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Course: Medieval Europe + Byzantine > Unit 5
Lesson 2: Early Byzantine (including Iconoclasm)- Byzantine Iconoclasm and the Triumph of Orthodoxy
- The origins of Byzantine architecture
- Early Byzantine architecture after Constantine
- Woman with Scroll, An Early Byzantine Sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Byzantine Mosaic of a Personification, Ktisis
- Innovative architecture in the age of Justinian
- SS. Sergius and Bacchus, preserved as the mosque, Küçük Ayasofya
- Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
- Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
- Mosaics and power in Sant’Apollinare Nuovo
- Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna
- San Vitale, Ravenna
- Justinian Mosaic, San Vitale
- San Vitale (quiz)
- Empress Theodora, rhetoric, and Byzantine primary sources
- Art and architecture of Saint Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai
- Ivory panel with Archangel
- The Emperor Triumphant (Barberini Ivory)
- The Vienna Dioscurides
- Virgin (Theotokos) and Child between Saints Theodore and George
- Virgin (Theotokos) and Child between Saints Theodore and George
- A chalice from the Attarouthi Treasure
- Byzantine architecture during Iconoclasm
- The Byzantine Fieschi Morgan cross reliquary
- Cross-cultural artistic interaction in the Early Byzantine period
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San Vitale, Ravenna
The video explores the vibrant mosaic of Emperor Justinian and his attendants in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna. The artwork symbolizes Justinian's authority and the unity of the church and state. The intricate details and rich colors highlight the Byzantine Empire's artistic prowess. Speakers: Dr. Beth Harris, Dr. Steven Zucker. Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.
Want to join the conversation?
- If viewed from below, wouldn't the length of the bodies appear more normal? If viewed straight on, it would seem that the bodies have been "fore-lengthened" to account for the usual point of view: On the floor.(37 votes)
- Yes, one finds this in any Orthodox church with traditional iconography.(17 votes)
- Why is this example of Byzantine art found in Italy? Was Italy part of the Eastern Roman Empire at this time?(11 votes)
- Italy switched hands a lot after the fall of the western half of the old Roman Empire. Justinian is known for reforming the laws and for expanding the Empire. This was part of that expansion.(17 votes)
- I thought it was against the rules to create any graven image of anything in God's realm for fear it would be worshipped. So as a compromise they made things look abstracted from reality. This is explained here http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/The-Evolution-of-the-Medieval-Style.html(9 votes)
- That rule, known as the iconoclasm only lasted from 730-787 when the second Nicean Council declared images were "quite in harmony with the history of the spread of the gospel". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconoclasm#Byzantine_iconoclasm(3 votes)
- This is in a church called San Vitale. Was there a Saint Vitale?(5 votes)
- There were a few saints named Vitalis, and it is unclear whether this basilica was named after Saint Vitalis of Milan or Saints Vitalis who is associated with Saint Agricola.(11 votes)
- Does anyone know where and when the elongated bodies began to appear in the Byzantine era? If it began when Hellenistic art was still being made, we'd know the odd proportions were intentional. If it started later more likely the skills had just been lost.(7 votes)
- The elongated otherworldly effect you ask about came about several hundred years after the Hellenistic period. It was long believed that it was a loss of skills but that is no longer the prevailing belief. Evidence has been found that the same artist could sculpt in an otherworldly style for a Christian patron and in a more naturalistic style for a pagan patron during the last 50 years of the Roman Empire. Therefore it seems to point to it being an intentional step back from the naturalistic.(6 votes)
- why is there a circle around the emperor's head?(3 votes)
- Halos in iconography represent Church recognized sanctity. These weren't added during the life of the person, but after their repose. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, he has always been recognized as St Justinian.(7 votes)
- Is the symbol on the sheild being held by the soldiers from Constantines banner?(1 vote)
- Actually, a more proper context to this is from the Greek. The symbol is known as Chi Rho (pronounced Hee Ro) from the Greek letters: Χ Ρ. They are the first 2 letters of Christ. Constantine hadn't converted to Christianity until the very end of his own life, but his mother, Helena, was a Christian. While the symbol is included in Constantine's own identity, it was being used many years prior within the Church. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi_Rho(6 votes)
- I find this film and actually these mosaics very moving. The idea of the divine person (like the emperor) participating in the ceremony is lurking in my mind in connection to one of the saint kings (associated with the topic of my bachelor thesis), who (not being a priest) was preparing the Eucharist (I mean, the bread) himself, which was one of proofs for his sanctity. Does anyone know, how this idea develops in the West Christantity?(3 votes)
- I can't answer your question, but if you're moved, you should try to see them in person sometime.(2 votes)
- Is it possible to get some Byzantine Catholic art history videos?(3 votes)
- Just to make sure, the patron of the San Vitale is Emperor Justinian??(2 votes)
- Is there any chance that we can get some additional Byzantine art added to the collection? I appreciate what is available, but would be better. Madonna Enthroned would be a great piece to add with this one since it comes from the later Byzantine era.(3 votes)
