The development of modern society was greatly influenced by the cultural heritage of the Roman Egyptian kingdom and many other equally great civilizations. A huge number of cultural monuments have survived to this day, representing the society and the worldview of the ancient people.
The art of Byzantium is the clearest example of this. After the partition of the great, the kings of Constantinople ascended to the throne, who left after their eleven-century reign a gigantic number.The complex and difficult stages of historical development not only did not aggravate the growth and improvement of the art of civilization, but also presented the world with unforgettable artifacts, a small part of which is available for visual acquaintance even now ...
The art of Byzantium began its development with the slave system. The smooth transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages also left its indelible mark on the improvement of culture. This period is characterized by magnificent monuments of architecture and It was at that time that the architects of the state tried to preserve the huge heritage that the people inherited from the great Roman Empire.
The adoption of Christianity by the people played a huge role in the art of Byzantium. This brought the state closer to such dissimilar territories as Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Serbia, etc. This period was characterized by the widespread installation of domed ceilings during the construction of temples. The medieval period saw the development of such trends as the creation of mosaics, frescoes and book miniatures. It should be noted that it is at this stage that all big role plays icon painting. But sculptural creations cannot boast of their rapid development. However, it was the social life and structure of the people of the state that imposed a special charm and unique beauty on the art of Byzantium. At the same time, the church fully served the benefit of society. In accordance with the medieval views of the people, the emperor was the Lord's governor. His power was supported by a powerful church apparatus.
The visual arts of Byzantium also underwent some changes. The artists of the first centuries of our era displayed in their creations bright images, which were permeated with allegorical features. Plasticity and distraction from the Christian principle - these are the main features of the paintings of that time. They were replaced by creativity, the main feature of which was the divine principle. Expression of spiritual greatness has become an integral part of every piece of art.
The Church was the only major critic. The main directions in which the development and formation of artistic art went were icon painting, frescoes, mosaics and book miniatures. The background of shimmering golden color, sparkling edges of stones and smalt, bright ornaments - these are the main features of almost any work of the creators of that era, for which Byzantium became famous throughout the world. The art of this state has gone through several stages of its development. The first of these was the early Christian stage (from the 1st to the 3rd century AD). It is followed by the so-called early Byzantine, which affected the sixth and seventh centuries. This period is famous for the development of temple architecture and followed by the iconoclastic stage for a century and a half, which was replaced by the Macedonian Renaissance, which lasted until the 11th century. The penultimate period was the era of conservatism, and the development of the great art of Byzantium ended with Hellenistic principles and anti-crisis tendencies, which was reflected in the Paleologian Renaissance.
Details Category: Fine art and architecture of ancient peoples Published on 01/28/2016 16:53 Hits: 10991“Byzantium created a brilliant culture, perhaps the most brilliant that the Middle Ages knew, undoubtedly the only one that until the XI century. existed in Christian Europe.
Constantinople remained for many centuries the only great city in Christian Europe, unparalleled in splendor. With its literature and art, Byzantium exerted a significant influence on the peoples around it. Remaining monuments and magnificent works of art show us all the splendor of Byzantine culture. Therefore, Byzantium occupied a significant and well-deserved place in the history of the Middle Ages ”(S. Diehl“ The main problems of the Byzantine empire ”).
Byzantine artistic culture became the ancestor of some national cultures, including, for example, ancient Russian culture.
The Byzantine Empire (Byzantium) was formed in 395 as a result of the final division of the Roman Empire after the death of Emperor Theodosius I into the western and eastern parts. After 80 years, the Western Roman Empire ceased to exist, and Byzantium became the historical, cultural and civilizational successor of Ancient Rome for almost 10 centuries.
In 1453 the Byzantine Empire finally ceased to exist under the onslaught of the Ottomans (Ottoman Empire).
The permanent capital and civilization center of the Byzantine Empire was Constantinople, one of largest cities medieval world. In the South Slavic languages \u200b\u200bit was called Constantinople. Officially renamed Istanbul in 1930.
Justinian I. Mosaic from the Basilica of San Vitale (Ravenna)
Byzantium achieved the position of the most powerful Mediterranean power under the Emperor Justinian I (527-565).
General characteristics of the Byzantine art
1st-3rd centuries - early Christian period (period of pre-Byzantine culture).
IV-VII centuries. - early Byzantine period... It was called the "golden age" of Emperor Justinian I (527-565).
