The Beautiful Byzantine

Margarito d’Arezzo - Madonna and Child Enthroned - c. 1270 - Tempera on panel, 97 x 50 cm - National Gallery of Art, WashingtonByzantine art flourished from about 300 A.D to the 1400s. It grew out of the early Christian world, and took its name from the capital city of the Roman Empire: Byzantium (later renamed Constantinople, then Istanbul when the Ottomans captured the city in 1453). Byzantine art was completely focused on the needs of the Orthodox church, in the painting of icons and the decoration of churches with frescoes and mosaics. The style basically ended with the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, during the European Renaissance. However, its influence continued for a considerable time in Russia and elsewhere where the Orthodox church held sway. Visually, it also has had its influence on modernism. Byzantine works are truly stunning.

The Byzantine Style

Margaritone d’Arezzo - Margaritone d'Arezzo, Madonna and Child, c. 1270, tempera on panel, overall: 97.3 x 49.5 cm (38 5/16 x 19 1/2 in.) height (main panel, without extension for head and halo): 73.2 cm (28 13/16 in.) top section (extension for head and halo): 26.6 x 23.5 cm (10 1/2 x 9 1/4 in.) - National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The Byzantine style basically ended with the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, during the European Renaissance. However, its influence continued for a considerable time in Russia and elsewhere where the Orthodox church held sway. Margaritone d'Arezzo (fl. ca.1250-1290) was a painter about whom we know very little.The only documentary record of his existence dates from 1262, when he lived in Arezzo. However, a fair number of his works are known to survive; unusually for the time, most are signed. Their nature and distribution indicate that Margaritone was much in demand as an artist, both in Arezzo and throughout Tuscany. Margaritone's style is uniquely identifiable, standing as it does outside the mainstream of 13th-century Italian painting. What little we know of him comes from Vasari.

Mosque Conversion Raises Alarm

A unique ensemble of 13th-century Christian paintings, sculpture and architecture (click photo for larger image)Christian art located in the famous Byzantine church, Hagia Sophia--now a museum, is now at risk after a controversial court ruling that will result in the structure’s becoming a mosque.

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Let us hope that the wonders of this marvelous location are not lost forever.

Byzantine Art

Guido da Siena - Adoration of the Magi - 1270s - Tempera on wood, 34 x 46 cm - Lindenau-Museum, Altenburg (click photo for larger image)In terms of time and location, Byzantine art refers to the artistic production of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Christian empire whose capital was Constantinople (now known as Istanbul). The empire endured from c. 330 CE following the Roman Empire in the east, until it was conquered by the Turks c. 1450. The term, however, refers more to its style than to its location. Byzantine art is characterized by a rich use of color, figures, opulence and linearity. The figures often appear to be floating, and have large eyes--against golden or toned backgrounds. The style had a large impact on Modern art, which wouldn’t develop until the twentieth century. The Italian painter Guido da Siena (active in the second half of 13th century) and one of the founders of the Sienese school) was one of the few known practitioners of the style). The names of most Byzantine artists are unknown.