Week 4 Object Annotation

1. What are connections between our readings from Week 4 that can be made with this object? The objects support readings that strongly emphasize the images as tools of persuasion rather than reflections of contemporary reality. Slootjes argues that Theodora’s repute, particularly in mosaics like those of San Vitale, was intentionally designed as a projection of authority and legitimacy, despite the derogatory and often hostile record of her rule. The mosaic instead presents an idealized character that, while not accurately reflecting sentiment, reinforces the legitimacy of Theodora’s rule. On a similar note, Bassett’s work frames panels as a subliminal rhetoric. Justinian and Theodora are shown in an imagined ceremony that implies divinely sanctioned authority. The mosaics work together to paint a picture of the emperor’s right to the throne and rule. Ultimately, both readings argue that medieval images function as subliminal arguments and tokens of legitimate authority, reinforcing power dynamics rather than accurately depicting events.

2. What are connection between the lecture context, subject, and style from Week 4 that can be made with this object? Review your notes! In the lecture, we discussed Ravenna’s broader significance as a reconstituted imperial capital, chosen specifically for its strategic defensive position and its symbolic proximity to Constantinople. San Vitale reiterates Justinian’s restorative ideals by asserting that Constantine’s imperial authority now followed him. Bassett notes that the mosaics contribute to this by presenting both Justinian and Theodora as “eternal” leaders, whose authority is granted by God rather than anchored in time and space. The architecture broadly reinforces this idea. The octagonal plan, the ambulatory, and the integration of Eastern construction techniques (such as squinches and a tambour) imitate Constantine-era architecture, thereby ascribing inherent authority to Justinian’s rule. The object also places both Justinian and Theodora in a divine space, even though they were not necessarily physically at San Vitale. In the object, Justinian carries an ornate plate, and Theodora carries a chalice, visually establishing the link to the Eucharist and the Church more generally. Bassett’s reading reiterates the importance of these works in establishing the rulers as protectors of Christianity, in addition to their roles as members of the religious tradition and the clergy. Moreover, the works' style departs from strict literalism and realism, positioning the figures as timeless. The use of gold and flattened backgrounds creates a lack of realism, heightening the viewer's sense of awe. This international dissociation from reality seems deeply symbolic and a tool for communicating hierarchy and order. As we’ve observed in previous weeks, particularly with the Theodosian Obelisk, intentional abstraction plays an important role in these works.

3. How does this object help us to define Medieval Art? This object helps to define Medieval Art as rhetorical and closely related to power and faith. Both readings demonstrate that medieval art seeks to construe abstract meaning rather than to accurately depict reality. The intertwining of art, architecture, cultic images, and monastic practices demonstrates the artist's intention to create a religious experience for the viewer rather than a literal depiction of historical events, thereby reinforcing political allegiance. Architecturally, connections to the past in San Vitale’s resemblance to the Church of the Sepulchre and by using Eastern design techniques, reinforce cultural references that give air to Justinian’s authority by delineating the passage of power to this new empire in Ravenna. This idea of creating an experience over realism is echoed across medieval art. Justinian and Theodora are depicted in these works as overseeing the empire despite their physical absence, strongly suggesting that art transcends physical distance and even time. The depiction of Theodora also demonstrates that visual identity was an important aspect of women’s ability to wield authority, particularly during a period of stricter gender roles. In sum, the object defines Medieval Art as symbolic and persuasive rather than strictly literal.