David Zhou / MFA Illustration Practice ‘22
East Roman Empire Soldier Wear (11th century)
2020
Digital
It’s weird-looking, isn’t it? But at the same time, this is culturally impressive.
When we are referencing medieval European soldiers, we often link them with crusaders or Vikings. But, we forgot in Eastern Europe, the East Roman Empire is still standing its ground.
In this artwork together with two fresco photos, I reconstruct what a soldier in the East Roman Empire was possibly wearing in the 11th century. From one’s daily dress to fully geared. And I hope to raise the viewer’s interest to have a further look at the East Roman Empire’s rich history beyond my artwork.
