Italo-Byzantine

Italo-Byzantine is a style of art used in medieval times for paintings made in Italy that were strongly influenced by Byzantine art. These paintings were mostly religious and copied the look of Byzantine icons, but were made by artists who did not know the exact Byzantine painting methods. Many of these works showed the Madonna and Child and were often painted on a gold ground. This style was very common in Italian painting until the end of the 13th century, when artists like Cimabue and Giotto started creating new styles.

At the time, people in Italy called this style Maniera greca, meaning "Greek style." Some famous art writers, like Vasari, did not like this style and thought the Renaissance was a big step away from what they called "that clumsy Greek style." Real Byzantine icons were also brought into Italy from places like Crete, which was controlled by Venice. Later, some paintings made in Italy by Greek artists or artists trained by Greeks were also called Italo-Byzantine.

Most artists who worked in this style are not well-known today, but we do know a little about some from the mid-13th century, like Coppo di Marcovaldo from Florence and Berlinghiero from Lucca. The gold background in these paintings helped artists create strong outlines and beautiful patterns in their work.

Terms and scope

The term "Italo-Byzantine" is mostly used for special kinds of paintings and art from the Middle Ages in Italy. It describes works that were strongly inspired by art from the Byzantine Empire. These paintings, often showing religious scenes like the Madonna and Child, were made by Italian artists who copied Byzantine styles but did not follow Byzantine methods exactly. They helped bring small, portable paintings with frames to Western Europe.

This term is also used sometimes for buildings, especially in Venice, such as San Marco, Venice and a few other old structures. In some parts of southern Italy and Sicily, people lived under Byzantine rule and kept Greek traditions, including speaking Greek and following Greek Orthodox religious practices. Over time, these traditions continued within a special part of the Catholic Church called the Eastern Catholic Italo-Byzantine or Italo-Albanian Catholic Church.

History

The Italo-Byzantine icon style became popular after the Sack of Constantinople in 1204. This event brought many icons back to Europe, which inspired local artists. Before this, portable panel paintings were not common in the West, but after the sack, they started to appear more often. The 13th century also saw more devotion to the Virgin Mary, partly because of the Franciscan Order.

During this time, most Italo-Byzantine paintings were made for churches or big homes. Later, they were often left to churches. The development of altarpieces began because of changes in church services. Priests started to face away from the congregation, so altarpieces were created as a focus for worship. Many larger Italo-Byzantine paintings were altarpieces, often in the form of polyptychs. Venice was a key place for this style, where mosaic was preferred but too expensive for most churches.

In the late 13th century, painters like Cimabue in Florence and Duccio in Siena used the Italo-Byzantine style but also began to add new ways of showing depth and solid forms. This style was also used by many smaller artists in various towns for a long time. The Cambrai Madonna, painted around 1340 in Italy, shows a mix of old and new styles. By the 16th century, owning icons became common in many homes, from noble families to middle and working classes. Over time, the Italo-Byzantine style was seen as old-fashioned, but some still valued it for its traditional and devotional qualities.

Italian painting before about 1200 included illuminated manuscripts, frescos, and large painted crucifixes for churches. These painted crucifixes were different from Byzantine styles and were seen as a simpler version of sculpted crosses. Famous examples include the Gero Cross in Cologne and the Holy Face of Lucca. Painters of the Proto-Renaissance, such as Cimabue and Giotto, worked on both panels and frescos, and sometimes designed mosaics. Duccio, however, mainly painted panels.

Cretan paintings

Venetian Crete had many artists making paintings, including Cretan, Italian, and Greek artists. Sometimes they worked together, and sometimes people from different places asked them to make art.

By the late 1500s, people in Italy called one style of small, simple paintings made in Crete "maniera greca". These were made in the old Byzantine style but were cheaper. The other style was called "alla latina", which was more like older Roman or Gothic styles.

There are records showing that in 1499, someone ordered 700 pictures of the Virgin Mary. Some were in the Western style, and some were in the Byzantine style. The artists had to finish them in just 45 days!

Some of these paintings were not very high quality, and people called the artists who made many of them "Madonneri". Later, some of these artists worked in Italy too.

There were also some very skilled artists who made beautiful paintings. El Greco learned from these artists in Crete before moving to Italy in 1567 when he was about 26 years old. His later style in Italy can be thought of as a mix of Italian and Byzantine styles.