The influence of Egypt on Byzantine iconography was subtle but significant, with Egyptian artistic conventions shaping elements of composition, symbolism, and even the concept of the sacred image itself.
I was blessed to grow up in Boston in a better season. I spent hours and hours at the Museum of Fine Arts which had an amazing Egyptian collection. The mummies from the Greek period always stopped me in my tracks.
It's rather fascinating to see how Christian iconography evolved over time. The Coptic icons today are distinct. They have shifted towards a more stylized, brighter, and cleaner / less adorned look than the Byzantine / Roman style. Each branch has taken from the same root and gone in different directions, but each is still recognizable to the other at the same time. Examples abound online, as here (from a Coptic church in Australia): https://www.stmaryandstjoseph.com.au/our-patron-saint-st-joseph-the-carpenter
I appreciate your discussion on sacred art… the Cleveland (Ohio) Art Museum is currently hosting the Byzantium and Africa Art Exibition … and you post has provided me with helpful information to consider
There is definitely something to the link between the sacred/divine and creativity that earlier cultures get right, that our modern world has gotten so very wrong. The direction most "art" today has gone is very stark evidence as to what happens when we intentionally sever the link between our creativity and our relationship with God.
I was blessed to grow up in Boston in a better season. I spent hours and hours at the Museum of Fine Arts which had an amazing Egyptian collection. The mummies from the Greek period always stopped me in my tracks.
It's rather fascinating to see how Christian iconography evolved over time. The Coptic icons today are distinct. They have shifted towards a more stylized, brighter, and cleaner / less adorned look than the Byzantine / Roman style. Each branch has taken from the same root and gone in different directions, but each is still recognizable to the other at the same time. Examples abound online, as here (from a Coptic church in Australia): https://www.stmaryandstjoseph.com.au/our-patron-saint-st-joseph-the-carpenter
I appreciate your discussion on sacred art… the Cleveland (Ohio) Art Museum is currently hosting the Byzantium and Africa Art Exibition … and you post has provided me with helpful information to consider
There is definitely something to the link between the sacred/divine and creativity that earlier cultures get right, that our modern world has gotten so very wrong. The direction most "art" today has gone is very stark evidence as to what happens when we intentionally sever the link between our creativity and our relationship with God.