This piece of art work is called the Paris Psalter. It is from a page in the book of the Psalms of David. The art form reasserts the artistic values of the Greeks and Romans. This is an example of classical revival style. It shows a humanistic reverence for the classical past. Art historians believe the manuscript dates from the mid 10th century which was known as Macedonian Renaissance. This time period showed an interest in the study of ancient Greece literature and language. This piece of art is characterized as Byzantine Art. It shows a revival in classical mythology. They used this classical style to depict religious and Old Testament subjects.
The painting is a picture of David, the psalmist, playing a harp. He is surrounded by goats, sheep, and his dog. The scene takes place in a rocky landscape with a town in the back ground. He is portraying Orpheus, the Greek hero who could charm inanimate objects with his music. Melody is looking over his shoulder and echo is peering from behind a column. In the bottom right corner there is a man pointing to a Greek inscription that identifies him as representing the mountain of Bethlehem.
I would compare this image to the Villa of the Mysteries. This painting is a Roman design which the Paris Psalter was influenced by. It has the presence of Greek mythological figures and the Greek god Dionysos. Both paintings have very naturalistic figures in them showing movement and emotion. They both show inspiration from the Greeks by using mythology and were both used for religious purposes.
