12+Byzantine+Art

· Constantine I founded the “New Rome” in the east in 324 when he dedicated the Greek city of Byzantium as the new capital of the Roman Empire, renaming it **Constantinople**. · The Roman Empire was divided when Theodosius sons established themselves as rulers of the __Empire of the East__ (Arcadius) in Constantinople; and the __Empire of the West__ (Honorius) relocated to **Ravenna,** Italy, after the sack of Rome in 410. · The Western Empire gave way to warring kingdoms while the Eastern Empire held fast politically and culturally for a millennium, until 1453 when the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople. · The Eastern Christian Roman Empire became known as Byzantium by historians. · A theocracy was established in the east with the ruler also the religious leader. The emperor was the vicar of Christ on earth and held the position of head of the Eastern Church, essentially competing with the Pope in Rome (Western Empire). · Orthodox Christian doctrine held the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) as sacred. · Arian and Monophysite views of Christianity were considered heresies. (p. 312 text)
 * CONTEXT **
 * Background **

** Themes: ** ** Gender: ** The depiction of Theodora as a subject in the mosaics at San Vitale indicate her significant role in the politics of state and her importance to Justinian. **Patronage:** Justinian and Basil I after the iconoclasm had strong influence of the Byzantine style. Under Justinian Byzantine art was a servant of the royal family (Ravenna) and a means to unify church and state. Basil I lifted the ban of the icnoclasm and images were once again produced. **Narrative in Art**: The famous Apse of San //Vitale// with its mosaics of Justinian and Theodora and the mosaic //Apse of Saint Appolinaris// offer subjects for essays on narrative in art. **Human Body**: In the Byzantine tradition, human bodies are not meant to be depicted as physically accurate or shown as solids with shade and light and space perspective.

** Early Byzantine Art527-726 ** ** Emperor Justinian ** (527-567) · first golden age of Byzantine art, patron of the arts, built and restored more than 30 churches. · Built the [|Hagia Sophia]to rival all other churches including the Temple of Solomon. · Codified Roman law which became the foundation for law systems in many European nations. · Maximian (Justinian’s designate) declares Christianity to be the only lawful religion of the empire. · Captured Ravenna from the Ostrogoths in 539 becoming the seat of Byzantine dominion in Italy. 12-2, 3,4 [|Hagia Sophia], Constantinople, 540- Justinian commissioned it; architects: Anthemius of Tralles and Isodorus of Miletus ~ This was really the first time where a temple had both a longitudinal and a vertical axis. How did they support the giant dome at the top? It was basically a dome placd on top of another dome with its top cut off. Their would be a dome, made of four arches and not the pendentives would support the columns rather than a basic post and lintel arch. The weight of this dome would be transfered down trough the pendentives. Another method is to use squinches, although it was not used in this temple. This was just placing a dome on top of a flat topped platform. You can see the pendentives clearly when looking at the interior of the Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus because not only is there a large dome at the top, but there are domes that appear to be cut in half and connected by the triangular pendentives. There are a total of three levels of domes supporting the main building. There is also an apse and there are radiating chapels around the apse. [|Hagia Sophia.] (RK) 12-6, 7, 8 [|San Vitale], Ravenna, 525-550 - made at Justinian's request; most spectacular building in Ravenna; not a basilica plan; central plan, axial apse, octagonally shaped; unlike any other 6th century Byzantine church; clerestory windows in the tower; two story ambulatory; dome rises on 8 piers- each pier creates an exedrae(semi-circular recessed area, 7 total), radial symmetry, reflects the octagonal shape of the ambulatory; vaulted choir in front of the apse anchors the building; contains a narthax supposedly placed where it is because of a street that used to be there, it served a an entrance; integration between the ambulatory and the sanctuary; radial arragement of open spaces has a leaf-like design to it; interior is encrusted with mosaics and marble everywhere, referred to as a mosaic program which is intended to reflect both the ruler and the redemption of Christ. (LA) 12-9, 10, 11, 12 [|Mosaics in San Vitale], 550- Byzantine expressed through visual symbols that were reminders of the role of the emperor and Christ sacrifice for humanity; in the apse images of a lamb, angels, Jesus and prophets, a young Christ in purple robes surrounded by angels handing the gold wreath of materdom to St. Vitalis, also holding a scroll in his right hand, sits on an orb of the world indicating his dominion, at his feet are 4 rivers which indicate the rivers of paradise; images recall the end days apocolyptic images; walls on either side of the apse have a mosaic of Justinian on the right- wearing purple robes similar to christ, has a halo, carrying the golden patten that the bread of the eucharist would have been carried on, to Justinians left is Maximianus who was the bishop of the church at the time then there is a person carrying the literature and another with incense, to J's left are administrators and soldiers, stylictically very different and conveys the Byzantine esthentic which is spacially ambiguous (dont always know quite where things are) no idication of architechture, no sense of space, figure are in procession supposed to be entering into the church on their way to eucharist lead by the emperor, Maximianus appears to be infront of J by his feat, there are 12 heads in mosaic as a reference to the 12 disciples- emphasizes his "God given right to rule" ; Theodoro on the left side. (LA)
 * EB Works of Art **

