Seraph 1056

This mosaic of a seraphim was created by Byzantine artists, part of a long tradition spanning from around 330 to 1453 AD. Angels like this one were part of a celestial hierarchy in Byzantine thought. Seraphs, known for their fiery love and devotion to God, are depicted with multiple wings, symbolizing their ability to be everywhere at once. The mosaic medium itself, with its small pieces coming together to form a cohesive whole, mirrors the Byzantine social structure, where different peoples and cultures were brought together under a singular religious and political identity. Yet, looking closer, we might ask: what does it mean to depict a being that is supposed to be beyond human comprehension? This image offers not a literal representation, but a symbolic one, an artistic rendering of faith and the ineffable. The seraph's gaze is meant to inspire awe, a feeling of being in the presence of the divine.