Naturalism In Empress Theodora And Attendants

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Empress Theodora and Attendants, is a mosaic found in the Church of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy. Considered to be one of the most important surviving example of Byzantine architecture and mosaic work, it was created ca. 526-547 under Ostrogothic rule. Empress Theodora and her entourage are displayed in the south wall of the apse, right across from Justinian and his retinue. One of the key stylistic changes we noticed when viewing this mosaic, is that it is leaving the classical styles of naturalism behind. Here the images are very frontal, no longer do you see the naturalism found in the classical period, instead we find two dimensional figures, unproportionate bodies and lack of depth. We can see this lack of proportion in the sizes of the

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