2. Objectives
• Survey the variety of stylistic sources and
development that characterized the long
history of Byzantine art.
• Understand the principal theme and subjects -
secular as well as sacred- used by Byzantine
artists.
3. Objectives
• Assess the central role of images in the
devotional practices of the Byzantine world
and explore the reasons for and impact of the
brief interlude of iconoclasm.
• Trace the growing Byzantine interest in
conveying human emotions and representing
human situations when visualizing sacred
stories.
7. 330 - Foundation of Constantinople
Constantine founded Constantinople (now
Istanbul) on the site of the ancient Greek city of
Byzantium in 324 and dedicated this “New
Rome” to the Christian God in 330.
12. Iconoclastic Controversy
• In 726, Leo III (r.717-741) enacted a ban
against picturing the divine, initiating the era
of iconoclasm and the destruction of
countless Early Byzantine artworks.
• Empress Theodora repealed iconoclasm in
843 and in 867, Basil I dedicated a new mosaic
depicting the Theotokos (Mother of God) in
Hagia Sophia. It marked the triumph of the
iconophiles over the iconoclasts.
13. 1054 – East West Schism
West East
• Roman Catholic Church
• Pope
• Rome
• Latin
• Eastern Orthodox Church
• Patriarch of Constantinople
• Constantinople
• Greek
16. • In 1204, Latin crusaders sacked
Constantinople, bringing to an end the Middle
Byzantine era.
• In 1261, Michael VIII Palaeologus succeeded
in recapturing the city. Constantinople
remained in Byzantine hands until its capture
by the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
18. Justinian (r.527-565)
• The first golden age of
Byzantine art was the
result of the lavish
patronage of Justinian.
• Wanted to conquer lost
western territories and
revive elements of the
classical Roman Empire
19. Justinian and Ravenna
The seat of Byzantine power in Italy was
Ravenna, which prospered under Justinian.
San Vitale is Ravenna’s greater church.
Its mosaics, with their weightless, hovering,
frontal figures against a gold background, reveal
the new Byzantine aesthetic.
25. Apse mosaic, San Vitale, Ravenna, 540-
547
• Jesus = early Christian style (young and clean-
shaven)
• Sphere = world
• 4 rivers of paradise
• Still naturalism but stiffer
• Frontality
• Golden background - spirituality
30. Characteristics
• Golden background
• Hierarchy
• No perspective
• The folds of the clothes hide the body
• Flat
• Spatial representation not realistic
31. Justinian and Constantinople
In Constantinople alone, Justinian built or
restored more than 30 churches. The greatest
was Hagia Sophia, which rivaled the
architectural wonders of Old Rome.
33. • For almost 1000 years = seat of the Orthodox
patriarch of Constantine.
• Became a mosque when the Byzantine Empire
fell to the Ottoman Turks
• Now a museum
46. A brilliant fusion of central and longitudinal
plans, Hagia Sophia’s 180 foot-high dome rests
on pendentives but seemed to contemporaries
to be suspended “ by a golden chain from
Heaven”
48. Middle Byzantine Art
• End of iconoclasm
• Importance of ivory carving and manuscript
painting
• Churches: Highly decorative exterior walls and
domes resting on drums above the center of
the Greek cross.
• Climax of the interior mosaic program: Christ
as Pantokrator in the dome.
50. Hosios Loukas, Greece, 10-11th century
Highly decorative exterior walls / Domes above the center of the Greek cross.
Large windows with
little holes
70. Icon of the
Virgin and
Child
between
Saints
Theodore and
George from the
Monastery of Saint
Catherine, Sinai,
Egypt, 6th or early 7th
century
71. Mary
• Very strong codification
• Hieratic
• Body concealed beneath a blue robe
• Large eye
• Small mouth
• Theodokos “God Bearer”
• Throne of wisdom
77. Pantocrator, 1180-1190, Cathedral,
Monreale, Sicily
Pantocrator: litterally “ruler of the world”, a term that alludes to a figure of Christ
placed above the altar or in the center of a dome in a Byzantine church.
