The church of Santa Sophia was burned down in 533, and the rebuilding of it was finished and the church consecrated in 559. Much of the interior was shortly afterwards covered with mosaic decoration. Near the summit of the cupola was a colossal figure of Christ enthroned, with his arm raised upwards in the act of blessing; below the sacred figure were ranged the Apostles, and in the lower pendentives were groups of people. In the chancel below is a figure of the Virgin enthroned, with the Infant Christ standing on her knees; in the great niches are figures of martyrs and bishops, and in the spaces above the pillars figures of the prophets.
On the walls of the narthex, Christ is represented seated on a throne, the crowned figure of Justinian prostrate at his feet, and on the gold background are the heads of the Virgin and St. Michael. In colour the mosaics are sober and refined, the expressions and attitudes of the figures solemn, and often beautiful; the costumes follow the style of the antique.
According to Salzenberg, who published his great work on Santa Sophia at Berlin in the year 1854, the colouring of the draperies of Christ and his Apostles is white, the Virgin has blue robes, and the other figures of prophets, angels, and martyrs are in varied colouring. The shades of the folds in the draperies are expressed by quiet blues and greens, the lights being heightened by silver markings. All the mosaics have a ground of gold, and bands of gold enrich the garments of Christ. Although many of the great mosaics of this church belong to the sixth century, some of them are, however, works of a later period. Among other arts, Justinian encouraged mosaic decoration in the highest degree, and is said to have ornamented the palace of his capital with mosaic pictures representing the victories of his armies.
Some famous mosaics were executed during the sixth century at Ravenna, notably in the basilicas of S. Apollinare-Nuovo, S. Apollinare-in-Classe, and S. Vitale; in the former there is a fine mosaic, the subject being the Kiss of Judas, and a group of figures where Pontius Pilate is represented washing his hands after the trial of Christ, both of which works again show the antique influence.
In the beautiful basilica of S. Apollinare-in-Classe the figure of Christ is represented standing and blessing with uplifted hands, surrounded by the symbols of the Evangelists and a flock of sheep; the angels Gabriel and Michael and the Transfiguration are also represented.
The Church of S. Vitale, which was built somewhat after the model of Santa Sophia, has the celebrated mosaics representing processions in state of the Emperor Justinian and the Empress Theodora, who presided at the dedication of the church. The dresses of the principal personages in these mosaics are richly decorated with Byzantine geometric patterns, figured embroidery, and jewellery. In the apse of the church is the celebrated youthful figure of Christ, who is represented without a beard; it is remarkable for its benign expression and softness of its adolescent beauty. The mosaics of S. Vitale are distinctly Greek in character, unlike those of the two former churches, which were executed by Roman mosaicists brought from Italy to Ravenna by Theodoric the Ostrogoth in the early years of the sixth century.
The seventh century was almost barren in mosaic works, and the eighth century does not seem to have produced more than a few tentative efforts, mainly in countries outside Italy.
It is related that Adrian I., who was Pope between the years 772-795, gave permission to Charlemagne to remove several mosaics from churches at Ravenna, the materials of which were used in the decoration of the dome of his chapel at Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle). These mosaics were destroyed by fires in the years 1656 and 1730. Some drawings of them were made before the second fire by Ciampini, and published by him at Rome in 1699. These works were not, however, of any great artistic value. The art of the mosaicist was fast becoming only a caricature of its former self, for the work of the ninth century was characterized by exceedingly bad drawing and savage colouring. Uninviting and even terrible representations of Christ, of the Virgin, angels, martyrs, and prophets were only too common. It may be said with good reason that in Rome and in the West during the ninth century, that the zenith of ugliness had been attained in the design of mosaics, and in place of the careful grouping and correct drawing of the works of the fourth to the sixth century we have instead figures of great dimensions and multiplication of attributes.
At the time we speak of there was not this decadence of art in the Eastern Empire, for many fine mosaics were executed to the order of Basil the Macedonian (867-886), under whose protection art generally was much encouraged. Some of the mosaics of Santa Sophia and of other churches and palaces at Constantinople were executed during this period.
However, from the tenth to the twelfth centuries the art of mosaic decoration, with a few notable exceptions, was in a slow state of decadence in the East, but the old Greek artistic spirit broke in other and in new directions, as we have witnessed in the wealth of Byzantine enamels, carved ivories, bas-reliefs, repoussé work, miniatures, and illuminated manuscripts.