VIII-early IX centuries. - iconoclastic period at the direction of the Emperor Leo III the Isaurian (717-741). He issued an Edict prohibiting icons.
867-1056 - macedonian Renaissance period... It is considered the classic period of Byzantine art. XI century. - the highest point of flourishing of Byzantine art.
1081-1185 biennium - period of conservatism... The reign of the emperors of the Comnenian dynasty.
1261-1453 - period of the Palaeologus Renaissance... This is the time of the revival of Hellenistic traditions.
Byzantine architecture
From the first days of its existence, Byzantium began to erect magnificent structures. Eastern influences were mixed with Greco-Roman elements of art and architecture. During the entire period of the existence of the Byzantine Empire, many wonderful monuments in all areas of the Eastern Empire. Until now, Byzantine motifs can be traced in the art of Armenia, Russia, Italy, France, in Arabic and Turkish art.
Features of Byzantine architecture
Forms of Byzantine architecture were borrowed from antique architecture... But Byzantine architecture gradually altered them during the 5th century. has developed its own type of structures. These were mainly temple buildings.
Its main feature was the dome for covering the middle part of the building (central dome system). The dome was already known in pagan Rome and Syria, but there it was placed on a round base. The Byzantines were the first to solve the problem of placing a dome over the base of a square and quadrangular plan using the so-called sails. 
Sail - part of the vault, an element of the dome structure. By means of the sail, the transition from a rectangular base to a domed ceiling or its drum is carried out. The sail has the shape of a spherical triangle with apex down. The bases of the spherical triangles of the sails in total form a circle and distribute the load of the dome along the perimeter of the arches.
Inside the Byzantine churches, around the middle under-dome space, with the exception of the altar side, there was a gallery of the choir type (an upper open gallery or balcony inside the church, usually at the level of the second floor in the ceremonial hall.
In Western European churches, the choirs usually house musicians, singers, and organ. In Orthodox churches there is a kliros (singers and readers).
Vladimirsky Cathedral in Kiev. Chorales above the side aisles of the temple
From below, the gallery was supported by columns, the entablature (girder overlap of the span or the end of the wall) of which was not horizontal, but consisted of semicircular arches thrown from column to column.
Columns supporting the gallery in the Hagia Sophia
The interior of the building was not distinguished by the richness and complexity of architectural details, but its walls were revetted from below with expensive types of marble, and at the top, like the vaults, were abundantly decorated with gilding, mosaics on a gold background or fresco painting.
Sophia Cathedral interior
Mosaic image of the Virgin
The Sophia Cathedral is a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture.
Hagia Sophia (Istanbul)
Former Orthodox cathedral, later - a mosque, now - a museum; world famous monument of Byzantine architecture, a symbol of the "golden age" of Byzantium. The official name of the monument today is the Hagia Sophia Museum.
For more than a thousand years, St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople remained the largest temple in the Christian world (until the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome). The height of the Sophia Cathedral is 55.6 m, the diameter of the dome is 31 m.
Church of St. Irene in Constantinople (Istanbul)
Represents new for the VI century. a type of basilica in the shape of a cross. The narthex of the church is lined with mosaics from the time of Justinian. Inside there is a sarcophagus, in which, according to legend, the remains of Constantine (the Roman emperor) rest.
After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the church was not converted into a mosque and significant changes in its appearance was not produced. Thanks to this, to this day, the Church of St. Irene is the only church in the city that has preserved its original atrium (a spacious high room at the entrance to the church).
Modern church interior
Painting
The main type of painting was icon painting. Icon painting developed mainly on the territory of the Byzantine Empire and countries that adopted the eastern branch of Christianity - Orthodoxy. Iconography along with Christianity came first to Bulgaria, then to Serbia and Russia.
Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God (early XII century, Constantinople)
According to church tradition, the icon was painted by the Evangelist Luke. The icon came to Constantinople from Jerusalem in the 5th century. under the emperor Theodosius.
The icon came to Russia from Byzantium at the beginning of the 12th century. as a gift to the holy prince Mstislav from the patriarch of Constantinople Luke Chrysoverg. At first, the Vladimir Icon was located in the Women's Monastery of the Theotokos in Vyshgorod (not far from Kiev). The son of Yuri Dolgoruky, Saint Andrew Bogolyubsky in 1155 brought the icon to Vladimir (that's why it got its name). It was kept in the Assumption Cathedral.
