Today, appreciating their art is one of the main ways we can connect to Byzantium. If there is one thing people know Byzantium for, it their Christian art. You may either go to to the dropdown arrow on the menu and see the list, or you can click on links below to see my articles on Byzantine artworks:
The Omphalion of Hagia Sophia: The spot where Emperors were crowned in the Great Church of Constantinople!!
Carmagnola: The head of an Eastern Roman Emperor, crafted in purple porphry stone, potentially even Justinian. It was taken in 1204 and is in Venice today.
The Chalices of Romanos – Two Chalices, both with the name of an Emperor named Romanos. It is amazing this beautiful works of art still exist today, one can only imagine how many similar artifacts once existed in Constantinople
Empress Theodora Mosaic(San Vitale) 6th century
Emperor Justinian Mosaic(San Vitale) 6th century
Palace of Theodoric Mosaic(Sant’Apollinare) The depiction of the Ostrogothic King’s palace in Ravenna. A rare example of Late Antique palace architecture, albeit in mosaic form.
Emperor Constantine IV Mosaic(Sant’Apollinare) A fascinating example to contrast to the Theodora/Justinian mosaics and see the material decline of Byzantine art during the time of existential crisis as the Romans confronted the Arab’s expanding empire.
Emperor Leo VI “The Wise” Mosaic (Hagia Sophia) The late 9th or early 10th century Leo VI mosaic is fascinating because it is more complex than other mosaics in a certain sense. Not in its the quality of the mosaic itself in terms of artistic ability, but in terms of its identity and meaning.
Ring of Michael Attaleiates – The actual golden ring of an 11th century Byzantine historian! Splendid. It seems so unlikely this made it to modernity, but it did!
I will add more works of art to this page, so everyone can appreciate the splendor of Byzantine art!
shadowsofconstantinople.com 