Throughout the history of humankind, art has remained one of the most effective methods of expressing different human experiences. Art is expressed in various forms, techniques, meanings and styles. Mosaic works and Byzantine architecture are some of the most impressive forms of art, given that they do not focus on traditional naturalism. Byzantine architecture is different from other architectures as it comprises a central plan focusing on a pentagon shape at the middle or in the shape of a basilica. On the other hand, Mosaic work comprises small glass tiles that reflect light showing such historical or symbolic figures as Jesus, emperors, angels, and others. Some world-renowned pieces of art are the Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory), the San Vitale, and the Justinian Mosaic. The Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory) is an ivory panel of an emperor and his wife, while the San Vitale and the Justinian Mosaic are mosaic works in San Vitale church in Ravenna, Italy. This essay compares and contrasts the two pieces of art based on different formal qualities of artwork, including material and lines.
The Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory) and the San Vitale and cc are similarly based on lines as a formal quality. In both the art pieces, lines are used in showing dimensions. In the Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory), lines are used to separate one panel from the other, highlight the clothes of each emperor and his wife and show the objects held by the figures (Harris and Zucker, 2016). Lines are also used in highlighting fine details in the artwork, including patterns in clothes worn by figures, designs in jewellery worn by horses and the hairstyles worn by the figures. In the San Vitale and the Justinian Mosaic, lines also highlight the different figures in the art pieces, showing their clothing and the objects held by the figures (Farber, 2022). However, there are slight differences in how the lines are used in the two art pieces. In the Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory), deepening of the craving lines is used in showing dimensions, while in the San Vitale and the Justinian Mosaic dimension is demonstrated through the use of shadows.
The Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory) and the San Vitale and the Justinian Mosaic are different in terms of their materials. The Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory) is made out of ivory, while the San Vitale and the Justinian Mosaic is made out of colourful glass pieces and covered with gold. The mosaic was built on bricks in the inside wall of the San Vitale church, which is an example of Byzantine architecture. The piece of art is built to show the connection between emperor Justinian and his wife to the church of San Vitale (Farber, 2022). On the other hand, the Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory) comprises four panels curved out of ivory (Harris and Zucker, 2016). The Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory) is different from the San Vitale and the Justinian Mosaic in relation to meaning. It was made to show the triumph of the emperor. The contrast in use material gives each of these two pieces of art some distinct features that amplify the meaning of each artwork. In the San Vitale and the Justinian Mosaic, the use of glass and gold helps create a colourful pattern that symbolizes each of the figures in the piece. This rough texture gives the gold background and god’s representation (Farber, 2022). In the Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory), ivory helps give the artwork a three-dimension touch, dark and light shadows, clothing patterns, and characteristics of roman art (Harris and Zucker, 2016).
In conclusion, there are striking differences and similarities between the San Vitale and the Justinian Mosaic and the Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory). The pieces of art are similar in how lines are used to show figures, create patterns, and show objects in both of them. There is, however, a slight difference in the use of lines as one piece of art to show dimension, while in the other, this is not the case. In addition, there is a difference in the material used in the two pieces of art as one is made out of glass and ivory, the San Vitale and Justinian Mosaic, while the other, Emperor Triumphant, is made out of ivory.
References
Farber, D. (2022). San Vitale and the Justinian mosaic – Smarthistory. Smarthistory. https://smarthistory.org/san-vitale/
Harris B., & Zucker, S. (2016). The emperor triumphant (Barberini ivory) – Smarthistory. Smarthistory. https://smarthistory.org/barberini-ivory/
The Art Story. (2022). Byzantine art and architecture – History+. https://www.theartstory.org/movement/byzantine-art/history-and-concepts/
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