During the invasion of Tamerlane in 1395, the revered icon was transferred to Moscow to protect the city from the conqueror. On the site of the "meeting" (meeting) of the Vladimir Icon by Muscovites, the Sretensky Monastery was founded, which gave the name to Sretenka Street. For no apparent reason, Tamerlane's troops turned back from Yelets, before reaching Moscow, through the intercession of the Mother of God.
In the monumental painting of Byzantium, widespread mosaic.
Byzantine mosaic (V century)
Mosaic from the times of Justinian I
Sculpture
Sculpture in the Byzantine Empire did not receive much development, because the eastern church was not very supportive of the statues, considering their worship in some way idolatry. The sculptural images became especially intolerable after the decree of the Council of Nicaea in 842 - they were completely removed from the cathedrals.
Therefore, the only thing left for the sculpture was to decorate sarcophagi or ornamental reliefs, bindings for books, vessels, etc. The material for them was in most cases ivory.
Porphyry tetrarchs
Four tetrarchs - a sculptural composition of dark red porphyry (dark red, purple rock), mounted in the southern facade of the Venetian Cathedral of San Marco. The statue was made in the first half of the 4th century. and was part of the Constantinople Philadelpheion (one of the most important city squares of Constantinople), built next to the Column of Constantine (modern Chamberlitash Square).
Known Diptych Barberini - a Byzantine ivory product made in antique style. This depiction of an imperial triumph dates from the first half of the 6th century, and the emperor is usually identified with Anastasius I or, more likely, Justinian I.
Diptych Barberini (V-VI centuries)
Arts and crafts
Carving, metalworking, from which embossed or cast relief works were performed, were developed.
There was another type of work (agemina): only a slightly deepened contour was made on the copper surface of doors or other planes, which was laid out with another metal, silver or gold. This is how the doors of the Roman basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura were made, which were killed in a fire in 1823, the doors in the cathedrals of Amalfi and Salerno near Naples.
Altar images, boards for the walls of thrones, frames for the Gospels, arks for relics, etc. were made in the same way.
The Byzantine masters were especially skillful in enamel products, which can be divided into two types: plain enamel and partition enamel. In the first, recesses were made on the metal surface with a cutter according to the pattern, and a colored glassy substance powder was poured into these recesses, which was then fused over the fire and adhered firmly to the metal; in the second, the pattern on the metal was indicated by a wire glued to it, and the spaces between the resulting partitions were filled with a vitreous substance, which then obtained a smooth surface and was attached to the metal together with the wire by melting.
An example of Byzantine enamel work is the famous Pala d "oro (golden altar). This is a kind of small iconostasis with cloisonné enamel miniatures, which adorns the main altar in the Venetian Cathedral of St. Brand.
Pala d "Oro
The iconostasis contains many miniatures.
Miniature depicting Christ
They also made jewelry in Byzantium.
Wedding ring, blackened gold (Byzantium)
Foreword Before becoming the opulent and glittering home of the Ottoman sultans, Istanbul,
then still Constantinople, was no less glittering capital Byzantine
empire.
Byzantium arose as a result of the division of the Roman Empire into two parts. City on the Bosphorus
founded by Emperor Constantine, became the center of a new eastern state. IN
unlike the western part of the Roman Empire, its eastern part was always closer to
Greek culture, and Greek was also the main language here.
Over time, the Byzantine emperors gave preference to the orthodox
Christianity, preferring it to Catholicism.
built by Emperor Justinian in 536. The dome of the cathedral
designed by Isidore of Miletsky and Anfimy of Trallsky, was one of the wonders
the light of its time. Now that they have removed the forests that have spoiled
the interior of the cathedral, you can finally appreciate the grandiose space of this
transformed first into a mosque and then into a Byzantine church museum.
Hagia Sophia has played a large role in Turkish history. Many Ottoman
the sultans are buried on its territory. The Hagia Sophia mosaics are one of the most important
components of her glory. Upper Imperial Gallery, established at 13
century especially for the empress and her retinue, decorated with the most beautiful
mosaics and marble figures. If Hagia Sophia is a monument to the heyday of the Byzantine Empire, then
Chora Church, no less beautiful, but much smaller in size, belongs to
the Renaissance period of the 13th century. It is located near Edirnekapi and
city \u200b\u200bwall, which itself is a Byzantine monument
military engineering art. Mosaics and frescoes adorn absolutely everything
the inner walls of the church.
