BYZANTINE ART

The Holy Byzantine Art

The Vladimir Icon - Mother Mary and Jesus

Byzantine art initially originated in the eastern Roman empire at around 4th - 15th century CE. This happened to be a very unique form of art that immensely celebrated and intensely enunciated all of the Christian religion and its iconography. Byzantine art was recognised as an artistic representation that was more symbolic in nature, where abstractionism played a vital role in creating a universal piece of art. This renowned form of art is a ravishing visual treat for any art lover, because; this art not just expresses the shallow reality of the world but is a silent scream of the depthful soul that's hidden in it. The Byzantine art is an impeccable embodiment of spirituality; it evokes graceful godly sense in all of its frames generously.

Christ Pantocrator as Christ in Heaven, with his left hand holding a book.

Mosaic of Virgin Mary holding Jesus in Haghia Sophia Mosque

 The striking exuberance that the byzantine art delivers has never failed to indulge its lookers in awe! The futuristic patterns, vibrant colours, mosaic incorporations, gold tinted divine figurines all happen to be the special elements that contribute to the value of this age old art form. Byzantine art was more inclined towards experimentation with proportions and perspective. Critics claim that the proportions of the figurines were no closer to reality and the perspectives mostly failed to meet the vanishing point in many pieces and the alignment was totally off. Elongated, narrow, noticeable long and short figures happened to be the remarkable features of the Byzantine art. However, Byzantine art majorly focused on the theme and the religious biblical message that it intended to deliver to the people and never concentrated on accuracy of the drawing. 

                                                                     

Its main aim was to sow the seed of spirituality and good living in every heart, mind and soul around. Byzantine art simply ruled the entire of all the other art forms in its period. It was considered holy and was all over the churches and religious forums. The majestic godly figures of gold, transmuted moral messages of the religion imparting good values to everyone - it was an art that existed for a purpose. Byzantine art was not just a painting on Canvas but it took several forms like wall murals, monumental paintings, manuscript illumination, mosaic, embroidery, gold and enamel work. These prior distinct forms flourished in the wealthy royal society of Constantinople and took responsibility to spread the pride of Byzantine art throughout Europe.

We at Goa Decor store take privilege in reviving this ancient art by recreating it! Our master artist, Prof. Raj Halankar has meticulously painted the Byzantine art on wood, each of a different theme conveying a spiritual holy biblical message for everyone out there.


Our Byzantine paintings include: 

  • ●  The Vladimir Icon - Mother Mary and Jesus.

  • ●  Mosaic of Christ Pantocrator in the apse of Monreale Cathedral Sicily, Italy.

          ● Stunning mosaic of Christ Pantocrator as Christ in Heaven with his left hand holding a book.

  • ●  St. Fransis Xavier's Byzantine painting Istanbul, Turkey.

  • ●  Mosaic of Virgin Mary holding Jesus in Hagia Sophia Mosque. Dunk in the divine moments by getting your byzantine art now!

St. Fransis Xavier's Byzantine Painting Istanbul, Turkey


For the love of  A R T

Ar Roopa Kunkolienker,
Concept & Creator: Goa Decor

Editorial Credits: Akshita Ramlingam



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Goan Windows as wall decor

Image
Though I was born and brought up in a city, as a child it was customary for me to visit both my ancestral homes in Goa during the two month-long summer vacation; a month at my paternal house at Cansaulim (South Goa) and the other at my maternal house at Marcela (North Goa) Thereupon began the journey of accumulating innumerable memories of the good old times when Goans lived together as a joint family.  Both these 150+ year old Goan homes, with their massive staircases, huge stained glass and oyster shell windows never failed to amaze me. All the experiences, stories and memories of my childhood visits to my ancestral homes subconsciously drove me towards this beautiful journey of reviving old Goan items and antiques to be used for modern day utility. Moreover, being an architect and an interior designer was a big blessing which helped me carry forward a dream, very close to my heart.   My paternal ancestral house - Cansaulim, Goa.  Happy to add one such item to my gallery šŸ‘‡šŸ» THE GOA
Read more

