What is it about?
This paper discusses the scarce, but crucial evidence for plaster reliefs in Constanti- nople between the ninth and the thirteenth centuries. While many plaster reliefs sur- vived in the Balkan peninsula, there is room to confirm that they were also used in the capital. Plaster reliefs were a quick substitution for marble, but could also answer aesthetic needs and architectural conventions that continued from Late Antiquity in to Middle and Late Byzantine architecture, even with some changes.
Featured Image
Photo by Raimond Klavins on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Plaster reliefs for Constantinople for the middle and late Byzantine period are unknown. This paper sheds light on the few surviving case studies and attempt to reconstruct them using unpublished archival material. Finally, the study situate sthe use of stucco into aesthetic of Byzantine buildings: the need for a rich decoration and an elaborated carving. These were the qualities for which stucco was appreciated.
Perspectives
I hope this article will shed light on this neglected material, and stimulate for a more critical approach to it. In the past, very often stucco was not investigated in-depth or was even removed without an evaluation of its chronology and its role in the interior decoration of Byzantine buildings. However, thi study demonstrates that stucco was used and played a crucial part in the creation of the sacred space in the middle and late Byzantine periods.
Flavia Vanni
University of Birmingham
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Seeing the Unseen: Plaster Reliefs in Middle Byzantine Constantinople, Eurasian Studies, December 2021, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/24685623-12340111.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
