Ch 9 Byzantium Overview ● 324-726 Early Byzantine ● 1261-1453 Ce Late Byzantine ○ Constantine Founds Constantinople 324CE ○ Michael VIII recaptured Constantinople ○ Justinian builds Hagia Sophia with 180 ft after the Crusader sack 1204CE high dome resting on pendentives 532-537 ○ Late Byzantine artists revive mural and CE icon painting ○ Maximanus dedicates San Vitale at Ravenna ○ Constantinople falls to the Ottoman Turks, with its rich mosaic program 547CE 1453 CE ○ Icon painting flourishes at Mount Sinai until Leo III bans picturing the divine in 726 ● 843-1204 Middle Byzantine ○ THeodora repeals iconoclasm 843ce ○ Churches feature exterior walls with decorative patterning, Greek cross plans and domes on drums resting on pendentives or squinches ○ Irory triptychs for personal pryer become popular Byzantium http://www.vox. com/2014/8/19/5942585/40-maps-that- explain-the-roman-empire ● Byzantine refers to the city and region that later became Constantinople ● Despite speaking Greek, not Roman, The byzantines referred to themselves as Roman, and direct descendents to the Roman empire. ● Byzantine Empire adopted christianity as its official religion, and spread the faith throughout europe, parts of africa, the Balkans and Russia as Orthodox Christianity. Byzantium http://www.vox. com/2014/8/19/5942585/40-maps-that- explain-the-roman-empire ● The fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453 had an effect that started the renaissance in western Europe. Academics and Scholars who were in Constantinople fled west as the Ottoman Turks invaded and crushed the Byzantines. Early Byzantine ● Archangel Michael, right leaf of a diptych, early 6th century. ● The golden age of Byzantine art began with the leadership of Justinian in 537, and are few examples of art that survive prior to his reign that are Byzantine. ● Part of a diptych (two paneled artwork), Triptych (three paneled artwork) ● Inscription at top opens with Receive these gifts, ● The dedication is a reference to the orb of power held by michael offered to a byzantine emporer depicted on the missing diptych panel. Early Byzantine ● Winged archangels probably derived from winged nike figures of greek mythology. ● Natural representation is being ignored, the feet rest of three steps simultaneously and the archangel dwarfs the surrounding architecture, ● The Byzantines adopt a more abstract anti naturalistic style in representation. ● Early Byzantine Vienna Dioskorides https://youtu.be/nuNfdHNTv9o ● One of the oldest surviving, secular medieval manuscripts. ● Greek physician named Dioskorides created an encyclopedia of medicinal herbs called de materia medica ● The Vienna Dioskorides was a 6th century ce copy of this greek manuscript ● Contains 498 illustrations of images of plants in scientific illustration Early Byzantine Vienna Dioskorides ● One page, cant be a copy, it was the dedication page, featuring a portrait of Anicia Juliana in an 8 pointed star and circle frame. ● Anicia Juliana was a princess in the Justinian family dynasty ● She is enthroned between personifications of Magnanimity (generosity) and Prudence. ● Kneeling figure of gratitude at her feet ● The shading and modeling of the figures, the heads seen at oblique angles Early Byzantine Vienna Dioskorides ● The shading and modeling of the figures, the heads seen at oblique angles, and the use of personifications- the act of representing a non human thing, an ideal as human.. like using people to describe prudence or magnanimity. ● These are all ingredients of Byzantine art. Early Byzantine Justinian as world conqueror, (Barberini Ivory), mid sixth century. ● Justinianic art, was both religious and secular. ● Barberini Ivory was once part of the 17th century collection of Cardinal Francesco Barberini in Rome. ● Carved and pieced together in 5 parts, (right panel is lost) ● At center is Justinian riding on a rearing horse, as a barbarian is startled behind him ● Twisting postures, are familiar Byzantine Mofiffs. Borrowed from old rome are the barbarians at the bottom panel paying tribute, and seeking clemency Early Byzantine ● Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus. (a theoretical mathematician and a physicist, not architects.) ● Hagia Sophia, Constantinople (Istanbul,Turkey) 532-537 CE ● https://youtu.be/XfpusWEd2jE ● Justinian began work on this project after a fire destroyed the old church during the Nika riots January 532. Justinian place these people to work. ● Combines both a central and basilica plan church by use of Pendentives. ● https://youtu.be/zwLEOe7gnRo ● Early Byzantine ● Hagia Sofia’s dimensions are gigantic considering the structure is not made from steel reinforcement. 