Description
Book SynopsisThe opulence of Byzantine art, with its extravagant use of gold and silver, is well known. Highly skilled artists created powerful representations reflecting and promoting this society and its values in icons, illuminated manuscripts, and mosaics and wallpaintings placed in domed churches and public buildings. This complete introduction to the whole period and range of Byzantine art combines immense breadth with interesting historical detail. Robin Cormack overturns the myth that Byzantine art remained constant from the inauguration of Constantinople, its artistic centre, in the year 330 until the fall of the city to the Ottomans in 1453. He shows how the many political and religious upheavals of this period produced a wide range of styles and developments in art. This updated, colour edition includes new discoveries, a revised bibliography, and, in a new epilogue, a rethinking of Byzantine Art for the present day.
Trade ReviewA brilliant book ... accessible to both new and more experienced readers. * Adrian Spooner, Classics for All *
Cormack's book is a masterpiece of synthesis. His book not only provides an elegantly written, thoughtful, and intelligent introduction to one of the most elusive, and often misapprehended artistic civilizations of the past, but also discloses and deconstructs the many biases and preconceived ideas that still influence our understanding of Byzantine tradition. * Michele Bacci, University of Fribourg, Switzerland *
This is the best introduction/introductory book to Byzantine art and to perceptions of that art -- both ours and the Byzantines'. The structure remains the same but it has been updated with a subtle shift in emphasis, arguing for Byzantine art as a product of the Roman world. Its not a simple narrative but a questioning of how Byzantine art worked for its audiences. * Liz James, Professor of History of Art, University of SUssex *
Review from previous edition The handbook of Byzantine Art for both lay readers and specialists. * Annabel Wharton, Duke University *
The reader is left with a powerful impression of how the Byzantines themselves must have looked upon the art that surrounded them. * David Buckon, The British Museum *
Table of ContentsPreface 1: Rome with a Christian Face? : Early Byzantine Art 330-527 2: In the Shadow of St Sophia: Byzantine Art in the Sixth Century and its Aftermath 527-680 3: The Definition of an Orthodox Christian Empire: Byzantine Art 680-843 4: Developments and Diversions in the Consolidated Empire: Middle Byzantine Art 843-1071 5: The New Spirituality of the Eleventh Century and the World of the Twelfth Century 6: Art in the Service of a Failing Society: Late Byzantine Art 1204-1453 7: Rethinking Byzantine Art: An Epilogue for the new second editionNotesTimelineGlossaryFurther ReadingMuseums and WebsitesList of IllustrationsIndex
