Early Christian and Byzantine Art

Bol Partner

Early Christian and Byzantine is one of a series of books which attempts to describe the social, political, religious and intellectual climate of a period as well as the genesis and attainments of its art and architecture.;The greatness of Byzantine art - including architecture, sculpture, panel paintings, book illuminations, as well as icons, mosaics and cloisonne work is now being assessed at its true worth and is known to have made a powerful impression on the West. This study shows how the two halves of the Roman Empire, the Christians in Rome and the Orthodox Christians in the East, adapted the art of classical antiquity to new conditions.

Bol

John Lowden provides an authoritative account of early Christian and Byzantine art from the third century AD to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. From the grandest public buildings to the smallest personal items, it was - and still is - an art of extraordinary directness, but also of mystery and transcendence. Lowden explains how and why early Christian and Byzantine art was made and used, and situates it within the controversies of its time.