Byzantine art refers to the artistic traditions that developed and flourished in the Byzantine Empire from the 4th to the 15th century. The Byzantine Empire was a medieval Eastern Roman Empire centered on the capital of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey). It was the continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Byzantine art is characterized by its bright and vibrant colors, as well as its use of gold and silver leaf. It is known for its detailed and intricate designs, which often feature religious and mythological themes. Byzantine artists were skilled in a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpture, mosaic, and metalworking.
One of the most famous examples of Byzantine art is the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, a massive cathedral that was built in the 6th century and later converted into a mosque. The interior of the Hagia Sophia is adorned with elaborate mosaics and frescoes, many of which depict scenes from the Bible.
Byzantine art was also heavily influenced by the artistic traditions of the Eastern Orthodox Church, which was the dominant religion in the Byzantine Empire. As such, much of the art produced during this time was religious in nature and was used to decorate churches and other religious buildings.
In addition to its religious themes, Byzantine art also featured secular subjects, such as landscapes, portraits, and scenes from everyday life. These works often incorporated Greek, Roman, and Eastern motifs, reflecting the diverse cultural influences that shaped the Byzantine Empire.
Overall, Byzantine art was a rich and diverse artistic tradition that blended elements of Greek, Roman, and Eastern art. It continues to be admired for its beauty and craftsmanship, and many of its works can still be found in museums and galleries around the world.
Byzantine Icons: Who, What, When, and Where
These icons were believed to have magically appeared, created by the supernatural. The Hellenistic Origins of Byzantine Art. Iconophiles like John of Damascus and Theodore the Studite supported icons as images to worship. Sophia's Cathedral he built in Kyiv in 1307. Leo III was an iconoclast, which meant that he thought icons depicted the actual person being represented in the image. So what is Byzantine art and what do we mean when we use this term? Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Catherine's Monastery has the largest collection of Byzantine icons due to its distance from the Iconoclasm.
Byzantine Art Definition, Paintings, Sculptures & Artworks
The iconophile and iconoclasm debate started to get violent. Because of its longevity and geographical scope, Byzantine art does not necessarily proceed in a linear progression of stylistic innovations. Some works, like the Roman bronze works of the Hippodrome, were carried off to Venice where they are still on display, while other works, including sacred objects and altars as well as classical bronze statues, were melted down, and the Library of Constantinople was destroyed. Encaustic on wood - Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, Egypt sixth or early seventh century Virgin Theotokos and Child between Saints Theodore and George This image depicts the Virgin seated in a golden throne, holding the Christ Child on her lap as if presenting him to the viewer. Large mosaics depicting the Emperor and Empress established Byzantine composition and figurative techniques, as the realistic depictions of classical art were abandoned in favor of an emphasis upon iconographic formality.
Decorative bands replaced moldings and cornices, in effect rounding the interior angles so that images seemed to flow from one surface to another. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Exploring Byzantine Art: The Pantocrator The Pantocrator, undoubtedly the most important image in any Orthodox church, is a monumental, solo image of Christ. Artisans created a painted image on glass and then covered and sealed it with another clear piece of glass on top for use as adornment. Iconoclastic Controversy By the 8 th century, the Byzantine Empire was under pressure and often at war, and in this tense climate the controversy over the spiritual validity of icons erupted.
Learn About the History and Characteristics of Byzantine Art
Its origins in the Roman Empire meant that even in the face of unclassical tendencies that favored hierarchical compositions and symbolic meanings there were periods of revival that emphasized more naturalistic renderings that foregrounded storytelling. Every element reiterates imperial authority and is innovatively depicted with energetic compression; the figures seem to surge within the frame. Ravenna: Hauptstadt des spätantiken Abendlandes. A History of the Crusades: The Kingdom of Acre and the Later Crusades. Numen: International Review for the History of Religions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Byzantine icons in the Medieval church were used to accompany prayers… To give the worshiper a two-dimensional image, rather than a three-dimensional solid object, to use in their prayers.
At the same time, as the empire absorbed the deities of the peoples they conquered as a way of supporting civic stability, the monotheism of Christianity, which first appeared in Roman-held Judea in the 1 st century, was seen as a political and civil threat. Though likened to idolatry, the icons mean more than what can be confined by that singular definition. The era came to an end with a change in imperial power. This triptych icon of the Virgin Mary, child Christ, and saints portrays the Virgin pointing to her the Christ child with her hand. John of Damascus even went as far as to tell the emperor to keep his nose out of church business. It is happening in the Middle East and even the United States where statues dedicated to the Civil War faction leaders are torn down because of the ideas they represent regarding racism and slavery.
Byzantine interiors, and the placement of objects and elements within an interior, were designed to create ever changing and animated interior as light revealed the variations in surfaces and colors. The 4 th century Theodore became the patron saint of Venice until the 9 th century, and Saint George, believed to be a Roman soldier who was martyred for refusing to recant his faith, became the legendary dragon slayer of the medieval period, the patron saint of England, and the inspiration for countless art works. The Quedlinburg Itala: The Oldest Illustrated Biblical Manuscript. He shows how the many political and religious upheavals of this period produced a wide range of styles and developments in art. They gilded the frames of the windows so that the stone refracts and reflects the light, making it appear that the dome is floating.
The naturalistic treatments of classical Greek and Roman art were abandoned in favor of a hierarchal style that, rather than drawing the viewer's eye into a convincing image of reality, presented figures with direct gazes that were meant to spiritually engage the viewer. Byzantium in the Iconoclast Era ca. Artists in Constantinople escaping the tension moved to Rome and began the Proto-Renaissance period. The winged figure of Victory on the upper right stands on a globe inscribed with a cross, holding a palm branch, another symbol of victory, in her left hand while her right hand crowns the emperor. Greek Mythology in Byzantine Art.
Decoding Byzantine Art: Understanding Byzantine Religious Iconography
As the narrative continues, Mary dwells within the temple, where an angel feeds her bread. The Virgin lies on her funeral bier surrounded by the Apostles. Locks and hinges lie broken underfoot as Christ tramples the broken gates of the underworld that once imprisoned the dead. This updated, colour edition includes new discoveries, a revised bibliography, and, in a new epilogue, a rethinking of Byzantine Art for the present day. Likeness and Presence: A History of the Image before the Era of Art.
A codified system governed the placement of the icons arranged according to their religious importance. . Wolfgang Altarpiece Hermen Rode, Saints Nicholas and Victor Altarpiece St. Around him, three smaller figures symbolize his power and dominance. As art historian Ernst Kitzinger wrote, "Christ makes his appearance in heaven at the moment in which the emperor stages his triumphal adventus on earth. Poikilia Byzantine architecture was informed by Poikilia, a Greek term, meaning "marked with various colors," or "variegated," that in Greek aesthetic philosophy was developed to suggest how a complex and various assemblage of elements created a polysensory experience.
Learn more about some of the amazing Byzantine icons. The earliest known representation of Christ as Pantocrator appears on a famous Anastasis artworks represent an episode known to western Christians as the Harrowing of Hell. Some Observations and Questions Regarding Early Christian Architecture in Thessaloniki. Baberini Diptych — Byzantine Art In 1053, the Church splintered between Eastern Greek and Western Latin, during the Great Schism. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. The Urban Image of Late Antique Constantinople.
