Today in class we visited Saint Petka's Chapel. There were many beautiful mosaics covering the walls. The mosaic I chose to analyze depicted a scene with many people. The main focus in the mosaic was Jesus Christ, you can tell who he is because he has a golden circle around his head, his feet appear to be floating, he is located in the center of the mosaic, and is wearing bright red robes that make him stand out. He is also sticking his hands out over a poor old man with a cane and bag on his back, wearing dull gray robes who is hunched over and is not floating, therefore you know he is not currently Christian. I think he is being baptized because he is standing next to a fountain with his eyes closed and kneeling before Jesus, whom has his hands above the old mans head. On the left side of the picture there is a group of men. They are grouped close together and are wearing colorful clothing. Since they overlap they are not the focus of the mosaic. Also you can tell the men in the front of the group are more important because they stand in front of the group so you can see them better. The entire group's feet appear to float, so you can tell they are Christians. I think this is a mosaic of Jesus Christ baptizing a person while surrounded by his followers.This picture features a lot of details that can be used to figure out the story of this mosaic.
Overall, this mosaic is a satisfactory example of Byzantine art. The mosaic is full of bright colors and the people have floating feet and are also shown complete, without being cut off by the boarders of the mosaic. Also, the location of the figures shows importance and the pictured is balanced. In addition, there is not much interest in the background and the main focus is on the people. While this mosaic follows many of the rules of the Byzantine art, it also breaks one. I noticed that there is a bit of shading around the fountain, while some of it might be marble, the cloth hanging above the fountain also uses shading to show depth and the folds of the cloth. In conclusion, you can use clues in the mosaic to easily decipher the story of the mosaic.
To some, learning about the Byzantine Empire is a waste of time. They do not understand the importance that it plays in out lives. While some find it a waste of time, we learn a lot of valuable lessons that help us understand the world better. This is especially important for us because we live in an area was very use to be a part of the Byzantine Empire. By learning about this empire we are able to understand some of the culture and art we see today. For example, by studying mosaics we can better understand a lot of the art and understand the stories that they are telling us. The information from the mosaics can be used to better understand past events. When you know what the art is representing or saying, it makes the picture even more fantastic and spectacular. Another reason it is important for us to study the Byzantine Empire is because, since we live in Serbia, it is important to know its history. By knowing more about the history of this country we are able to understand the culture and its roots. When we know more about historic civilizations we can understand the culture, like why certain holidays are separated or why we speak certain languages. Also, studying the Byzantine Empire teaches us a lot about religion and its history and the significance it has played throughout the centuries. Religion is as important in life today as it was thousands of years ago and it is important to know the similarities and differences between different religions. In addition, studying the empire helps us learn more about how religion has changed and grown throughout the centuries. Another very important reason to study the Byzantine Empire is because of its government's success and ideas. The Justinian code was written by scholars and is still used today, helping shape our modern judicial systems. This is without a doubt one of the most important contributions from the 
Byzantines and by studying it we can further our knowledge of government and laws. The Byzantine Empire also helped develop many different writing that is still used today. For example, Cyrillic was developed by a monk and now a very common form of writing in many parts of the world. In conclusion, while the Byzantine Empire may be long gone, it has effected the world in many ways so it is very important to study and learn about it. 
