How does Early Christian and Byzantine portraiture represent both a continuation of and a break from the past?

The Christian and Byzantine portraiture represent both a continuation of and a break from the past. After the fall of the roman empire much art had disappeared or had been forgotten. These two groups brought back the roman art of painting portraits. The art is a little different from what the Romans used to do. The Byzantine and Christian art is more vivid and used brighter colors. The portraits are also more accurate. During this time halos were put on the center most important person. In Christian art it was around Jesus and in other works it is around the emperor. This type of are is an improvement over earlier cultures and shows how well developed these areas were.

Sources:

Byzantine Art. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_art.

Roman Art. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_art#Still_life.

Picture Source:

Meister Von San Vitale in Ravenna 003.jpg. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Meister_von_San_Vitale_in_Ravenna_003.jpg.