The ceiling of the narthex, where scenes from the Bible are depicted, glitters in gold, while
as the frescoes of the side chapel (Parecclesion) are executed in strict black and white
colors in which the robes of the saints are painted, and soft bed colors that
used to depict some of life's most dramatic scenes
Jesus Christ. In the 5th century in Eastern Syria, near Aleppo, lived Saint Simeon, who discovered a special type of asceticism - standing
on the pillar. Renouncing in every possible way from the worldly and caring for the mortification of the flesh, the monk was subjected to
countless temptations, partly described in Luis Buñuel's film Simeon the Hermit.
After spending several decades at a height of 16 meters, Simeon was honored by Christians from all over
light, including the Persians, Armenians and British.
Around the same pillar that exists to this day (Byzantine miniaturists loved
depict Simeon's pillar in the form of a column with a capital completed with an elegant balustrade inside
which housed the saint himself; sometimes a ladder was attached to the column), in the 80s-90s of the 5th century there was
a monastic complex was erected, the grandiose plan of which was unmatched except
among the imperial ensembles of late Rome.
The octagonal core of Kalat-Seman (translated from Arabic as "the fortress of Simeon") is surrounded by three
sleeves. Together they form a spatial cross, much like in the Church of the Holy Apostles
in Constantinople. Now the temple is ruined, and, as it looked exactly right after construction,
unknown, but thanks to the testimony of Evagrius Scholasticus, we know that the central nucleus,
that enclosed the pillar of Simeon remained open.
Following Kalat-Seman, a whole architectural direction of the 5th-6th centuries arose, represented by
churches of Simeon the Stylite the Younger on the Wondrous Mountain, John in Ephesus and the Prophets, Apostles
and Martyrs at Geras.
Long before Istanbul, which today is largest city and the undisputed cultural capital of Turkey, and even long before Constantinople, the Greek city of Byzantium stood at the junction of the Sea of \u200b\u200bMarmara, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. It was built by Dorian colonists from Megara as early as 637 BC.
As the Roman Empire became more and more vast and immense, it was on this eastern city Emperor Constantine stopped his gaze in 330 A.D. By his order, the city was renamed Constantinople and became the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
Today, traces of the Byzantine era can be found in the Old City, inside a poorly preserved ring of walls. The most remarkable and most frequently visited Byzantine monument here is, of course, in the square.
But many old buildings were restored and began to be used in a new capacity (most often these were churches that turned into mosques). Unfortunately, there is no museum dedicated to Byzantine history, so it is difficult for a tourist to accidentally wander here to imagine all the grandeur of the ancient monuments.
For those who want to see the spirit under a touch of modernity ancient city Byzantium, we advise you to visit the following historical sites.
So, Top 10 Byzantine Attractions in Istanbul
Hagia Sophia Museum (Aysofya Cami)
The most beautiful monument of the early Byzantine era that has survived to this day.While huge, Hagia Sophia nonetheless looks like it has always been an integral part of the landscape. The building that opens up to you today is in fact the third church built on this site. It owes its existence to the riot of 532, when not only Hagia Sophia was burned to the ground, but also two other Byzantine churches in the vicinity.
Emperor Justinian ordered the construction of a new church, so impressive that no one even remembered the one that stood here before. This task was entrusted to the best architects of the time: Isidor of Miletsky and Anthimy Trallsky. In 537 the construction was completed. New church adorned the world's largest dome, which collapsed during the 558 earthquake. It was subsequently restored.
No visitor to Hagia Sophia can forget the magnificent mosaics dating back to the 13th century AD. The church is still a monument to the grandiose plans of the emperor, who left behind many historical monumentsscattered throughout Western Anatolia and Thrace.
Chora Church
Today the Chora Church can be safely called the best place to get acquainted with the Byzantine aristocratic Renaissance, which flourished in the city after the Latins, who occupied it from 1204 to 1261, were finally expelled. It is better to hurry up with a visit to the church, because soon it is planned to close it for a large-scale reconstruction.
