Aim: How does Byzantine Art express the values of Byzantine culture and society?

Do Now: Evaluate the mosaic. How did the Byzantines express their devotion to Jesus?

How did their artistic methods differ from Roman society?

The "Icon of the Savior" has all the elements of Byzantine art: the conventionalized appearance of Jesus, the gold relief set with

pearls, rubies, garnet, turquoise, amethyst and bone.

Figures of Jesus and the saints become conventionalized (that is, there is a set formula for the appearance of the image) in Byzantine art.

Jesus is shown holding the scriptures with one hand and the other hand is raised in blessing; his hair, beard and moustache are in the "Greek style" rather than the "Roman style" short hair and clean-shaven.

The Orthodox ChurchOften referred to as the Eastern Church.Official language is Greek, but other languages are used as well including Ancient Syrian.Does not recognize the Pope as the ultimate authority for the Church on earth.There are four main patriarchs (bishops considered to be more important because the of the cities they are connected to): Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem.In some ways more mystical than the Roman Catholics.

The Orthodox Church

Byzantine art flourished from about 300 A.D to the 1400s. It grew out of the early Christian world.

Byzantine art was very religious. Most Byzantine art was created for the Eastern Orthodox Church, made by servants of the courts or members of religious orders.

Most of these artists remained anonymous.

Byzantine ArtByzantine Art

"The Virgin and Child" is another popular Byzantine subject for painted wood panel icons and mosaics. Like the image of Jesus, Mary and the Infant Jesus are also shown in an agreed-upon conventional way.

Note the similarities of the pose and facial features of Mary as well as the appearance of the infant.

Mosaics and paintings covered the domes of many churches. They were often made of precious materials such as lapis lazuli, gold and silver. Byzantine artists had to follow many rules about subject matter, content, and form.

Symbolic representation was very important in Byzantine art. The subjects appear flat and fairly abstract compared to the liveliness and individualism of Western art because Byzantine artists used little shading or other techniques that would have made their subjects more lifelike.

Justinian (527-565AD)

• Re-conquered parts of the Roman Empire – North Africa, Italy, Southern Spain

• United Empire – Justinian Code, new law code, Corpus Iuris Civilis, based on Roman Law and

individual rights, Greek official language

• Beautified Constantinople – Built Hagia Sophia, government buildings, roads, walls, public baths, law

courts, underground reservoirs, supported art, sculptures, mosaics, etc.

• Autocratic Rule – Became the sole ruler of the government and the Church – had absolute power and

selected the Patriarch

• Theodora – Justinian’s wife – worked for peace with Persia, fought for women’s rights, built hospitals and

schools for the poor

Justinian’s Empire

Justinian re-conquered large portions of the Western Empire at great expense. It nearly bankrupted the empire

and eventually had to be let go.

The first church on the site was built by the Eastern Roman Emperor Constantius, son of Emperor Constantine, who had liberated the Christian faith from centuries of persecution. At first it was known as the Great Church because it was the largest at the time. Later it became known as Holy Wisdom, a name attributed to Christ by theologians of the 4th century.

Hagia Sophia or Holy Wisdom is the mother church of all Eastern Christians of the Byzantine liturgical tradition both Orthodox and Greek Catholic.

The Hagia Sophia

Architecturally the grand basilica represented a major revolution in church construction in that it featured a huge dome which necessitated the implementation of new ideas in order to support the weight of this dome, a feat which had not been attempted before.

The dome which became universal in Byzantine church construction represented the vault of heaven thus constituting a feature quasi-liturgical in function. In the days when there was no steel used in construction, large roofs and domes had to be supported by massive pillars and walls.

The Hagia Sophia

In 1204 AD, Roman Catholic crusaders of the Fourth Crusade attacked and sacked Constantinople and the Great Church, leaving behind a legacy of bitterness among

Eastern Christians which continues to this day. For more that 1000 years, Holy Wisdom served as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Constantinople as well as the church

of the Byzantine court but that function came to an end in 1453 when the Ottoman Turkish Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror seized the Imperial City and converted the Great

Church into his mosque.

The Hagia Sophia

Initially, the Turks preserved the frescoes and mosaic figures of Christian saints which decorated the walls. However, in the 16th century, these were completely covered by plaster, since the Islamic code forbids figural representation.

It remained a mosque until 1935 when Turkey converted it into a museum. Years later the plaster which had been applied by the Muslims to cover the icons was removed revealing for the first time to modern eyes the artwork covered by the Muslims in their effort to render the structure appropriate for their own purposes.

After it became a mosque, an altar (mihrap) in the east was added, since the apse should be in the direction of Mecca and the minarets were added in keeping with traditional Islamic architecture

The Hagia Sophia

The Hippodrome

Gladiator Fights and Chariot races were featured here. Successful Charioteers were acclaimed as heroes and honored with public statues. The

Hippodrome was the heart of Constantinople's political life, as two groups, the Greens and Blues, jousted for power. Emperors had to be aware of their

demands and attitudes as many riots occurred.

Byzantium’s Role in the World Economy

Strategic Location

Was a weigh station to Western Europe.Was the center of Mediterranean trade and controlled most of the big trading cities.Eventually stole silkworms from China and began their own silk production. Byzantine coins were found in Venice, 1338

Art is the mirror of a culture and its world view. There is no case to which this statement more directly applies than to the art of the Islamic world. Not only does its art reflect its cultural values, but even more importantly, the way in which its adherents, the Muslims, view the spiritual realm, the universe, life, and the relationship of the parts to the whole.

Islamic Art

Because of the strict injunctions against such depictions of humans or animals which might result in idol-worship, Islamic art developed a unique character, utilizing a number of primary forms: geometric, arabesque, floral, and calligraphic, which are often interwoven. From early times, Muslim art has reflected this balanced, harmonious world-view.

Islamic Art

How does the artwork express

the religious values of its

creators?

Early Russia

“Two Rome’s have fallen, and a third Rome stands, and a fourth there shall not be.”

1. What were the first two Rome’s that have fallen?

2. Why does this civilization want to be compared to Rome?

River Network

Slavs and Scandinavian Traders develop trading system throughout river network

City of Kiev forms along the Dnieper River – Leads to Black Sea and trade with

Byzantine Empire

Vladimir I (980-1015)

855 – First Russian King was Rurik

Monarchy forms with its center at the city of Kiev

Russian King, Vladimir I, converts to Christianity but did not want to be under the control of the Roman Catholic Church and

the Pope

Kievan Russia declined in the 12th century due to internal problems and Mongol

invasions

Saints Cyril and Methodius

The two brothers were sent to Russia as missionaries.

•Introduced the Russians to Orthodox Christianity – thereby cementing Russia’s relationship with the Byzantine Empire.

•Created the Cyrillic Alphabet for the Russians – unifying them linguistically.

•Because of its proximity to the Black Sea, Russia always leaned more towards Byzantium than the Islamic world.

Cyril and Methodius

Early Cyrillic Alphabet

Reasons For Decline

The Bureaucracy became too complex and inefficient. Why complicated meaningless paperwork today is called “Byzantine”.Cost of defending borders became too expensive.Growing power and popularity of Islam.Invasions from Arabs, Persians and eventually the Turks (Seljuk and Ottoman) were too much.Ottoman gunpowder weapons destroyed Constantinople’s legendary walls and the empire came to an end.