Interior of Hagia Sophia as rendered by Gaspari Fossati in 1852. Lithograph by Louis Haghe, public domain.

Hagia Sophia

An architectural masterpiece of the

Byzantine empire

Built in Constantinople for Justinian

between 532 - 537 CE

5 years 10,000 builders for the construction

 Hagia Sophia

Established as the Church of Holy

Wisdom, St. Sophia

Converted into a Roman Catholic Church,

during Frankish period, late 700s

Served as Mosque, under Ottoman Turks,

1453 CE

Museum, 1935 CE
 Hagia Sophia

Architects Anthemius and Isidore

A large dome to the square basilica plan

The weight of the dome is distributed through the

pendentives to four massive pillars. Between them
four large arches are formed, above which the dome
appears to float.

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 Hagia Sophia

100 windows, illuminating the space brightly

Use of colorful marble, gilded mosaic, semiprecious

stone, silver, ivory,

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 Hagia Sophia

Travellers from Kiev, who visited the monument in 988, were

so overwhelmed that they reported not knowing if they were
in heaven or on earth.

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From being an obscure sect in Palestine in the first
century CE, Christianity rose to become the state
religion of the Roman empire in 313 CE. As the
congregations swelled, so too did the demand for art
works that would provide a focus for Christian prayer
and teaching.

Art, the Definitive Visual Guide, 2008

 Byzantine Art
330 CE - 1453 CE

Flourished from 330 CE, when Constantinople was

founded, until 1453 when the city fell to the Turks.

In Byzantium a new order of art emerged, religious

icons and imperial images were venerated, and their
appearance was strictly controlled.

Their forms were symbolic and stylized, and any

artistic individuality was frowned upon.

Art, the Definitive Visual Guide, 2008

 Byzantine Art
330 CE - 1453 CE

Byzantine craftsmen serviced a thriving market for

luxury goods. The quality of their silks, jewelry,
cloisonné enamels, and carved ivories was
outstanding.

Art, the Definitive Visual Guide, 2008

 Byzantine Art
330 CE - 1453 CE

The veneration of holy images led to problems in the

8th century, when it was deemed Idolatrous.

During the iconoclastic crisis (c 725 CE - 843 CE)

thousands of religious works were destroyed.

Byzantine influences were transmitted far beyond the

empire’s borders, with the greatest icons being
produced in Russia, where Andrei Rublev and
Theophanes the Greek were the leading figures.

Art, the Definitive Visual Guide, 2008

 Byzantine Art
330 CE - 1453 CE

Byzantine empire - Near East - Armenia - Georgia -

Ethiopia - Franks - Egypt - Russia

Art, the Definitive Visual Guide, 2008

Emperor Justinian and Attendants, 526-547 CE, Mosaic, San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy, c 547
medievalists.net/
 Justinian Theodora, Justinian’s wife

Justinian and Thedora are shown with halo, underling the theocratic nature of the emperor’s
role. Justinian is God’s representative on earth, playing a central role in the celebration of
Mass

Art, the Definitive Visual Guide, 2008

The Antioch Chalice, Silver cup set in a footed silver-gilt shell,
Roman Syria, 500 - 550 CE, The Cloisters Collection,

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Spring 2001

The silver cup inside the shell was once identified as that
used by Christ at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:27 -29) -
The so-called Holy Grail.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Spring 2001

Box Reliquary of the True Cross, Silver gilt, gold, cloisonné
enamel, and niello, 800s, Constantinople

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Spring 2001

Casket with the Deesis (a traditional representation of Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist, imploring Christ
the salvation of man), Archangels and the Twelve Apostles, Ivory, with later copper-alloy gilt mounts, 900 - 1000
CE, Constantinople
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Spring 2001
Istanbul, Hagia Sophia, mosaic of John Comnenus, The Blessed Virgin Mary and Empress Irene, 11th century
Byzantine fresco in Asinou Church, Nikitari, Cyprus, 1106 CE
mosaic with Roger II of Sicily receiving the crown from Christ, Martorana, Palermo, 1143 CE
Kirche La Martorana in Palermo, by Friedrich Perlberg, 19th Century
Kirche La Martorana in Palermo
Kirche La Martorana in Palermo
The Anastasis (Descent into Limbo), Christ rescuing the souls of the virtuous, 1316 - 21, Kariye Camii, Istanbul, Turkey
The Old Testament Trinity, Painted by Andrei Rublev, this depicts the three angles who visited Abraham,
Tampera on panel, c 1411, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia
Art, the Definitive Visual Guide, 2008
Transfiguration of Jesus, by Theophanes the Greek,
1408 CE