78. Evolution of Byzantine painting
• Importance of icons
• Less Realistic
• More Symbolic
• Priority: spiritual rather than the natural
• Same traditions for several hundred years.
80. Byzantine Sculpture
• No large scale statues
• No in the round statues
• Ivory and precious metal
• Small size
• Reliefs
81. • Ivory carving flourished during the Middle
Byzantine period. Hinged ivory shrines, such
as the Harbaville Triptych, were popular for
use in private prayer.
87. Questions
• Characterize the role of the Classical tradition,
already notable in the Early Christian period,
in the developing history of Byzantine art.
When was it used? In what sorts of contexts?
Develop your discussion in relation to two
specific examples from two different periods
of Byzantine art.
88. Questions
• How were images used in Byzantine worship?
Why were images suppressed during
iconoclasm?
Hinweis der Redaktion
4th Century – foundation of Constantinople - Byzantium
5th century Empire split in 2
Western Empire disappeared in 476
Western Empire disapeared in 476
Barbarians invasion
Borders changed a lot
Greek vs Latin
Orthodox Christianity vs Roman church
Capital city: Constantinople
Western Empire disapeared in 476
Barbarians invaion
Importance of icon.
2 groups:
Iconoclasts – forbidden in the Bible / Idolatry
Iconophiles – S. Luke painted the Virgin
Most of the Art of before 9th century was destroyed – We have to study the Western ones
Many artists came to Occident
843 – end of the iconoclast period – lot of energy
Major split
Opposition between the Pope and the Patriarch of Costantinople
Excommunicated each other
Eastern Orthodox Church vs Roman Catholic Church
Crusaders wanted a free access to Holy land
Came to Constantinople and sacked it.
Lot of Venetian
Lot of works od art came to Western world admired and copied
Constantinople became weak –
Stolen to Constantinople (from hippodrome)
Lot of art stolen and destroyed
Latin occupation from 1204 to 1261 – Political fragmentation
Beginning of the decline
conquest by Turks in 1453
Huge impact for western world
Justinian as World Conqueror / Barberini ivory
Peace treaty with Persian
Classical Roman style as a triumphant emperor on horseback with his spear
Earth holding the emperor foot
Justinian defeated the Northern tribes
Political and artistic preeminence
Saint Vital – Roman slaves and Christian Martyr
Ravenna is the capital
Centrally planned octogon
2 floors – women?
Use of the light
Dematerialization of the mass structure
Gold mosaic – importance of the light for Christian
Apse
Paradise / 4 rivers
Christ – young and beardless // Apollo Royal purple robe
In the same church : Christ with beard – coexistence of 2 models
S. Vitale and Eclesius
Still naturalism but stiffer
The folds don’t reveal the body
No perspective
Visual testament to Justinian’s religious, administrative and military authority
Archbishop Maximian (golden cloth)
Gold background – no nature, no landscape… Spiritual
Sense of hierarchy
Courtly custon carried over into the liturgy of the church ” . Example – hands covered for respect of the emperor
Justinian has never been in Ravenna // presence of the Emperor and justification of the power of the church
Less realistic –desire to be devided from the pagans
Apse
No floor /feet) / no perspective
No movement
Baptismal fountain
Art become more symbolic
By Justinian
“WISDOM”
Exterior – plain, massive, without decoration
2 Greek mathematician: Isodoros of Miletus and Anthemus of Tralles
Fireproof church
Classical roman construction method
Importance of Costantinople
Heavy load
Huge buttresses
Minaret (1453 – Turks captured the city)
Dome slighlty smaller than the Pantheon
Fusion of basilica and centrally planned building
Dome – one layer of brick thinner and thinner
Screen walls because load bearing function by piers
Multiplication of windows
How it is possible to go from square shape to circular shape?
