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- Glass was the major material for wall and vault mosaics of Early Christian and Byzantine churches, and marble and limestone tesserae were frequently used in the depiction of faces, woolen garments, rocks, and other objects that required a soft or rough appearance.
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Early Byzantine mosaics. Mosaics made in Ravenna for the Ostrogoth king Theodoric (493–526 ce) are the first full manifestations of Byzantine art in the West. As seen in two of the foremost works from his time, the Baptistery of the Arians and the church of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, the gold background now dominates.
The earliest Christian churches were built during this period, including the famed Hagia Sophia, which was built in the sixth century under. Emperor Justinian. Decorations for the interior of churches, including icons and mosaics, were also made during this period.
One of the spaces used for early Christian worship is underneath St. Peter’s. It is there that this fragment of early Christian mosaic is located. Christ as Sol (Christ as the Sun), mosaic, 3rd c. CE, Vatican grottoes under St. Peter’s Basilica, on the ceiling of the tomb of the Julii.
Constantine's conversion to Christianity lead to extensive building of Christian basilicas in the late 4th century, in which floor, wall, and ceiling mosaics were adopted for Christian uses. The earliest examples of Christian basilicas have not survived, but the mosaics of Santa Constanza and Santa Pudenziana , both from the 4th century, still ...
Jun 22, 2018 · For this reason, the interiors of Byzantine churches were covered with paintings and mosaics. The large Christian basilica building, with its high ceilings and long side walls, provided an ideal medium to send visual messages to the congregation, but even the most humble shrines were often decorated with an abundance of frescoes.