiner 264). This motif was indicative of art works of the period concerning Christianity. They were outward symbols of the shared belief system of the Byzantine Empire citizens. Often the faithful Christians were illiterate and uneducated during this time. These works of art were utilitarian as well as decorative. The panel also contains a portrayal of Bishop Ecclesius of Ravenna. He was presenting Christ with a model of the Saint Vitale chapel. A Ravenna scholar Giovanni Montanari called this an “intelligent design” mixing the heavenly with the earthly (Wright 223). This was an intentional design element featuring the present-day Church with the heavenly

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