The Kadi Bowl | Sadafuli Series

Image
      KOLMUL - THE KADI BOWL                                                           S A D A F U L I - Vintage Goan Handcrafted Wooden Tableware Sadafuli – The name of this beautiful plant indicates its ever flowering nature. This species has long been cultivated for herbal medicine. In Ayurveda, the extracts of its roots and shoots, are used against several diseases. In modern medicine, Sadafuli is the source of some cancer fighting drugs. Across the world, Sadafuli is known as Periwinkle or Vinca rosea (by its previous botanical name). It is commonly available in pink, red and white colour.   The vintage Goan wooden tableware is named after this often neglected, simple yet beautiful flower. It was my long cherished dream to revive some old Goan lifestyle accessories to the extent that they can suit modern ways of life. About two decades ago, my fascination for Goan antiques made me collect many such items from my ancestral Goan homes. Some of these were battered and in a worn out c
Read more

A Tribute to The Legends

Image
 A TRIBUTE TO THE LEGENDS - EVOLUTION OF THE CRICKET BAT Cricket has fascinated me since my childhood. From playing 'one bounce' to underarm, with a tennis ball or rarely, a season ball, cricket is one of the sports that kept me occupied as a kid. I recollect playing the role of a fielder incessantly, occasionally a bowler but seldom that of a batswoman, with my brother, immediate neighbours and some close friends forming the teams. Furthermore, it is indeed nostalgic to recall the  time I spent as a kid amidst my siblings, cousins and elders watching the most memorable  1983 World Cup cricket series on a monochrome television at my maternal  grandparents' house. Since then, the passion has grown so much that I have  rarely missed watching any important cricket match in which the Indian Cricket  Team participated. A copy of a bat signed by 1983 World Cup winning team - India (Collection from my childhood) While we were  in London  on vacation a few years ago, my family,  on
Read more

SUKHASANA - Lifestyle Accessory

Image
                                                                             SUKHASANA Enhancing Your Meditation Practice with the Sukhasana Comfort Seat Introduction: In this blog post, I want to share my personal journey of discovering the importance of personal space and comfort during prayer, pranayama, chanting, or meditation. Over the years, I have developed a routine of spending time alone each day, connecting within. In this process, I have created a special seat called the Sukhasana, designed to enhance the experience of these practices. Let's explore the story behind its creation and the elements that make it unique. "The first Sukhasana" Creating the Perfect Seat: As I delved deeper into my practices, I felt the need for a dedicated seat that would offer both comfort and proper posture. Inspired by this vision, I sketched various designs and made improvements to enhance the ergonomics. Eventually, I settled on a prototype that combined back support, a comfortab
Read more
Image
RoteĆ§Ć£o - The bamboo cane weaving technique of the Portuguese Era. RotesĆ£o was a traditional method used during the Portuguese era in Goa which involved hand weaving bamboo cane strips into wooden frames of different types of furniture, especially chairs.  Most old Goan homes had furniture with hand-woven strips of cane which, in the later years, were replaced by plastic/nylon. The most common weave was hole-to-hole hand chair caning, in which the wooden frames had holes along the periphery for the cane strips to be weaved neatly by hand.   The traditional hand caning weave used has a very distinctive and common series of octagonal holes in the pattern when completed. Although there are a number of cane patterns and designs, this seven-step method has proved to be the most durable and longest-lasting of the various hole or lace caning patterns developed over several centuries. The average lifespan of this chair seat pattern is 25 years, which can easily be achieved with good care and m
Read more

Glimpses of The Bygone Eras - Goa

Image
During my course in Architectural Studies, it was mandatory to make 3D models of some of the buildings we designed: a few of them as basic presentations and others with extremely minute details like the windows, corbeling, roof tiles etc. Occasionally, we had to do detailed internal layouts as well. AutoCAD had just been introduced in Goa during my final year, hence CAD design in 3D was not included in our syllabus. Contrarily, today’s students are on par with modern technology and make use of it for their presentations. Nevertheless, the  patience required and  detailing involved in the construction of a miniature model with one’s own hands provides a level of satisfaction that software simply cannot.   Watching documentaries of excavated sites and analysis of artefacts has always been my favourite pastime, so much so that I remember designing an Archeological Study and Research Centre for Goa - a topic for my thesis project. In later years, as I travelled the world and visited differ
Read more