Prophets Moses and Elijah

Jesus in radiant glory
Apostles Peter, James, John

The mount of Transfiguration

 Raphael
1516 - 1520 CE
Two styles of architecture and art dominated western
Europe after 1000 CE. The first was Romanesque,
succeeded gradually during the 1100s by the new
Gothic style, which keyed in some places until well
into the 16th century.

The two styles (originally applied only to architecture)

spread all over Europe, taking on many different
national and local variations as they did so

Art, the Definitive Visual Guide, 2008

 Romanesque Art
1000 CE - 1200 CE

Style of the Rome, Romanesque architecture and art

revived certain features of ancient roman art,
especially its sheer ambition.

Immense, expressing confidence, exhibiting the

grander of Christendom, revival of large scale as well
as minor arts

Massive and often overpoweringly austere

Art, the Definitive Visual Guide, 2008

Preceding images, respectively

Maria Laach Abbey, 1093 CE, Germany

Tum Collegiate Church, 1140 - 1161 CE, Poland
Lessay Abbey, Normandy, c 1056 CE, France
 Romanesque Art
1000 CE - 1200 CE

Churches - Cathedrals - Monasteries

 Romanesque Art
1000 CE - 1200 CE
Characteristics in Architecture

. Thick walls made of stones

. Strong buttresses
. Few windows and dark interiors
. Use of round arches
. Use of different typed of vaults - Barrel, Groin
vaults
. Latin cross plan w/ naves and transepts
. Several side aisles of semicircular arches
. Ambulatory, pathway behind the altar for pilgrims
to walk around without interrupting the mass
. Heavy structure
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Barrel vault Rib vault
9
Abbaye Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay, Burgundy, France, 12th century
arsartisticadventureofmankind.files.wordpress.com
Preceding images, respectively

Clonfert Cathedral. Clonfert, County Gateway, Ireland.

12th century

San Liberatore a Maiella. Abruzzo, Italy. 11th century

Lisbon Cathedral. Lisbon, Portugal. 1147

Pisa Cathedral, Primatial Metropolitan Cathedral of the

Assumption of Mary, Pisa, Italy, 1063-1092 CE and
Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa, Italy, 1173 - 1372 CE
 Romanesque Art
1000 CE - 1200 CE
Characteristics in Sculpture

. Made mainly to decorate the religious buildings

. Represented religious topics
. Didactic purpose - to teach people the Christian
beliefs because most of the people were illiterate/
uneducated
. Rigid, unnatural, inexpressive figures
. Mainly Stones
. In doorways and capitals

in Painting
. Mural technique, manuscript
Romanesque frescoes from the Church of Saint Clement de Taull, Vall de Boi, Alta Ribagorca, Spain, 1123 CE
National Art Museum of Catalonia, Barcelona
Tympanum, Abbaye Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay, Burgundy, France, 12th century
Tympanum, Abbaye Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay, Burgundy, France, 12th century
Tympanum, Cathedral of St Lazare, Autun, France, c1125 - 1135 CE
Gislebertus
Details, Tympanum, Cathedral of St Lazare, Autun, France, c1125 - 1135 CE
Gislebertus
Details, Tympanum, Cathedral of St Lazare, Autun, France, c1125 - 1135 CE
Gislebertus
Eve, the lintel of the now destroyed north doorway of the Cathedral of St Lazare, Autun, France, c 1125 -1135 CE
now Musée Rolin, by Gislebertus
Vezelay Sainte-Madeleine Abbey Nave Capital, The Mystic Mill, Burgundy, France, 12th century
Vezelay Sainte-Madeleine Abbey Nave Capital, Judith and Holofernes, Burgundy, France, 12th century