Byzantine Christian art from 527-1453 CE reflected the political power of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Byzantine Empire. Major figures in Byzantine art included the Pantokrator and Theotokos. Mosaics with gold backgrounds depicted these figures and were used to connect earthly rulers to divine power. Monasteries produced illuminated manuscripts and helped spread Orthodox doctrine across the Byzantine regions. Icons were devotional objects that were sometimes destroyed during periods of iconoclasm against religious imagery.

1. Christianity in the
Byzantine Art Orthodox East

2. DISCLAIMER
This presentation is an overview of the material in your text. It is not
comprehensive, nor is it meant to be. This presentation allows you to introduce
yourself to concepts and images in the respective chapter. Best practice says to
view this presentation with your book open, as many of the images in this
presentation are small or incomplete.

3. Guiding Questions
• How does Christian art reflect a
dominant political power over a
sustained, 1,000 year period?
Hagia Sophia with interior pendatives, Istanbul,
Turkey. The Hagia Sophia is such a powerful
Orthodox symbol of power that it will later be
converted to an Islamic mosque when Arabic power
comes to rule the region.

4. Guiding Historical Periods
• Early Byzantine Period 527—726 CE
Byzantium is the New Rome—prospering from trade with Asia and Europe and connecting The Black Sea with the Mediterranean.
At the time, the Empire holds northern Africa, Sicily, much of Italy, and part of Spain. Ravenna is the Emperor’s capital in the
West—an important port. It ends when iconoclasm becomes popular.
• Middle Byzantine Period 843—1204 CE
Begins when Empress Theodora reinstates the veneration of icons and ends in 1204, when Christian crusaders, on a mission to
stamp out Islam, from the west occupy Constantinople and its wealth. The Empire is reduced to Turkey, Greece, and Southern
Italy, and Venice but extends into Russia and Ukraine.
• Late Byzantine Period 1261—1453 CE
Begins in 1261, when Byzantine (eastern) rule is reestablished after the Christian Crusaders are ousted and ends in 1453,
when the Ottoman Turks take over the Empire and Russia succeeds Constantinople as the Third Rome and the center of
Eastern Orthodoxy. Despite the dwindling Empire in terms of size, there is a period of resurgence in the arts—the Paleologue
Renaissance.

5. Where in the world are we? While the Byzantine world is growing, the Medieval
region is developing. We will explore that region in a later chapter.
Byzantine
Regions
Medieval
Regions
5

6. San Vitale: A Distinct Architecture
Theodora and Attendants
Justinian and Attendants
Self Study:
The octagonal shape of San Vitale is meant to distinguish
Orthodox architecture from Roman West (Catholic)
architecture. The mosaics there are meant to give Justinian
and Theodora a presence in a location they likely never View of Apse
visited.

7. Orthodoxy
Orthodoxy does not recognize
the power of the Roman
Catholic Pope, and allows
bishops to marry. But most
importantly, it disagrees with
the Catholic Church about the
nature of Christ as so splits
from Catholic doctrines in the
Late Antiquity period.
Orthodox churches will be
ornamented according to a
liturgical standard—the
Theotokos will be in the apse,
the Pantokrator will be in the
Dome surrounded by the
Apostles.
Cathedral of Santa
Sophia, Kiev, Russia

8. Mosaics
Though influenced by Roman
techniques, Byzantine mosaics
present Christian agendas for
those initiated in the faith. With
reflected light from candles,
from sunlight, the mosaics can
appear to glow, adding an
ethereal element to worship.
Byzantine mosaics are
especially renown for the use
of gold, creating an
otherworldly location for
religious and political figures
to reside in. Through the
mosaics, these figures are
connected to divine worlds
that rule over the earthly
world.
Saint Mark’s, Venice, Italy

9. Introducing the Major Figures of Byzantine Worship
Theotokos (God Bearer)
The Pantokrator is known for
his halo, hand gesture and
book; he is the Divine Judge.
The Theotokos is known for
her mantle and the man-baby
Christ she holds. Remember:
Mary is not worshipped but
Pantokrator, Monastery at rather revered as a mediator
Daphni, Greece on behalf of Christian
believers.

10. The Monastic Life
Monasteries are isolated and
run on ascetic ritual.
Monasteries the primary
Monastery of Saint Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt
producers of illuminated
manuscripts and devotional
objects. Art is a religious
practice; it is not expressive
Folio from Vienna Genesis,
first known illuminated
scripture, Syria or Palestine
Self Study: Monasteries are responsible
The role of monasteries will change and will be different for the manufacturing of
in various regions of the Christian world. Compare the illuminated manuscripts—
bound books of pages (vellum
role of monasteries in the Byzantine world with those of or parchment) decorated with
the Medieval world. miniatures of religious
iconography.

11. Icons are devotional aids
Icons and
created in spiritual practice;
Iconoclam
they could and can be
personal, portable objects or
large screens that were used
in processions to separate
laity from clergy
Iconoclasm is a movement of
erasing or destroying religious
icons. It is present
throughout Christian history
as a preemptive move to
eliminate “idolatrous” worship,
in keeping with the 2nd
Commandment, though
iconoclasm has not always
Painter removing religious been accurate in its view of
icon, from the Chludov Psalter what it considered idolatrous.

12. Review
• As Christianity is legitimized by political power, Byzantine
emperors seek to connect themselves to divine power. This is
what political leadership has done since the time of the
Sumerians.
• Christian symbols become instruments of political messaging—
architectural plans, Emperor portraits, etc…
• We can see that Christianity experiences periods of iconoclasm
• Throughout 1,000 years of Christian history, we move more
and more toward naturalism (this will be true in Medieval art as
well).