Fethiye Mosque
Monastery of Pantokrator (Zeyrek Mosque)
Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus
Church of Mary of Mongolia
Great Museum of Palace Mosaics
Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici)
Earthen walls
Church of St. John the Baptist
17 most important monuments of architecture, painting and decorative arts, having got acquainted with which you can get an idea of \u200b\u200bhow the artistic culture developed in the Eastern Roman Empire
Prepared by Maria Greenberg
1. Sophia of Constantinople
532-537 years. Istanbul
Sophia of Constantinople. 1910-1915 years Library of CongressHagia Sophia is the main architectural creation of Byzantium, created by the Asia Minor mathematician Anthimius of Thrall and the architect Isidore of Miletus. Not just the first temple of the empire, but the focus of its church and political life, an integral part of the scrupulous, thought-out court ceremonial, described, in particular, in the treatise "On Ceremonies" by Constantine Porphyrogenitus.
Hagia Sophia became the highest achievement of Byzantine architecture, being the heir to ancient architecture. Its idea was formulated in the 15th century by the architect Donato Bramante Donato Bramante (1444-1514) - Italian architect who built St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.: "Dome of the Pantheon Pantheon - Temple in Rome, built in 126 AD. It is a rotunda covered with a hemispherical dome.who grew up on the Basilica of Maxentius Basilica of Maxentius - a temple in Rome, built in 308-312 AD in the form of a basilica: a rectangular structure, consisting of three longitudinal naves, covered with a stone vault.". Indeed, the ingenious guess of the authors of Hagia Sophia was the idea of \u200b\u200bthe merger of two architectural ideas of Antiquity: the longitudinal ship of the central nave Nave (from Lat. navis - "ship") - an elongated rectangular part of the interior, limited by one or two rows of columns and / or a wall. The naves are often divided into the space of medieval western and eastern temples, where they came from ancient Greek and Roman architecture. (80 meters long) and the sphere crowning it (flat, on a low drum and an incredibly wide dome with a diameter of 31 meters) became one: the spacing of the giant dome “extinguish” the half-domes, resting on powerful, complex pillars, from which the stone mass falls on the sails and arches. Thanks to this, the side walls of the building became fragile, completely cut through the windows, and the entire interior of Sofia was flooded with light, transforming the stone mass, making it weightless and immaterial.
Thin shell of walls, neutral outside (monotonous plinth Plinth - wide and flat fired brick.), and inside precious (gold, natural stones, an abundance of natural and artificial light), turned out to be the most important find of Byzantine architectural aesthetics and was embodied in a huge variety of forms. And the dome of Sophia became the fix idea of \u200b\u200bByzantine, and then Ottoman architecture, never repeated by anyone: the project of Justinian's architects turned out to be too complex and ambitious.
Interior of Sophia of Constantinople. 2000s
Immediately after the completion of the construction of Hagia Sophia, its dome cracked and then repeatedly underwent repairs (the first of them happened after the earthquake in 557), during which it was strengthened by building buttresses and laying part of the drum windows. It is not surprising that over time, the external appearance of Sofia has greatly mutated: her logical structural frame was hidden by powerful stone projections Risalit - a part of the facade, protruding in full height beyond its main line., small turrets and all kinds of service premises.
2. Church of the Holy Apostles (Apostleion) in Constantinople
VI century. Istanbul
Ascension. In the background is probably the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. Miniature from the homilies of Jacob of Kokkinoff. 1125-1150 Wikimedia Commons The rulers of the Eastern Roman Empire were characterized by bold ambitions. The first Christian building of Constantinople - the so-called Apostleion, erected by Emperor Constantine I the Great (306-337) in high point the city, at the Adrianople Gate (where the Fatih Mosque now stands). Dedicated to the twelve apostles, the church became a place for storing their relics, and at the same time the relics of the emperor-builder, whose sarcophagus was erected in the center of the interior - literally illustrating the idea of \u200b\u200bConstantine's equal to the apostles.
Here is what the historian Eusebius of Caesarea writes about this:
“In this church he prepared a place for himself in case of his death, with the extraordinary power of faith providing that after death his relics will be honored with the titles of the apostles, and wishing, even after his death, to take part in the prayers that will be offered up in this temple in honor of the apostles. So, having erected there twelve arks, as if twelve sacred monuments, in honor and glory of the face of the apostles, in the midst of them he put a tomb for himself so that on both sides of this tomb stood six apostles. "
"Life of Blessed Vasileus Constantine"
Two centuries later, during the reign of Emperor Justinian, the church was rebuilt for Constantine, but in general terms, the original plan was preserved. The Apostleion of the 6th century model, a grandiose cruciform temple with five domes, appeared for Byzantium in almost the same emblematic image of a temple as Hagia Sophia: over the centuries throughout the empire, from Kalat Seman in Syria to San Marco in Venice. his architectural idea inspired Byzantine builders. Apparently, it was he who is depicted on the sheet with the scene of the Ascension in the manuscript of the homilies of Jacob of Kokkinovaf Around 1125-1150, Vatican..
