BYZANTINE AND CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE,1894 Antique Wood Engraving

Historical Collectible Architectural Art Print

PRINT SHOWS PROFILE OF ST SOPHIA CATHEDRAL IN CONSTANTINOPLE, ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL IN ROME. CAPITALS, FLOORPLANS, TOMBS MAUSOLEUMS OF VARIOUS PLACES Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire.Early Byzantine architecture is essentially a continuation of Roman architecture. Gradually, a style emerged which imbued certain influences from the Near East and used the Greek cross plan for the church architecture. Brick replaced stone, classical orders were used more freely, mosaics replaced carved decoration, and complex domes were erected. Prime examples of early Byzantine architecture date from Justinian I's reign and survive in Ravenna and Constantinople. One of the great breakthroughs in the history of Western architecture occurred when Justinian's architects invented a complex system providing for a smooth transition from a square plan of the church to a circular dome (or domes) by means of squinches or pendentives. In Ravenna, we have the longitudinal basilicas of San Vitale and S Apollinare Nuovo, among others. Justinian's monuments in Constantinople include the domed churches of Hagia Sophia and Hagia Irene, but there is also an earlier, smaller church of Sts Sergius and Bacchus (sometimes referred to as "Little Hagia Sophia"), which might have served as a model for both in that it combined the elements of a longitudinal basilica with those of a centralized building. The 6th-century church of Hagia Irene in Constantinople is a superb sample of the early Byzantine architecture Secular structures include the ruins of the Great Palace of Constantinople, the innovative walls of Constantinople (with 192 towers) and Basilica Cistern (with hundreds of recycled classical columns). A frieze in the Ostrogothic palace in Ravenna depicts an early Byzantine palace. Hagios Demetrios in Thessaloniki, St Catherine Monastery on Mount Sinai, Djvari in present-day Georgia, and three Armenian churches of Echmiadzin all date primarily from the 7th century and provide a glimpse on architectural developments in the Byzantine provinces following the age of Justinian.

Approximate Overall Size: 12 X 9 1/2 inches

CONDITION: Book Plate - Excellent Condition. Folded.German Text. Beautiful with excellent detail. Blank on the Back