Landmarks of the World’s Art: The Early Christian & Byzantine World by Jean Lassus (Color Illustrated Hardcover)

Description

THE UNIQUE STORY of the development of Early Christian art and the magnificent cultural sphere of the Byzantine Empire have seldom been examined together in such a comprehensive study. In this lavishly illustrated book with more than 200 plates, 117 of these in colour, Professor Jean Lassus traces this fascinating development. The secret life of the first Christians in Rome and their subsequent acceptance by the state in the 4th century survives for us only through the paintings in the catacombs and the sculpture of the sarcophagi. Gradually signs of the increasing power and wealth of the church are found in the majestic basilicas and glittering mosaics of the Italian capital. The influence of Constantine’s building programme, both in Italy and in the Holy Land, are analysed with outstanding author ity. Professor Lassus, an expert in this field, explains the evolution of Byzantine Church architecture with the development of the dome, and its diffusion through the empire. He examines in detail the important role of Ravenna, paying particular attention to the astonishing variety of the mosaic decoration. During the period of Iconoclasm (the ban ning of all images in religious in the 8th century) the figurative arts of Byzantium suffered irreparable damage, but the re voking of this decree a century later resulted i in magnificent frescoes and mosaics full of expression and grace. The influence of these works spread from Constantinople through out her empire. Cultural activities in the West between the 6th and 11th centuries were more scattered than those of the Christian East. The Irish illuminated manuscripts such as the Books of Kells and Durrow had a far-reaching influ ence on the manuscripts of Carolingian Europe while the products of Charlemagne’s ‘renaissance’ were a crystallisation of the Barbarian arts and a step towards the im pending expansion of the Romanesque.