270 feet long and 240 feet tall ● The first dome collapsed in 558 with an earthquake and was built taller to distribute the weight better throughout the structure ● Use of light flooding into the interior space creates a mystical quality, and the initial lack of figuration (iconoclasm), a uneasiness about breaking the 2nd commandment, spatial light and geometry were used to create a sense of divinity. Early Byzantine ● Top of the dome has 40 windows piercing its base, light flooding in hides architectural components that create a sense that the dome is levitating Early Byzantine Pendentives ● To achieve this solution to placing a dome on a square base, also creating the sense of the dome levitating, pendentives were used and developed. ● In a pendentive, a dome is placed on top of a second larger dome, forming 4 curved triangles. ● This allowed architects to fuse two plans basillica and central plan buildings into a new style of building. Early Byzantine Early Byzantine ● Byzantine Architecture allowed for buildings to be flooded with light, thru stained glass, creating a tremendous spectacle that spread the religion across europe and russia. Russia employed Byzantine influences in its use of Eastern Orthodoxy. Early Byzantine Ravenna, San Vitale, 526-547. https://youtu.be/It3i-dKusIM ● Justinian captured Ravenna from the visigoths. ● Ravenna became the western foothold for the Byzantine empire for 200 years. ● San Vitale was constructed by funding from Julianus Argentarius, with 26000 solidi, about 350 lbs of gold. ● Its is not a basilica but a centrally planned church that combines basilica elements Early Byzantine Ravenna, San Vitale, 526-547. https://youtu.be/It3i-dKusIM ● Justinian captured Ravenna from the visigoths. ● Ravenna became the western foothold for the Byzantine empire for 200 years. ● San Vitale was constructed by funding from Julianus Argentarius, with 26000 solidi, about 350 lbs of gold. ● Its is not a basilica but a centrally planned church that combines basilica elements Early Byzantine ● Interior of the church was adorned with rich book matched marbles, and golden colorful mosaics depicting justinian as the central ruler. ● Justinian is seated at the center of a blue orb, the earth, the universe. being flanked by bishop Maximianus, showing the authority of the leadership in Ravenna. ● Early Byzantine ● Neither Justinian or Theodora every entered San Vitale or Ravenna ● Figures surrounding Justinian express rank of the members of the church in Ravenna ● Justinian’s purple robe signifies a connection to Jesus who is in the vaulted ceiling in another mosaic in San Vitale. ● Figure on the right to Justinian in the gold robe is Bishop Maximianus who was responsible for San Vitale’s completion. Early Byzantine Monastery of Saint Catherine, Mount Sinai Egypt 548-565CE ● uilding happened throughout the Byzantine Empire during Justinian’s reign. ● Mount Sinai was significant because it was believed that Moses received the ten commandments from god on Mt Sinai in Egypt. Became a pilgrimage site ● Justinian placed walls around the monestary to protect it. Early Byzantine Transfiguration of Jesus, Apse Mosaic, Church of the Virgin, monastery of Saint Catherine, Mount Sinai Egypt 548-565CE ● Building happened throughout the Byzantine Empire during Justinian’s reign. ● Jesus is depicted in an almond shaped mandorla. An architectural component used in paintings and mosaics that held Christ. Signifying the spiritualization of jesus. ● Other disciples are ins various poses of astonishment. ● No landscape, the figures are in a depthless field of gold. Early Byzantine Rebecca and Eliezer at the well, folio 7 recto of the Vienna Genesis, early sixth century. ● Vienna Genesis is the oldest well preserved painted manuscript containing biblical content. ● Pages are calfskin (vellum) dyed with rich purple, the same dye used to give imperial cloth its color. ● continuous narration illustrates multiple scenes of a narrative within a single frame. Multiple actions and scenes are portrayed in a single visual Early Byzantine Story of Jacob, Vienna Genesis ● Vienna Genesis is the oldest well preserved painted manuscript containing biblical content. ● Pages are calfskin (vellum) dyed with rich purple, the same dye used to give imperial cloth its color. ● continuous narration illustrates multiple scenes of a narrative within a single frame. Multiple actions and scenes are portrayed in a single visual Early Byzantine Ascension of Christ, folio 13 Verso of the Rabbula Gosphels. ● Verso Front, Recto Back, Latin. ● most popular early medieval manuscripts were of the Gospels ● Two early popular versions were the Rossano Gospels and later the Rabbula Gospels. ● Rabbula Gosphels were written in Syriac by the monk Rabbula in Syria. ● THe account of Christ ascending to heaven is not part of the Rabbula Gospels but comes from the Book Acts in the