The ancient Greek and Byzantine art depict similarities and differences in the thematic concerns. The Byzantine art strongly showed the religious civilization that the Greeks practiced at that historical moment. The Homilies on the Virgin show the Christian culture that these Greek people had adopted (Byzantine Illuminated Manuscript). The Bull-Leaping Fresco is a multicultural depiction that is not firmly religious but shows the cultural activities that the people practiced (Bull-Leaping Fresco from Knossos). The historical analysis shows that the monks who made the Homilies on the Virgin linked what they observed in God’s truth and thus worshipped Him. The Bull-Leaping Fresco depicts how the ancient people cherished sport and admired the animal’s power. Their culture must have loved entertainment through animal use. The biblical evaluation concludes that Christians should look at any art in a way that glorifies God. God is the creative maker who creates things in His image with creativity, and humans doing art exhibit honor to Him.
The Bull-Leaping Fresco and Homilies on the Virgin were created using different mediums to bring out the thematic concerns. The monks designed the Homilies on the Virgin in a handwritten book to reflect the religious activities of the individuals (Byzantine Illuminated Manuscript). The Bull-leaping Fresco of Knossos was created using watercolor on wet plaster to show bull-leaping with acrobatics (Bull-Leaping Fresco from Knossos). Both artworks seem to reveal Christianity, but it is easier to identify religion in the Byzantine Homilies on the Virgin. Historical analysis shows that the Greeks created the two forms of art in different eras of civilization. The Byzantine artwork revealed Christianity as the principal activity the people practiced. The Bull-Leaping Fresco shows that bull sporting event was highly significant during that revolution period. From the religious point of view, out of the two artworks, Byzantine art has tremendous recognition for glorifying God because of the characters used in the art.
Bibliography
“Bull-Leaping Fresco from Knossos.” Daily Life through History, ABC-CLIO, 2021, Web.
“Byzantine Illuminated Manuscript.” Daily Life through History, ABC-CLIO, 2021, Web.