The Art of Byzantium

Undergraduate

Byzantine art was in many ways an extension of Greek and Roman art. Blending classical visual forms with local identities, its core imagery spread from the eastern Mediterranean to as far south as Ethiopia and as far north as Russia. Beginning with its early Christian roots and exploring its insatiable appetite for innovation and philosophical adventure, this class provides an overview of the empire’s artistic creativity. Students are introduced to key monuments, artists, and writers on art, while also exploring lesser-known sites and decorative art traditions. Secondary readings are supplemented by brief extracts from primary sources in translation, offering an opportunity to understand the motivations of patrons and viewers across a wide-flung medieval empire. Class convenes several times throughout the semester in the Beinecke Library and Yale University Art Gallery. No prior coursework in art history is required. HU 0 Course cr HTBA