Book dossier

L'art de l'Empire byzantin

by David Talbot Rice

"Something of the Hellenic Spirit was reborn in the Eastern Roman Empire - later known as Byzantium - while the Western Empire crumbled under the blows of barbarian invaders. For a thousand years thereafter its great capital, Constantinople, remained the center of a brilliant, sophisticated society, and an art of magnificence and power. We have come to know Byzantine art chiefly in examples remote from the capital; until a short time ago, for example, the glowing gold-and-colored-glass mosaics of Santa Sophia were obscured by whitewash. This book now spreads before the reader the Byzantine art of Constantinople itself in its incomparable elegance and perfection, including the fascinating buildings, mosaics, murals, and sculptures, as well as smaller treasures that cannot be moved because of their fragility or sacredness. In the introduction the author, a distinguished authority, traces the development of Byzantine art with the penetration and sensitivity born of a lifetime of scholarship. In addition, he discusses at some length each of the illustrated objects and buildings. The photographs - many reproduced in full color - were made by Max Hirmer, who is noted for his ability to bring out the qualities present in works of art. These two great authorities, between them, have created an impressive and notable contribution to art literature." --