In the middle of the 15th century, the Church of the Holy Apostles was demolished by order of Sultan Mehmet II Fatih. It is nevertheless known to us by many descriptions: Procopius of Caesarea (mid-6th century), Constantine Porphyrogenitus (mid-10th century), Constantine of Rhodes (mid-10th century) and Nicholas Mesaritus (about 1200).
3. Church of Simeon the Stylite (Kalat-Seman)
475 year. Aleppo
Basilica of the Church of Simeon the Stylite. Syria, first half of the 20th century Library of Congress In the 5th century in Eastern Syria, near Aleppo, Saint Simeon lived, who discovered a special type of asceticism - standing on a pillar. Renouncing in every possible way from the mundane and caring for the mortification of the flesh, the monk was subjected to innumerable temptations, partially described in the film by Luis Buñuel "Simeon the Wilderness." After spending several decades at a height of 16 meters, Simeon was honored by Christians from all over the world, including Persians, Armenians and British.
Around the same pillar, which still exists to this day (Byzantine miniaturists liked to depict Simeon's pillar in the form of a column with a capital, completed with an elegant balustrade, inside which the saint himself was located; sometimes a ladder was attached to the column), in the 80-90s of the 5th century there was a monastic complex was erected, the grandiose plan of which was unmatched except perhaps among the imperial ensembles of late Rome.
The octagonal core of Kalat-Seman (translated from Arabic as "the fortress of Simeon") is surrounded by three arms. Together they form a spatial cross, much the same as in the church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. Now the temple is ruined, and it is not known exactly what it looked like right after its construction, but thanks to the testimony of Evagrius Scholasticus, we know that the central core, which contained the pillar of Simeon, remained open.
Following Kalat-Seman, a whole architectural trend of the 5th-6th centuries arose, represented by the churches of Simeon the Stylite the Younger on the Divnaya Mountain, John in Ephesus and the Prophets, Apostles and Martyrs in Geras.
4. Diptych Barberini
VI century. Louvre, Paris
Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons
The Late Antique imperial diptych originally consisted of two ivory tablets, on the one side polished and covered with wax (on them with a steel stick, style, notes were applied), and on the other - decorated with an ivory relief inlaid with pearls.
Only one panel of the Barberini diptych (named after the owner of the 17th century) has survived. It shows the triumph of the emperor (which one is unknown: the possible contenders are the emperors Justinian, Anastasius I or Zeno), whose head is crowned with a palm branch by the allegorical figure of Nike, the goddess of victory. The Emperor sits on a horse and raises the spear, and at his feet lies the generous, fruitful Earth (in the figure of which art historian Andre Grabar Andre Grabar (1896-1990) - Byzantinist, one of the founders of the French school of Byzantine art history. saw a hint of the ecumenical role of the Byzantine emperors).
According to the imperial iconographers and panegyrists, the enemies of the basileus are like wild animals. Therefore, in the Barberini diptych, trampled barbarians, dressed in exotic clothes, march in the same column with elephants, lions and tigers to present their gifts to the triumphant. Completely antique iconography, which has adopted the only sign of a new era - the image of Christ, crowning the scene of the imperial triumph.
The Barberini diptych is one of the most brilliant and technically perfect works of art of the 6th century. After Emperor Justinian, such diptychs ceased to be in use, but among the surviving objects there is hardly a copy as luxurious, intricate and delicately executed.
5. Vienna Genesis
First half of the 6th century. Austrian National Library, Vienna
Rebekah and Eliezer at the well. Miniature from Vienna Genesis. VI century De Agostini Picture Library / Getty Images In addition, the oldest well-preserved illustrated manuscript of the Bible dates back to the 6th century. The fragment of the text of the Book of Genesis contained in it is written in purple in silver ink - an expensive rarity, clearly indicating the royal origin of its owner.
Each page of Genesis is decorated with miniatures. Some of them are in the form of friezes (the plots on them are not chronologically connected), while others are built like a picture and enclosed in a frame: if there was no need for compositionally independent miniatures in the scroll, it arose during the transition to the book-code.
