Byzantine sculpture

With the Byzantine style in architecture, the sculpture style was formed and was defined from the VI century. Prior to that century, the decadent Roman style dominated, even in Constantinople itself, as evidenced by the two statues of the Good Shepherd and the reliefs of the large plinth on which the Egyptian obelisk rests, placed by Theodosius the Great in a square in the capital. end of the V century, called by him, obelisk of Theodosius. However, in other monuments of the time the Byzantine taste was already beginning, as demonstrated by the silver votive clypeus or Disk of Theodosius from Madrid, which displays in bas-relief the seated figures of the emperor with his sons and other courtiers standing and which dates back to the year 393 of the Christian era.

The Byzantine style in sculpture should be considered as a derivation and degeneration of the Greco-Roman, under Asian influence. In general, it is characterized by a certain mannerism, uniformity and rigidity or lack of naturalness in the figures along with gravity, which usually consists of enamels, imitations of stones and strings of pearls, geometric lines and stylized or unnatural foliage.. Byzantine art cultivated very little statuary but abounded in mosaics and reliefs on ivory, silver and bronze and did not completely abandon the use of cameos and carvings in fine stones. In the reliefs, as in the paintings and mosaics, the figures are presented looking straight ahead.

Historical periods

The following periods are distinguished in its historical evolution:

• Training periodbefore the centuryVI in which the Roman style reigns as it has been said and works of jewellery and goldsmithy stand out with some marfiles.
• Period of perfection and developmentsince the centuryVI Al XII in which he comes to have Byzantine art prosperous life, with varied works of sculpture and extends to almost all European nations. This period is divided into:
  • Justinian period. The Justinian period, so called for its beginning in the emperor Justinian, arrives until the beginning of the centuryVIII and points to the apogee of art. It cultivates the statuery and multiplies the reliefs in beautiful ivory diptics, arches and lids of sacred or liturgical books. To him belong some sarcophagus of Rávena and, above all, precious parades such as those of the episcopal chair of San Maximiano in the same city with its numerous figures in relief. The Diptics of the Treasure of Monza and the Consular Diptic of the Cathedral of OviedoVI) among other sculptural pieces.
  • iconoclastic period. The iconoclastic period spans a century and a half from the Emperor Leo the Isáuric to Basilio I (years 717-867). In him they suffered a rough blow to the Christian figurative arts by the fury with which the Byzantine emperors proceeded against the images. But, on the other hand, the artists spread through the West, contributing to the diffusion of Byzantine art throughout the Christian world and especially in the court of Carlomagno in Italy.
  • Macedonian period. The Macedonian period, initiated by the emperor Basilio I (year 867) is restoration, although not complete, and only produced reliefs, jewels with beads and enamels (in addition to mosaics and paintings) being some of those reliefs quite correct. Above all, the Crucifix Triptych and the Saviour's Ivory Plate (also ivory) are celebrated, crowning Roman IV and Eudoxia (year 1068) that are kept in Paris and another ivory plate with the figure of the Virgin and the Child, in Utrecht. Also, the bronze reliefs with silver inlaids at the gates of Saint Mark of Venice (centuryX Al XI).
  • Common period. Initiated with the reign of Alejo I Comneno in 1081, the Comnena dynasty supported the patronage in the arts and, with their help, the Byzantine artists continued to move in the direction of greater humanism and emotion. Ivory sculpture and other costly artistic means gradually gave way to frescoes and icons. By the economic power of the Venetians, their Basilica of Saint Mark, begun in 1063, became a container of great Byzantine works such as the Pala d'Oro, a complex sample of Byzantine goldsmithy and enamel.
• Period of exaggeration and decay. Since the centuryXII Al XV (year 1453 in which Constantinople was taken by the Turks) that exaggerates in the human figure the folds of the cloths and excessively elongates his sculptural canon to reach the height of eleven times the head. Since the centuryXII The dawn and conventionalism are accentuated, which becomes complete and intolerable after the fall of Constantinople, the style of the Greek church in the countries of the schismatic. Some restoration cone could be noticed at the time when Byzantium was subjected to Latinos (1204-1261) and more during the first Paleologist emperors (who followed the previous ones). But the works credit such resurgence as ephemeral and scarce.

In all periods of the Byzantine style, goldsmithing and jewelry were cultivated with Asian sumptuousness, in which sculpture plays an important part.