Editing Statue (section)

===Middle Ages===
While sculpture generally flourished in European [[Medieval art]], the single statue was not one of the most common types, except for figures of the [[Virgin Mary]], usually with Child, and the ''corpus'' or body of Christ on [[crucifix]]es.  Both of these appeared in all size up to life-size, and by the late [[Middle Ages]] many churches, even in villages, had a crucifixion group around a [[rood cross]].  The [[Gero Cross]] in [[Cologne]] is both one of the earliest and finest large figures of the crucified Christ.  As yet, full-size standing statues of saints and rulers were uncommon, but [[tomb effigy|tomb effigies]], generally lying down, were very common for the wealthy from about the 14th century, having spread downwards from royal tombs in the centuries before.

While [[Byzantine art]] flourished in various forms, sculpture and statue making witnessed a general decline; although statues of emperors continued to appear.<ref name=Byz>''Byzantine Art'' by Charles Bayet (1 October 2009) {{ISBN|1844846202}} page 54</ref> An example was the statue of [[Justinian]] (6th century) which stood in the square across from the [[Hagia Sophia]] until the [[fall of Constantinople]] in the 15th century.<ref name=Byz/> Part of the decline in statue making in the Byzantine period can be attributed to the mistrust the Church placed in the art form, given that it viewed sculpture in general as a method for making and [[idolatry|worshiping idols]].<ref name=Byz/> While making statues was not subject to a general ban, it was hardly encouraged in this period.<ref name=Byz/> Justinian was one of the last Emperors to have a full-size statue made, and secular statues of any size became virtually non-existent after [[Byzantine iconoclasm|iconoclasm]]; and the artistic skill for making statues was lost in the process.