Tessa

**    by         Tessa Rebman      ** 
 * Byzantine Church Artwork **

  This work of art is one of many from the Byzantine Empire time period. I chose this work of art for many reasons. The first reason is because it came from a church and that was one of the requirements for this project. Another reason I had for picking this piece of artwork was because it was from the Byzantine Empire time period which was also another requirement for this project. I also chose this work of art because it is visually appealing. The colors are warm and welcoming. The gold coloring in the artwork adds sophistication and depth. The people in this artwork mean a lot as well. They establish a feeling of community, strength, and power. When I look at this piece of artwork it makes me think of a greater being that ties it all together. That is why I chose this work of art for my Byzantine Empire project.

The artwork of the Byzantine Empire time period was exquisite. The artwork often had faces or people within them. And, the artwork tended to have a deep meaning or a story to tell. Art in the Byzantine Empire was made for a purpose other than enjoyment. Byzantine artwork was often made to send a message. Sometimes artwork helped pass down ancient myths. Other times the artwork is used to display a piece of history. The artwork can also display ways of life or certain rituals. Artwork was more than just something pretty to look at during the Byzantine Empire time period. This artwork tells a historical story like almost all artwork during the time.

This piece of art was made to tell the story of Monophysitsm in ancient Egypt. It became a symbol national and religious resistance to the Byzantium's religious authority. The Byzantine Empire had great religious power over many places and one of those places was Egypt. The Egyptians created this artwork during the Byzantine Empire time period to show that they would stand with their religion. This was a tough situation. The Egyptian church society was severely persecuted by the ridiculous rulings of the Byzantine Empire. Egyptian churches were shut down and people were tortured. Some were even killed. This was all made in an effort to convert Egyptians to Byzantine Orthodoxy. __**work cited**__   Twill, Jim T. "Ancient Egypt Under Rome and Byzantium." __Ancient Egypt Under Rome and Byzantium__. Byzantine history. 31 Jan. 2009 http://www.travel-to-egypt.net/ancient-egypt-under-rome-and-byzantium.html .

**Citation added:** George, Jane P. "The Byzantine Empire: European Middle Ages." __The Byzantines__. Byzantine history. 31 Jan. 2009     .