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During the development of Christian art in the Byzantine Empire, a more abstract aesthetic replaced the naturalism previously established in Hellenistic art. The crisis of Byzantine Iconoclasm led to a standardization of religious imagery within the Eastern Orthodoxy. This new style was hieratic : its primary purpose was to convey religious meaning rather than accurately render objects and people. In 1204 during the sack of Constantinople many ancient Greco-Roman and medieval Byzantine works of art were stolen by crusaders and Venetians and brought to Italy inspiring art workshops. Slowly in Florence a realistic perspective started to emerge. The proportions, the light and the color hitherto ignored appeared. Standardized conventions to portray individuals and events faded. A mutation giving way to the Renaissance.

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