Week 3:

Byzantium & Islam

ARTS 1303 6W, Art History

Byzantium

Intro to Byzantium

Map of Constantine's path to becoming Emperor

Spread of Christianity

Post-Constantine

Santa Costanza
Rome, Italy

c. 354 CE, Early Byzantine

Reconstruction of Original Mausoleum Floor Plan

Exterior of Santa Costanza

Interior of Santa Costanza with mosaic decoration

Floor plan & elevation of Santa Costanza

San Vitale
Ravenna, Italy

526-547 CE, Early Byzantine

Exterior of San Vitale showcasing octagonal design

Interior of San Vitale

Interior of San Vitale
showcasing elaborate
mosaics

The Great Schism of Christianity

A politically, culturally, & religiously divided Rome

Justinian expansion of the Byzantine Empire

Hagia Sophia
Istanbul, Turkey

533-537 CE, Justinian

Artist's rendering of Old St. Peter's Basilica

Interior of Hagia Sophia

Drawing of the Old St. Peter's Basilica Interior

Floor plan of Hagia Sofia (w/ Santa Costanza overlay)

Artist's rendering of the original Hagia Sophia interior

Making a Roman-Style Mosaic

Theodora & Her Attendants
San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy

c. 547 CE, Justinian

Mosaic of Justinian opposite of Theodora's within the church

Roman Naturalism vs Byzantine Abstraction

Four Icons from a Pair of Doors
Originally from Crete (possibly)

late-15th century CE

Late Byzantine

Paintings & Icons

The Baptism
(aka Epiphany)

late-15th century CE

Late Byzantine

The Qualities of Tempera vs Oil Paints

Harrowing of Hell
(aka Anastasis, or Resurrection)

late-15th century CE

Late Byzantine

The Gilding Process

Saint Nicholas

late-15th century CE

Late Byzantine

The Deësis Mosaic
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey

13th century CE, Late Byzantine

Detail from the Deësis Mosaic

Christ as Savior of Souls
Saint Clement, Ohrid, Macedonia

14th century CE, Late Byzantine

Evolution of Byzantine style

Response Assignment:

Iconography

Based on our discussion of Byzantine iconography and its use, give five (5) examples of iconography from outside of this course.

For Example:

  • A white lab coat indicates someone in a scientific profession, or medical position when combined with teal/blue scrubs.
  • Leather jackets (with patches, studs, etc.) and extreme hairstyles are iconic of punk rock culture of the 1980s.
  • Yellow paint with black lettering and stripes is typical for school busses.

Islamic Art

First, a clarification of Islam's relationship with violence via the Qur'an

Hadith Frequently Quoted to Justify Violence:

Paradise is under the shadow of the swords.

In Full Context:

Do not look for a fight with the enemy. Beg God for peace and security. But if you do end up facing the enemy, then show endurance and remember that Paradise is under the shadow of the swords. 

-Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, 9th century CE, from Sahih al-Muslim

"Jihad" (جهاد‎) translates to "striving to achieve a goal"

Quranic Definition: Striving with one’s self and one’s money in the cause of God

If they leave you alone, refrain from fighting you, and offer you peace, then God gives you no excuse to fight them

-The Qur'an, An-Nisa 4.90

Expansion of the Islamic World

The Islamic Empire in 750 CE

Qubbat As-Sakhrah, قبة الصخرة‎  (aka "Dome of the Rock")
Jerusalem, West Bank

c. 687-692 CE, Umayyad Caliphate

Cross-Section of Quabbat As-Sakhrah Interior

The Ka'aba, Al-Masjid al-Haram, Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Mosaic Mihrab
Isfahan, Persia (originally)

c. 1354 CE, Sarbedaran Period

Example of a full qibla wall with minbar & mihrab

Mosaic Patterns on Exterior of Qubbat As-Sakhrah

Examples of Islamic Geometric Tile Design

Muqarnas Ceiling from Shah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran

Making Islamic Geometric Designs

Example of Arabic calligraphy

Symbols & logos using Arabic calligraphy

'Basmala' in Tuluth script

Al Jazeera logo

Emirates Airlines logo

'Basmala' in simple calligraphy

Umayyad Mosque (aka "Great Mosque of Damascus")
Damascus, Syria

706-715 CE, Umayyad Caliphate

Aerial View of the Umayyad Mosque

Panoramic views of the Umayyad Mosque Courtyard

Example of a Hypostyle Spaces

Interior of a mosque in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Architectural Concept

Umayyad Mosque Interior

Mosque of Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain

8th-10th centuries CE, Abbasid/Córdoba Caliphate

Expansion of the Mosque of Córdoba over time

Phase 5

Phase 4

Phase 3

Phase 2

Phase 1

Phase 6

Street-level view of the Mosque of Córdoba

Courtyard of the Mosque of Córdoba

Interior of the Mosque of Córdoba

Qibla wall of the Mosque of Córdoba (minbar out of frame)

Mihrab of the Mosque of Córdoba

Gilded dome above the qibla wall

Evidence of cultural shifts inside the Mosque of Córdoba

Baroque chapel installed in the center of the former mosque

Baroque chapel installed in the center of the former mosque

End of Week 3