Axonometric projection
All the weight on the 4 piers – Walls can be largely opened
Influence of classic art (ionic) but extraordinary pattern
Interlace
Light with gold
The apse altard less importance than the dome
Huge place for mosaics
Justinian’s imperial church – show its power and willness to unit all the Christian
Even if very conplex buidling – unity thanks to he cornices
Early byzantine – austere exterior
Middle byzantine – more decorated with colored marble
Lower dome
Small surface but high elevation
Large window with little holes - mystery
Early byzantine – austere exterior
Middle byzantine – more decorated with colored marble
Lower dome
Small surface but high elevation
Large window with little holes - mystery
Squinch
Same function than pendentive – more flexible can take more shape
Golden background become –
No perspective Graceful figures
Symbolic – sun and moon floating
Glittering / each piece placed on a different angle
Symbolic gestures
Venice not in the byzantine empire but strong influence
5 domes
Iconostasis – one part of the mass have to be hidden
Icons
Combination of the classical heritage if ancient Greece and Rome
More formal and hieratic: highly stylized or formal
Artists trained with a classical tradition
Artists with a medieval formalism
Volumen – up to 10 m long
Importance of painting
Very expensive and rare – Status . library
Psalter – book of Psalms from Old Testament
Classical model: figures and landscape
Brillant and composed color
Dynamic contrast between muscular bodies and stiff drapery
David is inspired by Melody (halfclassical / half medieval)
Echo behind a loving cup given as a prize for the best singer Personnification oif Mountains of Bethlehem (muscular /
Jewel-like border framme
Curves dominates composition
Combination of the clasiicalheritage of Rome and Greek with the more fornal and hieratic medieval time
Religious devotional image
Holy image
Portable In private house or church or monastery
Wood with plaster – painted and gilded – Glaze for protection
Often touched / kissed / candles
Paraded during feasts /procession
Unchanged traditions for centuries
Very codified type
Frontal poses / Symmetry / weightless bodies
Big eyes /small mouth closed / Thin and long nose
Timeless space / golden backgrounds – Drapery is emphasized
Facial types standarnized – no psychological penetration or individual insight
No portrait
Encaustic on wood
Monastery built to the place where God appeared to Moses / Chapel of the Burning Bush
Oldest inhabited Christian Monastery / built by Justinian
According to the Koran, a letter of protection was given to the monastery in the 7th century – Only Christian site separed
Devotion / Prayer
In the Koran – Mohammed wrote a letter of protection. Not destroyed by Muslim
No narrative / no landscape
Symbolic and with a strong codification
Hieratic
Matu – Theokos “god bearer”
Hair and body caoncelaed beneath a blue robe
Large eye and small month
Tempera on wood
Theotokos
Brought from Constantinople to Russia, Tetrykov gallery in Moscow
Importance of Byzantine Art in the Salvic lands
One of the most venerated orthodox icon/ Holy protectress of Russia
Eleousa – right hand with tenderness
Unknown painter – Spiritual (monks)
Only the face and hands are original – clothes damaged by riza
For Normans
Mosaics – 1179-1782
Largest Byzantine mosaic cycle extant, dazzling recreation of a heavenly realm on earth
6.340 m2
Local and artists from Constantinople
Elaborate hierarchy
Pointed arches suggest the beginnings of the Gothic style
Largest Byzantine mosaic cycle extant, dazzling recreation of a heavenly realm on earth
Pantocrator – the all powerful / the omnipotent
(combination between Jesus Christ and God Father)
Only for representation of God
In opposition with the Christ suffering
Bible (greek and latin) in one hand, Blessing in the other one
Monumental scale /Solidity
Sterness / severeness / awesome grandeur
Desire to be separated from pagan past
Louvre
28x24 cm
Mixt of western and Oriental tradition
Deesis
Christ with S. Peter and Virgin Mary, interceding for human
nity
Around Saints and Apostle participate to the prayer
Individualized heads
Frontality broken up by slight turns of the body
Sharp crips line
Angels appear in medallion
Jewel-like delicacy of craving
Hand are covered
Names labeled
Same size, symmetry
