LITERATURE REVIEW

The Art of Byzantine and Medieval World

Interior of the monastery church at

Daphne, Greece, 11 C, crowned with a
Byzantine dome mosaic of Christ
Pantocrator (ruler of the universe).
Source:
1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Novgorod-
school#/media/1/87136/96096
2. https://www.pallasweb.com/deesis/25-images-
from-the-daphni-monastery-church.html

• Mature Byzantine style – stylization and standardization of late Classical forms of

Early Christian art
• Dynamic lines, flat areas of colour
• Suppressed individual features (standard facial type)
• Flattened figures and draperies reduced to patterns of swirling lines
• 3D human figure replaces by spiritual presence (vigour of line and brilliance of
colour)
• Byzantine image more remotes, Classical more naturalistic
• Byzantine facial type – huge eyes, penetrating gaze, gold background (made
image appear to be suspended)
• Little sculpture – produced in Byzantine
Empire
• Small relief carvings – ivory, used for book
covers, reliquary boxes and similar objects
• Miniature arts, embroidery, goldwork and
enamel work (flourished sophisticated and
wealthy society of Constantinople)
• Manuscript Illumination – important in
spreading Byzantine style and iconography
through Europe

Tree of Jesse, illuminated page from Rabanus

Maurus's De laudibus sanctae crucis, Anchin, mid-12th
century; in the Municipal Library of Douai, France.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Novgorod-
school#/media/1/87136/70932

• Byzantine forms – spread by trade and

conquest to Italy and Sicily (modified form
12C) – later became formative influence on
Italian Renaissance art
• Eastern Orthodox expansion – Byzantine
forms spread to East Europe centres
(Russia) – intact but with local modification
17C.

Saints Boris and Gleb, icon by a follower of Prokopy

Chirin, Stroganov school, 17th century; in the State
Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Novgorod-
school#/media/1/87136/31574