Theodora ~ her father was a circus guy and when he died, she was raised by her mother who was an actress and a prostitute. She was a prostitute as well. Justinian fell in love with her when she was 25 and he was 40 but at this time it was illegal for emperorsor senators to marry actresses. His uncle Justin, who was emperor at the time, had to change the rule so that J could marry his mistress and when Justin died and J became king, she became empress. Her mosaic was included in the San Vitale but only on the outside of the church. She is attended by her ladies in waiting and dressed in a purple crown and robe relating her to J. She is holding a chalice (to J’s paten) and “together they rule.” The aesthetic is very stylized just like the other mosaics which allures to there being a higher significance of symbolism than on realism. Her rank is lower than her husbands, but only by a little. Also, on the hem of her cloak are the three magi who brought gifts to baby Jesus. This shows her association with them. The mosaics on the San Vitale really show us the Byzantine aesthetic. Blue skies are now gold and everything is stylized. There is very little indication of where people are, meaning that their proximinty to the divine is closer. All blank space is filled with gold and everything is a symbol for rank and Christ. No more realism, just stylize. (RK)

12-12 [|Sant Apollinare in Classe], Ravenna, 550 ~ The main symbol in the temple is the Cross and second to the cross is the figure of Saint Apollinaris standing in the middle with his arms outstretched ( like the people praying). The three sheep at the top represent Saint John, Peter and Paul and there are twelve sheep at the bottom and the top representing the twelve apostles. At the very top there is a hand representing the hand of god. Moses is on the left side of the dome and Elijah is on the right. The difference between this mosaic and the mosaic of The Good Shepherd is that nothing is modeled in this piece of artwork. This just reworks that the Byzantines are more focused on the symbolism and that moving back towards Late Antiquity will bring more realism. (RK)

** Middle Byzantine Art 843-1204 ** ** Iconoclasm ** · Opposition to icon worship took full force in the 8th century when Emperor Leo III declared a ban on all icons. For __more than a century__ iconoclasts used symbolic forms such as the cross to convey meaning. · In 843 the destruction of icons was considered heresy and a period of restoration of images began. This great “renovation” produced art, literature and learning with a new line of emperors. · Middle Byzantine art was a mix of naturalism and lush golden mosaics both inside and outside the churches. Images of Christ s Pantokrater graced the interior domes of churches.

12-1Christ as Pantocrator, dome mosaic in the Church of the Dormition, 1100. 12-23 Crucifixion, mosaic in the Church of the Dormition, Daphni, Greece ca. 1100 12-24 [|Interior of St. Mark’s, Venice, Italy 1063]~ has equal cross arms with three seperate naves showing that is is in the Greek style and based off of the Greek cross. The interior is completely gold, the reason being so that the interior is very dedicated to understanding and building a closer relationship to god. (RK) 12-27 Lamentation over the dead Christ, wall painting, Saint Pantaleimon, Macedonia 1164 12-28David composing psalms, //Paris Psalter//, Tempera on vellum, ca 950 12-29Virgin (Theotokas) and Child, icon (//Vladimir Virgin//), late 11th/early 12th century, Tempera on wood.
 * MB Works of art **

=** Late Byzantine Art 1262-1453 **= · In 1204, the Fourth Crusade was persuaded to turn against the city of Constantinople, sacking it and bringing an end to the second golden age. Constantinople remained Byzantine until the Ottoman Turks captured the city in 1453. · Christ the Redeemer is a frequent theme of Late Byzantine mural painting.

12-30Anastasis, apse fresco, Church of Christ in Chora, 1310 12-33 Andrei Rubyev, //Three Angels( Old Testment)//, ca 1410 Tempera on wood
 * Late Byzantine Works of Art **

What influences from Imperial Roman art are seen in the Early, Middle and Late Byzantine? How does the context change? What are some specific ways that spiritual ideas are expressed in Byzantine art? What are the most significant qualities of Byzantine art?
 * Essential Questions **

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[|Christianity]