A growing economy and increased patronage produced important new works of art and architecture following the Iconoclastic period.
843–1204
Beginner's guide
The Middle Byzantine period spans from the end of Iconoclasm in 843 to the sack of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204.
videos + essays
We're adding new content all the time!
Cross-cultural artistic interaction in the Middle Byzantine period
Even as the Byzantines struggled to maintain their borders in the Middle Byzantine period, they were in persistent communication with a diverse range of other societies, and their art and material culture continued to be an object of emulation throughout Afro-Eurasia
The Melisende Psalter
This medieval manuscript combined the arts of western Europe and the Byzantine Empire for the crusader queen Melisende of Jerusalem.
The Cappella Palatina
Drawing from both Christian and Islamic artistic traditions, the Norman King Roger II built the Cappella Palatina to be his dazzling palace chapel and royal ceremonial hall
The visual culture of Norman Sicily
The Norman Kings who ruled Sicily in the twelfth century drew from Byzantine, Islamic, and Romanesque art to present themselves as legitimate Christian rulers.
A work in progress: Middle Byzantine mosaics Hagia Sophia
The Byzantines kept adding mosaics to Hagia Sophia for centuries after it was first built, reflecting recent controversies, monetary donations, and even imperial marriages.
Middle Byzantine secular art
These fantastic beasts, heroes, and pseudo-texts show that not all Byzantine art was sacred.
Book illumination in the Eastern Mediterranean
Elisabeth Yota surveys some of the evidence for the production of illuminated manuscripts outside of the imperial capital of Constantinople
Illuminating the Psalms in Byzantium
Byzantine book illumination was at its most ambitious and innovative in the decorated psalters produced between the 9th and 11th centuries
Illuminated Gospel-books
Kathleen Maxwell describes some of the remarkable illuminated copies of the Gospels to be found in the British Library’s collections.
A Byzantine vision of Paradise — The Harbaville Triptych
This ivory triptych was an object of prayer and a vision of paradise for Byzantine viewers following iconoclasm
Byzantine frescoes at Saint Panteleimon, Nerezi
You've heard of Byzantium's golden mosaics, but what about its dramatic frescoes?
Middle Byzantine secular architecture and urban planning
Byzantium was more than just churches; exlpore homes, cities, and fortifications from the Middle Byzantine era.
Browse Smarthistory images for teaching & learning!
