Iconoclasm's effect on art can be observed within two time frames: The response of art leading up to and during the conflict and the development of art following its resolution.
Canons & Consequences
The most obvious, and regrettably permanent, impact of the Byzantine Iconoclasm was the destruction of art deemed unfit. The removal of such art included whitewashing, scraping, burning, or breaking. However, even during such devastation, new artworks were commissioned. These new creations, however, were subject to specific rules including the 82nd and 73rd canons.
The controversial 82nd canon dictated that Christ must be depicted as a man rather than the Lamb of God. Responses to this canon can be observed in the pre-iconoclastic, encaustic Icon of St. John the Baptist as John the Baptist points to a medallion of Christ above while holding a text of John 1:29, the scripture referenced in the 82nd Canon. While doing so, John physically enacts the text reading, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world" and thus redirects the prayer to Christ. While this canon still allowed for figural representation and the use of icons, it nonetheless endorsed the strict regulation and policing of images within the church.
The apse of the iconoclastic church, the Haiga Eirene, demonstrates a response to both the Byzantine Iconoclasm and the 73rd canon. Where non-iconoclastic Byzantine churches would have had a figural portrait or scene such as the Virgin and Child or the Transfiguration, the Haiga Eirene has a simple cross against a settingless, gold background. In terms of architectural significance, this was a monumental shift from the richly decorated, pre-iconoclast churches. The location of the cross additionally obeys the 73rd canon's objection to the placement of crosses, non-figural representations of Christ, on the floor.
While one of the works exemplifies a more drastic shift, both are equally important in demonstrating the development and the treatment of art during this time of significant change within the Byzantine Empire.