Like the Barberini diptych, the painting of the Viennese Genesis is full of antique allusions and resembles the paintings of the Pompeii: graceful columns, porticoes and airy velums serve this Velum (from Latin velum - sail) - curtain, bedspread, usually depicted as arcuate. Images of velums are common in icon painting, but go back to Antiquity., allegorical figures of sources and bucolic motives. Early Christian painting was in no hurry to part with its Roman past.
6. Icon of the Mother of God with the saints
VI-VII centuries. Monastery of Saint Catherine, Sinai
Wikimedia Commons
Ancient ideas about the image also dominate in early icons, for example, on the icon with the images of the Mother of God with the Child and the Holy Martyrs from the collection of the Sinai monastery. The images of Mary seated on the throne, Christ and two angels are still sensual and spatially authentic in ancient times, and their faces (rather, faces) are emotionally neutral and filled with tranquility.
On the contrary, the martyrs (perhaps the holy warriors Theodore and George - by typical resemblance to their later codified portraits) with gold crosses in their hands (as a sign of their martyrdom and posthumous glory) are written in the way that very soon, when the iconoclastic disputes are over, the East will decide -Christian icon painters and theologians. Hidden by sumptuous chlamys, their figures are like appliqués; small symbolic legs are set as if the bodies were suspended in the air, and the faces (already faces, not faces) are stern, motionless and numbly looking forward: what is sheer boredom for life-loving Antiquity, for Byzantium is a spiritual ideal based on self-denial.
The icon was painted with wax paints (like other few surviving contemporaries from the collection of the Sinai monastery and National Museum Arts named after Barbara and Bogdan Khanenko in Kiev). Painting with wax paints, which had disappeared from the everyday life of icon painters by the 8th century, made it possible to paint "hot" (when the next layer of paints was applied to the already dried lower one). Thanks to this, the painted surface retained visible strokes, conveying, in essence, the movement of the brush, the handwriting and manner of the artist. Such spontaneity later turned out to be inappropriate for developed theological ideas about the icon-painting image.
7. Khludov Psalter
Mid-9th century. State Historical Museum, Moscow
Iconoclasts John the Grammaticus and Bishop Anthony Sileisky. Khludov Psalter. Byzantium, about 850 rijksmuseumamsterdam.blogspot.ru The Khludov Psalter, named after Alexei Ivanovich Khludov, who owned the manuscript in the 19th century, is one of the three surviving psalters created in the Constantinople Studios monastery shortly after the restoration of icon veneration (after two centuries of literal oblivion of the visual arts, during 726-843 anthropomorphic images of Christ and the saints remained outside the law). This manuscript (the so-called monastery edition of the psalter with illustrations in the margins) is the most complete of the three and the most abundantly illustrated.
The most telling feature of her miniatures is her artistic response to recent events. The illustration for Psalm 68:22 “And they gave me bile for food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” depicts two iconoclasts dipping their lips into lime at the ends of their spears to cover the face of Christ with them. Their long, standing hair is reminiscent of medieval depictions of the devil who traditionally wore this hairstyle. The same page contains an explicit comparison of the iconoclasts with those who crucified Christ (the same movements and objects in their hands), which does not leave the first chances for rehabilitation - their faces, so hated by the medieval reader of the manuscript, were scraped out.
8. Minology of Vasily II
The beginning of the XI century. Vatican Library
20 thousand martyrs of Nicomedians. Miniature from Minology of Vasily II. Early 11th century Wikimedia Commons X-XI centuries in Byzantium became the time of great hagiographic Hagiography - a set of lives of saints and other genres dedicated to the life and work of saints, such as miracles, martyrdom, etc. projects like minology Minology -a collection of the lives of the saints, arranged in the order of their commemoration during the liturgical year (from September to August). Simeon Metaphrastus, stylistic unification of hagiographic texts and compilation of collections free from pre-iconoclastic marginal plots.
The manuscript, now kept in the Vatican, was conceived as a sumptuous illustrated collection of the lives of the saints, presented to Emperor Basil II the Bolgar-fighter (976-1025). Each vita is only 16 lines per page, while the rest of it is reserved for miniatures. This is a case, unique for Byzantine book writing, of the subordination of the text to the image: the miniatures were written first (on several pages the text area remained empty). The Codex preserved the names of eight artists who worked on the creation of 430 illustrations - an unprecedented material for analyzing not only the handwriting of masters, but also the question of their cooperation within the artel.
