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
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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.
Regional variations in Middle Byzantine architecture
How did Byzantine architecture differ throughout the empire and beyond its borders?
Middle Byzantine church architecture
Explore groundbreaking new architecture like the cross-in-square church.
Mosaics and microcosm: the monasteries of Hosios Loukas, Nea Moni, and Daphni
These glittering mosaics offered Byzantine worshippers a vision of God in the heavens, sacred history, and the saints.
Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, Torcello
fresco, mosaic, and marble threatened by a rising sea and the salt it leaves behind
Theotokos mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
The size and solidity of this Virgin and Christ reaffirmed the power of images in the wake of Byzantine iconoclasm.
Saint Mark’s Basilica, Venice
In this jewel box of a Byzantine church, the solid walls of a Greek-cross plan dissolve into golden light.
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