CHAPTER EIGHT
BYZANTINE ART
8
Multiple Choice
1. Near the end of the first century, what replaced the scroll as the primary form of recording
texts?
A. codex
B. manuscript
C. miniature
D. vellum
2. What religious theme unites the mosaics in the Church of San Vitale (Figs. 8-5, 8-6, 8-7, 8-8,
and 8-9)?
A. the martyrdom of St. Vitalis
B. the marriage sacrament of Justinian and Theodora
C. Christ’s role as King of Heaven
D. the celebration of the Eucharist
3. What pictorial element indicates an otherworldly space in Empress Theodora and her
Attendants in the Church of St. Vitale (Fig. 8-9)?
A. the emphasis on illusionistic space
B. three-dimensional modeling of the figures
C. the silhouetting of the figures against a gold background
D. the open doorway to the women’s gallery
4. Before the iconoclasm of the eighth century, icons were accepted as
A. illustrations of key biblical events.
B. intermediaries between worshipers and holy figures.
C. didactic images that reinforced Christian moral values.
D. images to be worshiped in churches and private settings.
5. The Archangel Michael (Fig. 8-12) is an example of carved ivory diptychs that served what
function in Christian worship?
A. They were used to send messages to friends and colleagues.
B. They were portable objects of veneration, similar to painted icons.
C. They were used to record names of people who were to be remembered in prayers.
D. They were used as book covers for manuscripts.
6. The extensive use of marble, colored glass, and gold mosaics to decorate the interior of the
Church of San Vitale (Fig. 8-6) had what effect on the structure?
A. It served to reinforce the underlying supports.
B. It made the structure appear to dissolve into shimmering light and color.
C. It called attention to the architectural complexity seen throughout the building.
D. It disguised structural irregularities that were originally visible inside the church.
7. The use of purple vellum in the production of the Vienna Genesis (Fig. 8-13) indicates it was
probably made for
A. a bishop.
B. a woman.
C. an imperial patron.
D. public display
8. The nobility and suffering of the figures of the Crucifixion (Fig. 8-22) were meant to
A. provoke fear in travelers and pilgrims.
B. move monks and visitors to meditation.
C. express knowledge of Greek artistic tradition.
D. emphasize the power of the royal patron.
9. Which medium, which the poet and philosopher Theodore Metochites was responsible for,
cover(s) every inch of the funerary chapel at the church of the monastery of Christ in Chora?
A. mosaics
B. frescoes
C. tapestries
D. stonework
10. In both its subject matter and artistic style, the Paris Psalter (Fig. 8-27) reflects
A. the continuation of pagan artistic traditions in the Christian art of Constantinople.
B. the Byzantine interest in representing an otherworldly space of the mystical.
C. the preference for two-dimensional surface patterns in the Middle Byzantine period.
D. the spread of Christianity among the masses through the production of manuscripts .
11. Architects of the Cathedral of St. Mark in Venice relied on a Greek-cross plan, marking each
square unit with a separate
A. altar.
B. apse.
C. chapel.
D. dome.
12. During the Byzantine era, to separate the congregation from the sanctuary, the celebration of
the Mass took place behind a(n)
A. ciborium.
B. screen.
C. ambulatory.
D. aisle.
13. During the Late Byzantine period, the territory of the Byzantine Empire decreased to
A. small areas of the Balkans and Greece.
B. Constantinople and Russia.
C. Greece and eastern Europe.
D. Greece and Macedonia.
14. Justinian provided the monastery at St. Catherine at Mount Sinai with
A. vaults.
B. minarets.
C. fortifications.
D. a chapel.
15. What originated in the third century, when devout Christians retired to the desert?
A. iconoclasm
B. monasticism
C. orthodoxy
D. pilgrimage
16. Which notion was emphasized in The Transfiguration of Christ (Fig. 8-11) in the apse at St.
Catherine?
A. theophany
B. parakklesion
C. anastasis
D. symbolism
17. Which refers to an intensified interest in the styles and themes of Classical art during the
Middle Byzantine period?
A. Chora Revival
B. Palaeologue Renaissance
C. Macedonian Renaissance
D. Venetian Period
18. The inscription accompanying the image of the Virgin and Child in the Apse of Hagia Sophia
(Fig. 8-16) credited emperors with
A. reviving the use of images.
B. being great patrons of the arts.
C. saving the city from its enemies.
D. following religious decrees.
19. The monastery church of St. Panteleimon at Nerezi was built under the patronage of
A. Basil I.
B. Prince Vladimir.
C. Alexios Komnenos.
D. Romanos II.
20. Which description of the image of the Lamentation with Standing Monastic Saints Below
(Fig. 8-23) at Nerezi reflects art under the Komnenians?
A. short, squatty figures
B. aloof and emotionless quality
C. flat, two-dimensionality
D. painterly spontaneity
21. The Lamentation with Standing Monastic Saints Below (Fig. 8-23) at Nerezi focuses on
A. the Virgin’s anguish.
B. the activities of the onlookers.
C. the background landscape.
D. the moment of the Crucifixion.
22. Small, portable luxury items created in the Middle Byzantine period combine exceptional
beauty and technical skill with
A. altruistic flair.
B. philosophical virtues.
C. religious meaning.
D. pagan motifs.
23. On the back of the central panel of the Harbaville Triptych (Fig. 8-25B), what symbolized
paradise?
A. bust-length portraits of saints
B. vegetation inhabited by animals
C. the archangel Michael
D. portraits of monks
24. Which work of art is related to the Harbaville Triptych (Fig. 8-25) in figure style and
composition?
A. Crucifixion and Iconoclasts
B. The Hospitality of Abraham
C. Christ Pantokrator with Scenes from the Life of Christ
D. Christ Crowning Emperor Romanos II and Empress Eudokia
25. In the Icon of Saint Michael the Archangel (Fig. 8-29) from the Middle Byzantine period, the
archangel is depicted as
A. a messenger.
B. a military commander.
C. a Roman deity.
D. a disciple.
Short Answer
1. What are the “three golden ages” of Byzantine art, and when did each occur?
2. What does the term “Byzantine” mean, and what is the significance of the location?
3. How is the main dome of Hagia Sophia (Fig. 8-4) supported?
4. How does the dome of Hagia Sophia (Fig. 8-4) differ from the dome of the Pantheon (Figs. 6-
48 and 6-49)?
5. What were the purposes of Byzantine manuscripts?
6. What caused the iconoclasm of 726 CE, and what was the result?
7. What was established by the Kievan mosaics (Fig. 8-20)?
8. How do the mosaics in the monastery church of the Dormition at Daphni (Figs. 8-21 and 8-22)
convey a mood and message?
9. What inspired the doge of Venice to commission the Cathedral of Saint Mark (Fig. 8-24)?
10. How does math play a role in Late Byzantine works, such as The Hospitality of Abraham
(Fig. 8-36)?
Essay
1. Discuss the iconographic motifs that developed during Byzantine periods for representing
events from the Life of Christ.
2. Compare and contrast the image of Christ in Figure 8-11 and in Figure 8-32. What
developments can be described from sixth century to the fourteenth century in Byzantine art?
3. Discuss the floor plan of the monastery at Hosios Loukas. What role did it play in the life of
the monks?
4. Compare and contrast the representation of the Virgin Mary throughout the Byzantine era.
Answer:
5. Describe the formal and stylistic elements of David Battling Goliath (Fig. 8-1). How does this
exemplify the Byzantine aesthetic?