In serdar-hizli-art.com, the article states that "As in Rome and Ravenna during the period of the Constantine basilicas, so also in the East during the long period of Byzantine Art, artists no longer conceived plasticity, and the victory of pictorial over plastic art was complete." (paragraph 1)
But however, again from the website stated above, they mention that sculpting was very scarce about proportion sizing because religion was frowned upon, especially the replicas of certain God's and Saints.
This is why not many sculptures are around and many of us are not familiar with it during the Byzantine era. But there are a few sculptures that we may be aware of such as, "the statues of angels in the interior of S. Mark's, Venice, or even of base reliefs of any size such as the worshiping Madonnas of Ravenna and Venice, and the inlaid figures of saints in the basilica of S. Mark, Venice." (paragraph 2)
But within the Byzantine Empire, Essential Humanities online states that "Byzantine sculpture is characterized by the Byzantine style." During this time, these carved sculptures were the main form throughout the Byzantine Empire and also the material of ivory was highly and often used to make such sculptures throughout the Medieval Art era during the reign of the Byzantine Empire. (section 3, paragraph 2)
http://www.essential-humanities.net/western-art/western-sculpture/medieval-sculpture/#.UTeaDKKzeSp |
http://www.essential-humanities.net/western-art/western-sculpture/medieval-sculpture/#.UTeaDKKzeSp |
http://www.essential-humanities.net/western-art/western-sculpture/medieval-sculpture/#.UTeaDKKzeSp |