- Kyriotissa, or Κυριωτισσα, is the proper name for this type of icon. In the same era (6th century), one can find a handful of such mosaics, including the Emperor Justinian, as well, from the Agia Sophia & St Catherine's on Mt Sinai: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Istanbul.Hagia_Sophia075.jpg & http://xoomer.virgilio.it/giovanni.fabriani/icone/kyriotissa_vi_sinai.jpg
However, the earliest examples of this type of icon are found in the 4th and 5th Centuries.(1 vote)
Video transcript
(jazzy piano music) - [Narrator] We're in the
Italian city of Ravenna, standing outside of the
Church of San Vitale. This is a really important
sixth century church. - [Narrator] And it's unusual in that it's a centrally planned church. - [Narrator] When we think about a church, we generally think about a building that's shaped like a cross, and it has that long hallway, the nave. This doesn't have that. Instead, it's got an ambulatory, or an aisle that surrounds
the central space. In this particular case, on
the east side of the church, there's also an extension
with an apse at the end. - [Narrator] We see
that it has eight sides, so it's an octagon. And within that octagon
is a smaller octagon that rises higher. - [Narrator] The walls are
pierced with lots of windows, and that's especially important, because the interior is covered with some of the most magnificent mosaics from the early medieval period. - [Narrator] Let's go
inside and have a look. - [Narrator] We've walked into the church, and the center towers over us. There are massive piers that
help support the building, but there's also real delicacy. Look, for instance, at the way
that the columns are doubled, that is, stacking of one set
of columns above the next. - [Narrator] And they moved
in and out back into the space of the ambulatory on the ground floor, and then up into the gallery above. - [Narrator] The eastern end of San Vitale is completely covered in dense mosaic, and they might at first seem disconnected, but in fact, there is a unifying theme. - [Narrator] Art historians have talked about the theme of offering of sacrifice. We see that in the scenes
of Abel and Melchizedek, who make an offering to God. We see God's hand above
accepting that offering. - [Narrator] And in the opposite lunette, we see Abraham sacrificing Isaac, or almost sacrificing Isaac. - [Narrator] And on the
other side of the lunette, Abraham offers bread
three strangers who come to his door who are understood as God. And all of this relates
to the offering made by the priest at the
altar of the Eucharist, the bread and wine that are
the body and blood of Christ, the idea of God's sacrifice so
that mankind can be redeemed, and can have eternal life in heaven. So much of the mosaic is about what eternal life in heaven is like. - [Narrator] These
glittering gold tesserae must have felt miraculous. You can so clearly see the uneven surfaces in the way that they pick up light. - [Narrator] Most of the
tesserae right are colored glass or gold sandwiched between glass, but we also have silver
and mother of pearl. - [Narrator] And in some areas, stone that is less reflective, and creates a dynamic contrast
with the glistening quality of the metallic and glass tesserae. And if you look really closely,
you start to get a sense of the art of the mosaics. They had to, up close,
represent what would resolve into an image at a distance. - [Narrator] We can see that at times, the mosaicist uses bright orange tesserae to make highlights. And from far away, you don't
see that bright orange. It resolves in our eye to form faces that appear quite naturalistic. - [Narrator] This is
truly painting with stone. - [Narrator] The individual
tesserae curve around a face, for example, or around a halo. Everywhere we look, we see life, and that speaks to the
idea of the afterlife. We see so many different kinds of birds, and flowers,
and animals, and vines, and fruits, and cornucopia
that we see unexpected forms. For example, we see dolphins with their tails entwined in one another. Though art historians often disagree about the specific meaning of
the dolphins and the shells, they're clearly referred to Christ, to the apostles who they surround. - [Narrator] There are
so many things to see, and just in terms of the natural world, if we look all the way up at the top, I love the three doves
that surround these urns, joined by this amazing arcing vine. - [Narrator] And the vine yields fruit. It yields grapes which refer
to the wine of the Eucharist, the blood of Christ. We see birds wading in the
water, and in the water, we see reeds and rocks. We also see apples and pears,
and other kinds of fruit. - [Narrator] And flowers are everywhere. And this really is paradise. There are three large windows, and just above that, a large apse mosaic. - [Narrator] And in the center, we see Christ dressed royally in purple, sitting on an orb, the orb
of the Earth of the universe, below the flow of the
four rivers of paradise, and on either side of him, an angel. - [Narrator] Christ is holding
the book of the apocalypse with the seven seals visible. In his right hand, he's handing a crown to Saint Vitalis, who was adopted as the
primary martyr of this city. - [Narrator] And on the
other side, we see Ecclesius, who founded and sponsored
the building of this church, and we see him handing the church to the angel beside Christ. Every surface was covered
with imagery, with figures, with decorative patterning. Right above the altar, we see
an image of the Lamb of God, and the Lamb of God refers to Christ. He's wearing a halo, this idea of Christ as
the sacrificial Lamb, sacrificed for the redemption of mankind. - [Narrator] The lamb is
surrounded by a wreath of victory, and in this case, the idea of the triumph
