Art and Identity in Thirteenth-Century Byzantium

Hagia Sophia and the Empire of Trebizond

Nonfiction, History
Cover of the book Art and Identity in Thirteenth-Century Byzantium by Antony Eastmond, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Antony Eastmond ISBN: 9781351957229
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: March 2, 2017
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Antony Eastmond
ISBN: 9781351957229
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: March 2, 2017
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

The church of Hagia Sophia in Trebizond, built by the emperor Manuel I Grand Komnenos (1238-63) in the aftermath of the fall of Constantinople to the Fourth Crusade, is the finest surviving Byzantine imperial monument of its period. Art and Identity in Thirteenth-Century Byzantium is the first investigation of the church in more than thirty years, and is extensively illustrated in colour and black-and-white, with many images that have never previously been published. Antony Eastmond examines the architectural, sculptural and painted decorations of the church, placing them in the context of contemporary developments elsewhere in the Byzantine world, in Seljuq Anatolia and among the Caucasian neighbours of Trebizond. Knowledge of this area has been transformed in the last twenty years, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The new evidence that has emerged enables a radically different interpretation of the church to be reached, and raises questions of cultural interchange on the borders of the Christian and Muslim worlds of eastern Anatolia, the Caucasus and Persia. This study uses the church and its decoration to examine questions of Byzantine identity and imperial ideology in the thirteenth century. This is central to any understanding of the period, as the fall of Constantinople in 1204 divided the Byzantine empire and forced the successor states in Nicaea, Epiros and Trebizond to redefine their concepts of empire in exile. Art is here exploited as significant historical evidence for the nature of imperial power in a contested empire. It is suggested that imperial identity was determined as much by craftsmen and expectations of imperial power as by the emperor's decree; and that this was a credible alternative Byzantine identity to that developed in the empire of Nicaea.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The church of Hagia Sophia in Trebizond, built by the emperor Manuel I Grand Komnenos (1238-63) in the aftermath of the fall of Constantinople to the Fourth Crusade, is the finest surviving Byzantine imperial monument of its period. Art and Identity in Thirteenth-Century Byzantium is the first investigation of the church in more than thirty years, and is extensively illustrated in colour and black-and-white, with many images that have never previously been published. Antony Eastmond examines the architectural, sculptural and painted decorations of the church, placing them in the context of contemporary developments elsewhere in the Byzantine world, in Seljuq Anatolia and among the Caucasian neighbours of Trebizond. Knowledge of this area has been transformed in the last twenty years, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The new evidence that has emerged enables a radically different interpretation of the church to be reached, and raises questions of cultural interchange on the borders of the Christian and Muslim worlds of eastern Anatolia, the Caucasus and Persia. This study uses the church and its decoration to examine questions of Byzantine identity and imperial ideology in the thirteenth century. This is central to any understanding of the period, as the fall of Constantinople in 1204 divided the Byzantine empire and forced the successor states in Nicaea, Epiros and Trebizond to redefine their concepts of empire in exile. Art is here exploited as significant historical evidence for the nature of imperial power in a contested empire. It is suggested that imperial identity was determined as much by craftsmen and expectations of imperial power as by the emperor's decree; and that this was a credible alternative Byzantine identity to that developed in the empire of Nicaea.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Evaluation by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book The Central Government of Russia by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book Contested Agronomy by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book The Routledge Companion to Accounting Education by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book Internet Retailing and Future Perspectives by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book Designing Quality Authentic Assessments by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book Claiming the Virgin by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book Transforming Organizations for the Subscription Economy by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book The Sino-Japanese War and Youth Literature by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book Interpretations of History by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book Behavioural Analysis of Crime by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book The Balanced Company by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book The World After Cheap Oil by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book The Authentic Shakespeare by Antony Eastmond
Cover of the book The Asylum as Utopia (Psychology Revivals) by Antony Eastmond
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy