Art History 8
Byzantine Art
Timeline
Byzantine Art
Pink area to the right is Byzantine
Map of
Byzantine Art
Image from www.thelatinlibrary.com
Historical Background
•The art and architecture were influenced
by the church. Orthodox Christianity was
not the official religion, but was held in
high esteem. In early Byzantine history,
that Christian influence dictated the art.
•Over time, other religious theory altered
what images were permitted to be
produced in art.
Emperor Basil II, painting.Public Domain image by Brastite.
•The church and state were one in the
Byzantine Empire. Therefore, much
money and luxury went into the
production of art.
Byzantine Art
•The term “Byzantine Empire” is a name
given to the Romans during the Middle
Ages. When the Roman Empire split, the
eastern portion was ruled by Roman
Emperor Constantine the Great from
Constantinople (currently Istanbul,
Turkey).
Characteristics of
Paintings in the Byzantine Empire
specialized in icons, mosaics and
illuminated manuscripts
•
There were two “traditions” in
Byzantine art: classical and hieratic
style.
•
Architural innovations include the
pendentive and squinch.
•
Time periods of Byzantine art
include:
Early Byzantine
500- 726
Iconoclastic Controversy 726- 843
Middle (High) Byzantine
843-1204
Late Byzantine
1204-1453
•
Bust of Leo I Byzantine Emperor. Image Jastrow,
public domain
Byzantine art influenced art
throughout Russia, eastern Europe
and Greece on into the twentieth
century.
Byzantine Art
•
Characteristics of Painting
•An icon is a religious work of art
that is symbolic. It was often
painted on a small wooden panel in
Byzantine art.
•Icons were often believed to
possess spiritual powers and were
considered sacred.
•There was a special process used
in making icons that included
layering stucco, tracing an image,
gilding and finally, painting it.
Byzantine icon of Christ. Image from
www.christchurchdublin.ie
•Incense and candles were often
burned in front of an icon, leaving
soot and scorching on the painting.
Byzantine Art
•Most characteristic of Byzantine art
is the icon.
Characteristics of Painting
•Many times more than one artist worked
on an art work.
•Classical artists used a painterly
brushstroke. They used innovation in
representing the figure and soft transitions
between colors.
•The formal medieval style showed frontal
poses, symmetry and weightless
appearing bodies. Perspective was
unimportant.
Third Crusade. Artist: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld Public
domain image.
•Nudity in Byzantine painting was seldom
seen because it represented a more
“pagan” or mythological association.
•Frescoes and mosaic paintings were
popular.
Byzantine Art
•Paintings were frequently a combination
of classical style and hieratic medieval
style.
Manuscript Painting
•Few people could read, so the images
helped people understand the story.
•In the National Library of Greece,
copies of some of the Byzantine
manuscripts still exist.
Illumination from manuscript. Shows capture of
Jerusalem. Public domain image, wikimedia commons.
Reproduction
of a Byzantine
manuscript,
the Joshua
Roll, which is
the first 12
chapters of
the Book of
Joshua from
the Bible.
Image from
Carleton.edu
Byzantine Art
•Manuscripts were meticulously drawn.
Most use gold such as is seen in icons
and mosaics.
Characteristics of Mosaics
•The Byzantine Empire used mosaics
frequently, especially in churches.
•Many of the mosaics were destroyed, but
there are still quite a few that remain.
•The mosaic below is one of the most
important surviving mosaics of the Great
Palace of Constantinople.
Justinian mosaic. Yorck project image, public domain.
Floor mosaic detail from the great palace of Constantinople. 6th
century. Public domain image.
Byzantine Art
•Mosaics used cut stone, glass, and
marble to “paint” pictures
Characteristics of Sculpture
•A Triptych is a threepaneled sculpture or
painting. Byzantine art used
the triptych frequently.
•A mosaic is a decoration
using pieces of stone,
marble or colored glass that
are cemented to a wall or
floor into a picture.
•Byzantine art is known for
its mosaics.
Ivory carving from the Byzantine Empire. Month of September.
Public domain image.
Byzantine Art
•Byzantine sculpture was
often done in ivory or
precious metals.
Characteristics of Architecture
•A pendentive is a triangular shaped
piece of masonry which holds a dome by
channeling the weight of the dome down
to a pier below.
•Because walls no longer had to hold the
weight of the domes, pendentives make
it possible to have greater wall space for
windows, making buildings brighter.
Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo . Image from Hiro-o, at
ja.wikipedia GNUFD image
•The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (built in
532) is a good example of the use of
pendentive.
•The squinch is a variation of the
pendentive.
•A squinch is a type of pendentive that
has many shapes other than a triangle.
(Pendentives were triangular)
Byzantine Art
•Byzantine architects invented the
pendentive and the squinch.
Characteristics of Architecture
•Later, exteriors were fancier, with
color brick, stones and marble laid
out in patterns.
•Interiors of important architecture in
the Byzantine Empire had mosaics,
fresco paintings, and patterned
marble.
The Hagia Sophia, 532. Image by Robert Raderschatt,
GNU free document.
•In later periods of Byzantine
architecture, the buildings had
strong vertical emphasis. (small floor
space but very tall)
•Windows were used more
frequently in important buildings in
the Byzantine Empire.
Byzantine Art
•The exterior of early Byzantine
architecture was plain, made of brick
or concrete.