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Byzantine Art Just as the Byzantine empire represented the political continuation of the Roman Empire, Byzantine art developed out of the art of the Roman empire, which was itself profoundly influenced by ancient Greek art. Byzantine art never entirely lost sight of this classical heritage. Artistic forms characteristic of Byzantine art began to develop in the Roman Empire as early as the 4th century, as the classical tradition declined in vitality and eastern influences were more widely felt. The subject matter of monumental Byzantine art was primarily religious and imperial. Religious art was, however, not limited to the monumental decoration of church interiors. One of the most important genres of Byzantine art was the icon, an image of Christ, the Virgin, or a saint, used as an object of veneration in Orthodox churches and private homes. The illumination of manuscripts was another major genre of Byzantine art. The most commonly illustrated texts were religious, both scripture itself (particularly the Psalms) and devotional or theological texts. Byzantine Artists: Cimabue Coppo Di Marcovaldo Duccio di Buoninsegna Jacopo Di Cione Lorenzetti, Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Pietro Memmi, Lippo Orcagna, Andrea Di Rublev, Andrei Traini, Francesco Veneziano, Paolo
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