Early Christian & Byzantine Art: A&IIn the 320's AD the Emperor Constantine moved the capital of his Empire from Rome to Byzantium, which was renamed Constantinople, and until its fall in 1453 remained a major artistic centre. Under successive emperors and empresses for more than a thousand years, artists, architects and craftsmen produced superb and intriguing works ranging from the grandest public buildings to the smallest and most personal items. Today this art is generally termed early Christian and Byzantine. Working from the surviving material this work explains how and why early Christian and Byzantine art was made and used. |
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angels Annunciation apostles apse apse mosaic arch architecture Art after Iconoclasm Art before Iconoclasm Basil Basil II basilica Bishop building built Byzantine Art Byzantine artists Camii Cappella Palatina cathedral Chludov Psalter Christian art columns Constantine Constantine IX Constantinople craftsmen cross Crucifixion dedicated Deesis dome Early Christian emperor Empire empress enamel enthroned example figures flanked folio Galla Placidia gold Gospel Book Greek Holy Iconoclasm Iconoclast Controversy iconophiles icons image of Christ imperial inscription interior Istanbul Justinian Katholikon King later look manuscript marble Maximian medallions Michael monastery mosaic mosaic decoration mosaicists narthex Nea Moni Nicaea Octateuch Osios Loukas painted palace panel Pantokrator Patriarch period prophets Psalm Psalter Ravenna relics religious reliquary revetment Roman Rome saints scenes Sicily silver Sinai sixth century St Mark's St Sophia surviving templon tesserae Testament Theodore Theodore Psalter Theotokos Theotokos and Child Thessaloniki tion vault Venice viewer wall wall-paintings Wider World