of Christianity itself. And that wreath is held
in place by four angels, who stand on globes that refer to the globe upon which
Christ in the apse sits. - [Narrator] We see Christ again, but this time, bearded,
older, in the archway. - [Narrator] The triumphal
arch has Christ in the center, and his body is surrounded by a mandorla, a kind of
a rainbow-colored halo. Moving down the arch on either side are 14 figures,
including the apostles. There are also fabulously
decorative columns, made out of a high quality marble that was brought from the East. What's most remarkable about these columns is that we've really left
behind the classical orders. These are not Doric, they're not Ionic, they're not Corinthian. They are early Christians trying
to invent a new iconography for their architecture. - [Narrator] And on top of the capitals, we see impost blocks that
help make the transition up to the arches. - [Narrator] The two
most important mosaics in San Vitale flank the apps. - [Narrator] And those
show the Emperor Justinian and his empress, Theodora. Now, Justinian and Theodora
never came to Ravenna. - [Narrator] And they're
in the mosaics, we think, to reassert their control over the city. - [Narrator] For much of the 400s, Ravenna was under the
control of a goth, Theodoric, and Theodoric was an Arian, that is, he didn't follow
the orthodox doctrines of the church. And so Justinian, the
emperor in Constantinople, sends his general to re-conquer Ravenna, and reestablish Orthodox Christian belief. - [Narrator] And so what we're seeing here is the reassertion of Eastern
imperial control, that is, Justinian is in Constantinople,
and he is saying, I'm in charge, even here
in Ravenna, in Italy. We see Justinian in the
center wearing purple, the color that is
associated with the throne, and he's surrounded by his court. But there are also religious figures representing the church, and there are soldiers,
three centers of power, the church, the emperor, and the military. - So we can see that some of the figures are treated more
individualistically than others. Justinian and Maximian
are more individualized, but the figures from the
army are much more anonymous. - [Narrator] Justinian the
emperor, his authority is divine. You can see a halo around his head, and he holds a bowl
associated with the Eucharist, which is handing in the
direction of Christ in the apse. - [Narrator] This is a bowl
that would've contained the bread for the
sacrament of the Eucharist. He's in the center of the composition. He's frontal, but really all
of the figures are frontal. - [Narrator] They are
schematic, abstracted. This is the medieval. We've left the classical
tradition of naturalism behind. - [Narrator] And so if we
look closely at the figures, we can see that there's no real concern for accurate proportions. Their feet don't really
seem to carry the weight of their bodies. They seem to float in a eternal space, and not in an earthly space. Next to Justinian, we
see the Bishop, Maximian, with his name above him,
although that was added later, and beside him, other clergymen. - [Narrator] Maximian holds
a beautiful jeweled cross. - [Narrator] The figures next
to him hold a jeweled book of the gospels, and the figure at the far
right holds an incense burner. - [Narrator] To the right
of the apse windows, we see the panel of Theodora, the empress, and it mirrors the panel with Justinian. - [Narrator] So we have an idea that Theodora ruled as
co-equal to Justinian. - [Narrator] She's wearing
incredibly elaborate clothing and jewelry with rubies, with emeralds, with sapphires, and very large pearls. And in back of her head, just
like Justinian, is a halo. - [Narrator] Like Justinian,
who's carrying a bowl that held the bread for the Eucharist, Theodora is carrying the chalice for the wine for the
Eucharist, and she's surrounded by attendance to symbolize
the Imperial court. A curtain is raised as though she is about to take part in a ceremony. - [Narrator] I'm really taken by the elaborate Byzantine costume. - [Narrator] While there's a sense of trying to bring the richness of the Imperial Court in
Constantinople here to Ravenna. - [Narrator] There is an
expression of hierarchy. We know even from the
feet who the emperor is. Look at those incredible shoes. But as extraordinary, as
brilliant as the mosaic is, it's not the only
showpiece in this church. For the medieval viewer, the dynamic abstractions that
we see in the stone revetment or stone panels have been opened up so as to produce these
extraordinary patterns. And this tradition of elaborate
stone revetment goes back to Imperial Rome, and even before that, to Hellenistic Greece. So it was rooted in this
great ancient tradition. - [Narrator] So much of what we see here comes from that pagan tradition. This idea of the abundance of life in the waters comes from
images of the Nile River. - [Narrator] And Mosaic
itself was a Roman art that the Romans used
primarily on their floors. - [Narrator] So we have the mosaics, these panels of marble
that have been cut open. We have these beautiful
monolithic marble columns, and we also have carved
marble in the capitols, where we see vines and tendrils. So that idea of growing, of abundance. And we also see in the impost blocks, lambs on either side of a cross, the idea of Christ as the Lamb of God, the Lamb which is sacrificed
for the redemption of mankind. - [Narrator] So the individual elements in the mosaic are so dynamic. The vines are curling,
the animals are moving, people are enacting. But the same is true for
the architectural space. The patterns in the revetment
seem as if they are alive. And then the very
architecture has a series of apse bays that rise up to the dome. This entire space is dynamic. It is this lush, glorious space here in this city that's distant
from the capital of the empire, but that speaks to its importance. (jazzy piano music)