GOAN SHELL WINDOWS

Image
The Treasure of Goan Architecture - Oyster Shell Windows A row of vertically sliding oyster shell windows at a Goan ancestral house (Cansaulim - Goa) The captivating allure of Goa extends far beyond its sun-kissed beaches, delectable cuisine, vibrant carnivals and the burgeoning casino scene.This vintage state is of something much more, by unwrapping the treasures of history, it is immensely a creator's palette.  Proudly displaying its magnificent architecture dating back to the Indo-Portuguese era, Goan architecture is renowned for its sustainability, intricate designs, decorative elements and practicality.   One such vital embodiment that reflects the ultimate essence of the Goan craftsmanship's ethnicity, is the "Mother of Pearl Shell Windows". S hell Windows at an ancestral Goan house at Marcela-Goa. As seen in the photos, the arches of the windows too were decorated with these shells but
Read more

MY GOAN HOMES - AN INSPIRATION

Image
Goa Decor: Rooted in Goan Heritage, Inspired by Artistry INSPIRATION: My 4 ancestral Goan homes Embarking on a nostalgic and passionate journey, Goa Decor is an artisanal boutique store that seeks to revive, preserve, value and celebrate the rich heritage of Goa through artistry. Presenting a glimpse of my four Goan homes  which are over a century old and embody the region's rich cultural heritage.  The nostalgic memories associated with these besides my love for art, culture and tradition fuelled my journey to design and create artisanal heritage decor which culminated in launch the boutique store in 2020.  Let's explore each of these ancestral homes:     FARM HOUSE - RAMMED EARTH CONSTRUCTION METHOD ( BOGMALO, GOA ) Over 150 years ago, this farm house was constructed using the "rammed earth" method. It transports me back to my childhood memories in Goa, where toddy tapers (Renders) and coconut pluckers (Padekars), dressed in their handwoven loin cloth (kashti), woul
Read more

KAAVI ART OF THE WESTERN COASTAL BELT

Image
The Kaavi Art - The Chronicle of The Indian Artistry   How fascinating would it be to have a form of art that has trapped history into it and awaits to unwind the secret messages of the past? One such lost form of craft is the Kaavi art! The   Kaavi art is a deeply pigmented monochromatic mural that was seamlessly created with raw natural earthy elements, which happen to exuberantly convey the cultural rich folklore of our ancestors.   Kaavi art was born in the 16th century and was typically ordinated in the Konkan region, which gradually spread along the western coastal belt of India. The term Kaavi refers to the Indian red pigment that was procured naturally from the laterite soil that stretched along the coast of Goa.  Kaavi Art at my ancestral maternal house in Goa The typical Kaavi art borders In combination with a painted border 'Khuttyale'/Wooden Cloth hanger with Chitari Art hung on the wall)  The three substantial elements of Kaavi art were Lime, Sand and Jaggery.   Th
Read more

GOAN LANDSCAPES

Image
The Ravishing Landscapes of Goa Have you ever been that fervent green Panther who dreams all day long of living inside an exotic terrarium with many fantasizing landscapes all in one environment? If you have been one such desperate nature lover who would be in the mountains for breakfast, indulge in a scrumptious lunch at the beach and yearn for a moonlight dinner amidst the mangrove forest! then it's the mystical Goa that's awaiting you, my friend! Goan landscapes are truly eye feasting, embraced with sun-kissed beaches, murky mangroves, iconic inlands, satiny backwaters, sublime coconut grooves, stately hills, scenic farms and spectacular spice plantations. Goa - Nature's pot of heaven, has simply got it all! It is to get soaked in flamboyance to see the sea cuddle with the glorious sunrise and sunset that divinely gets wrapped by the scorched golden sands of the beaches. The inland Flaunts with its Heritage monuments. that are
Read more