The Glory of Byzantium and Early Christendom

Byzantine art established the images of the Christian religion that are still current today: the appearance, dress and attributes of Biblical figures all owe their invention to these early artists. The Byzantine empire spanned the fourth to the fifteenth century, bridging the Middle Ages from the late Roman Empire to the early Renaissance, and of all the world's empires, it is most clearly defined by its art. Presenting 300 artworks from the years 240 to 1453, The Glory of Byzantium and Early Christendom encapsulates the development of art in eastern Europe and eastern Mediterranean from the very early days of Christianity to the fall of Constantinople. Even when a more secular art developed during the early Renaissance, Byzantine art lived on as the dominant style for religious art, particularly in the Orthodox East. Nevertheless, a perception of Byzantine art as purely religious is misleading: while it included the production of glorious icons, it also encompassed metalwork, architecture, sculpture, wall painting and mosaics, but secular and Christian.