Middle Ages

The splendours of the Byzantine Empire opens in an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London on October 25th.

About Byzantium 330-1453 features a number of themed sections.

The exhibition begins with the foundation of Constantinople by the Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great.

It goes on to explore the many different phases of this fascinating city, ending with the capture of the city by the Ottoman forces of Mehmed II in 1453.

As Constantinople became a force to be reckoned with, the city’s emperors banned Christian figurative art from within its walls.

The exhibition spans the subsequent revival of Christian art, leading to its high peak in the Middle Ages. It also shows the correlations between Byzantine and early Renaissance art in Italy during the 13th and early 14th centuries.

Between 1204 and 1261, Constantinople was in the hands of the Latin Crusaders. However, the return of Byzantine Emperors brought a final period of great art to the city.

Influences from the Balkans and Russia show in this final phase of artistic activity, including the development of distinctively Orthodox forms and functions.

Meanwhile, in Crete, artists such as Angelos Akotantos signed their icons and merged Byzantine and Italian styles.

Although Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, the surviving manuscripts, micro-mosaics and metalwork bear witness to the outstanding skills of its artists.

Byzantium 330–1453 features works from the San Marco Treasury in Venice and rare items from collections across Europe, the USA, Russia, Ukraine and Egypt.

Around 300 objects have been provided for the exhibition by dint of a remarkable collaboration between the Royal Academy and the Benaki Museum, Athens.

The objects on show will include icons, detached wall paintings, micro-mosaics, ivories, enamels plus gold and silver metalwork. Some of the works have never been displayed in public before.

This is the first major exhibition on Byzantine Art in the United Kingdom for 50 years.

Byzantium 330-1453 is supported by the J.F Costopoulos Foundation, the A.G Leventis Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos.

Foundation and media partner, The Times.

Nearest underground: Green Park or Piccadilly

To book advance tickets, visit www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/byzantium