Byzantine Art

In the summer of 2010 I spent two weeks in New York City, where I truly was “on the beat” for art.  I went to many museums and saw an amazing amount of great art in a short time.  I visited the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art five times and still barely scratched the surface of their collection and special exhibits.

On my first visit to the Metropolitan I didn’t even get off of the first floor.  As I am drawn to all things ancient, I wandered first through the Byzantine Art and Medieval Art Collection.  The former apse beneath the Great Hall Stairs is now part of the Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries for Byzantine Art.

Unlike the special exhibits, these are rooms where one can spend a long time contemplating the art without the jostling and noise of crowds and guides.  I felt myself transported back in time as I spent time with this work.

Here is a stone architectural fragment which shows a good example of the Egyptian Coptic cross.  The Coptic Church is the Christian church of Egypt, established by Mark in the 1st century.  The early Gnostics and Copts were probably attracted by the form and symbolism of the Egyptian ankh.  The  ankh is the Egyptian hieroglyphic character which means life and is often seen in the hands of the Gods and Goddesses symbolizing eternal life . The Copts used this ancient symbol to express their belief in Christ as the bringer of eternal life.

Most people are probably more familiar with this style of Byzantine crosses.  These are small crosses carved out of stone.

Here’s another stone architectural fragment.  The intricacy of the design and the Seed of Life symbol at the bottom is what attracted me to this one.  Though I can’t find any documentation verifying that this is a Seed of Life, the form is the same.

You’ll also see the same Seed of Life form in interlocking circles on this vase.  Again, I don’t really know if the creator of this vase saw these interlocking circles as the Seed of Life, but that’s the way I see it.  I love the way viewing the art of different times and cultures opens my mind to understanding different world views.

Having just barely entered the museum, I forced myself to leave the world of Byzantine art and wandered into the Medieval rooms.