AP Art History
Chapter 12 – Rome in the East
The Art of Byzantium
© Kevan Nitzberg
Chronology
Early Byzantine: 527-725
Justinian – r. 527-565
Nika riots in Constantinople – 532
Belasarius captures Ravenna – 539
Heraclius defeats Persians – 627
Arabs besiege Constantinople – 717-718
Iconoclasm: 726-842
Leo III prohibits image making – 726
Ravenna falls to the Lombards – 751
Middle Byzantine: 843-1203
Restoration of images – 843
Basil I – r. 867-886 (founder of Macedonian Dynasty)
Basil II – r. 980-1001(revival of Byzantine power)
Schism between Byzantine and Roman churches – 1054
Norman conquest of Sicily – 1060-1092
Seljuk Turks capture Byzantine Asia Minor – 1073
First Crusade – 1095-1099
Fourth Crusade and the Frankish Conquest – 1202-1204
Late Byzantine: 1204-1453
Michael VIII Palaeologus recaptures Constantinople from the Franks – 1261
Ottonian Turks capture Constantinople, end of Byzantine Empire - 1453
Map of Europe and the Byzantine Empire – ca. 1000
Justinian as world conqueror – mid 6th century
Detail of Justinian and beardless Christ
St. Michael the Archangel, right leaf of a diptych – early 6th century
Anthemius of Tralles and Isidsorus of Miletus: Hagia Sophia
Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey – 532-537
Alternate view of Hagia Sophia from the south
Interior view of Hagia Sophia
Interior view of Hagia Sophia facing southwest
Longitudinal section and plan of Hagia Sophia
San Vitale
Ravenna, Italy – 526-547
Alternate view of San Vitale
Plan of San Vitale
Interior of San Vitale – view from the apse to the choir
Choir and apse of San Vitale
with mosaic of Christ between two angels, St. Vitalis and Bishop Ecclesius
Ravenna, Italy – 526-547
Justinian, Bishop Maximianus and attendants,
mosaic from the north wall of the apse
San Vitale
Ravenna, Italy – ca. 547
Theodora and attendants,
mosaic from the south wall of the apse
San Vitale
Ravenna, Italy – ca. 547
Saint Apollinaris amid sheep,
apse mosaic – Sant’Apollinaris in Classe
Ravenna, Italy – ca. 533-549
Alternate view of apse mosaic from Sant’Apollinaris in Classe
Transfiguration of Jesus – apse mosaic
Church of the Virgin, monastery of St. Catherine
Mount Sinai, Egypt – ca. 548-565
Ascension of Christ, folio 13 verso of the Rabbula Gospels
Zagba, Syria - 586
Virgin (Theotokos) and Child between Saints Theodore and George
Monastery of St. Catherine – 6th or early 7th century
Virgin (Theotokotos) and Child enthroned – apse mosaic
Hagia, Sophia, Constantinople, Turkey
Dedicated 867
Monastery churches at Hosios Loukas, Greece
Katholikon (left): 1st quarter of the 11th century /
Church of the Theotokos 2nd half of the 10th century
Plans of the Church of the Theotokos (top)
And Katholikon (bottom)
Interior of Katholikon (view facing east)
Christ as Pantokrater
Dome mosaic in the Church of the Dormition
Daphni, Greece – ca. 1090-1100
Crucifixion mosaic in the Church of the Dormition
Daphni, Greece – ca. 1090-1100
Interior of St. Mark’s (view facing east)
Venice, Italy – begun 1063
Exterior view of St. Mark’s
Pantokrator, Theotokos and Child, angels and saints
apse mosaic in the cathedral at Monreale, Italy – ca. 1180-1190
Empress Irene, detail of the Pula D’Oro, St. Mark’s
Venice, Italy – ca. 1105
Christ enthroned with saints (Harbaville Triptych)
ca. 950
Lamentation over the Dead Christ
wall painting
Saint Pantaleimon, Nerezi, Macedonia - 1164
David composing the Psalms, folio of the Paris Psalter
ca. 950-970
Virgin (Theotokos), and Child, icon (Vladmir Virgin)
late 11th – early 12th century
Church of Saint Catherine
Thessaloniki, Greece – ca. 1280
Anastasis, apse fresco in the parekklesion of Christ in Chora
Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey – ca. 1310-1320
Christ as Savior of Souls, icon from the church of Saint Clement
Ohrid, Macedonia – early 14th century
Annunciation, reverse of two sided icon from church of Saint Clement
Ohrid, Macedonia – early 14th century
Andrei Rublyev: Three angels (Old Testament Trinity)
ca. 1410
Large sakkos of Photius
ca. 1417
Comparison Section
Compare the image of Empress Irene from the Pala d’Oro with the mosaic of
Theodora from San Vitale. What charcteristics identify them both as Byzantine?
Theodora from San Vitale (Fig. 12-11)
Empress Irene (Fig. 12-25)
What stylistic features of the Annunciation from Ohrid, Macedonia link the image to the
Byzantine style as seen in the fresco from the chapel of the Church of Christ in Chora in
Istanbul (Anastasis)?
Annunciation (Fig. 12-33)
Anastasis (Fig. 12-31)
Compare the scenes from the Paris Psalter and Rublyev’s Old Testament Trinity with the
classical painting from the Ixion Room in Pompeii. What similarities and what differences
do you see? Note the way the space is depicted and the way the figures are modeled. What
features of the Paris Psalter show the influence of classical painting?
Paris Psalter (Fig. 12-28)
Rublyev’s Old Testament
Trinity (Fig. 12-34)
Ixion Room in Pompeii (Fig. 10-21)