Heaven on Earth - The Art of Byzantium: the Art of the Byzantine Commonwealth

This lecture looks at the main characteristics of the art of the Orthodox church from the time when Constantinople was established as the capital of the Eastern Roman - and Christian - Empire in the 4th century AD until its fall to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, and beyond.

It concentrates on the areas and countries which became part of what has been described as the Byzantine Commonwealth - including, for example Ravenna, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania, as well as Constantinople itself, the source and model for the Orthodox church everywhere.

But the main emphasis is on the architecture of some selected churches, on icons, frescoes, and other sacred pieces, to explain the spiritual and religious meanings that they convey.

Recommended Reading:

Among some excellent books on Byzantine history and art, and on Orthodox Christianity, are:

History

• Judith Herrin - Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Mediaeval Empire (Penguin)
• Dimitri Obolensky - The Byzantine Commonwealth (Cardinal Books)

Art

• Robin Cormack - Byzantine Art (Oxford)
• John Lowden - Early Christian and Byzantine Art (Phaidon)
• David Talbot Rice - Art of the Byzantine Era (Thames and Hudson)
• Robin Cormack - Icons (British Museum)
• Robin Cormack and Maria Vassilaki - Byzantium 330-1453 (Royal Academy of Arts)

Orthodox Christianity

• Timothy Ware - The Orthodox Church (Penguin)
• John Binns - The Orthodox Christian Church (Cambridge)