Minology of Basil II is a brilliant example of mature Byzantine art: on miniatures with portraits of saints and scenes of their martyrdom, a delicate balance was found between the imitation of reality characteristic of Antiquity and medieval convention and asceticism. Natural forms inherent in nature are transformed into geometric ones; soft halftones - golden assist Assist - lines drawn in gold over the paint layer. Symbolizes divine light.; faces with individually specific features - into frozen symmetrical faces.
9. Mosaics and frescoes of the Osios Lucas monastery in Phocis
Around 1040. Greece
Epiphany. Mosaic of the nave in the monastery of Osios Lucas. Phocides, XI century Wikimedia Commons This artistic direction reached its apogee in the ensemble of the Osios Lukas (Venerable Luke) monastery in Phocis. Its katholikon (main temple) and crypt (underground room) have preserved amazing mosaics and frescoes of the 40s of the 11th century - the time of the so-called ascetic style, which was in demand not only in monasteries, but also among provincial princes (mosaics and frescoes of St. same manner). It can be assumed that this aesthetics was formed in the artistic circles of Constantinople: this is indirectly indicated by the exceptional quality of the performance of the Greek ensemble.
On the shining gold background of the dome of the Catholicon Osios Lucas, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles is represented - a rather rare iconography in Byzantium, glorified in the descriptions of the Constantinople Apostoleion.
Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. Mosaic at the Osios Lukas Monastery. Phocides, XI century Wikimedia Commons Not following nature, Osios-Lucas mosaicists reduce the figures of saints almost to symbols, emphasizing only the most significant details - the gestures of the characters and their huge identical frozen eyes. The artful marble wall cladding demonstrates the Byzantine understanding of the hierarchy of architecture: Gospel scenes and images of saints on a gold background hover at the level of the vaults, while the lower planes of the walls are occupied by an abstract drawing of natural stone.
Among the rarities of Osios Lukas is the crypt under the Catholicon, the burial place of the Monk Luke, painted simultaneously with the Catholicon himself with frescoes on the subjects of the holidays and the Passion of Christ. A significant place in the paintings of the entire ensemble is occupied by images of saints, many of whom are monks, including locally revered ones (Luka Gurnikyot, Nikon Metanoit, Luca Styriot). The monastic and local character of the temple decoration program is combined with the noble capital order: the founder of the monastery was the Emperor Roman II (died in 963).
The grandiose project of Osios Lukas for its time is an example of the Middle Byzantine synthesis of architecture, painting and sculpture, creating an ideal iconographic scheme of a cross-domed church.
10. Chalice of Emperor Roman
X century. Treasury of the Cathedral of San Marco, Venice
De Agostini Picture Library / Getty Images
The chalice (a liturgical vessel used to consecrate wine and partake of the sacrament) is one of the jewels brought from Constantinople to Venice by the participants of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. Made of sardonyx, gilded silver, pearls and cloisonné enamel, this chalice was a contribution of a certain Byzantine emperor to one of the metropolitan churches: on the base of its leg, an inscription was engraved asking for God's help to the emperor described in the epithets “faithful” and “Orthodox”. It is believed that this emperor was Roman I Lekapin (920-944), who ascended the throne after Leo VI (886-912).
In the upper part of the vessel, there are fifteen enamel plates framed with pearl threads. They show the half-figures of Christ, John the Baptist, the Mother of God, the Evangelists and the Fathers of the Church - in essence, the painting of the church in miniature - retaining both its central images and their hierarchical structure.
11. Sacred crown of Hungary
1074-1077 years. Parliamentary Palace, Budapest
© Wikimedia Commons
© Wikimedia Commons
© Wikimedia Commons
The compositional center of the crown is decorated with enamel plates with images of Christ and the Emperor Michael VII Duka (probably intended for another, unknown item, presented by the Byzantine Basileus to the ruler of Hungary and incorporated into the crown later). On one side of the crown sits Christ, surrounded by the archangels Michael and Gabriel and several saints (George and Dmitry, Kozma and Damian), facing the Heavenly King. On the other side of the crown, as if reflecting its frontal part, on the sides of the Byzantine autocrat are seated his son Constantine and the king of Hungary Geza I. They look at the Basileus with the same kind of submission and submission as the saints do to the Supreme Judge.