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Byzantine Art Project

Artworks from the great traditions of Byzantine and Eastern Christian iconography, each paired with a doctrinal reflection. The corpus surfaces GLM's confessional shape case by case as the iconography requires it — read what the picture argues.

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The Apostolic FlockApostles

The Apostolic Flock

c. 549· Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe
Photographic reproduction in the public domain (Wikimedia Commons; uploaded by user MChew, 2005). The underlying 6th-century mosaic is in the public domain.
Virgin Enthroned with Saints Theodore and GeorgeIconoclasm Debate

Virgin Enthroned with Saints Theodore and George

c. 600 (late 6th / early 7th century)· Saint Catherine's Monastery
Photographic reproduction in the public domain (Wikimedia Commons; faithful reproduction of a two-dimensional public domain work). Underlying late-6th-century encaustic icon (Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai) is in the public domain.
The Ladder of Divine AscentLiturgical

The Ladder of Divine Ascent

12th century icon (visualizing John Climacus's *Klimax tou Paradeisou*, written c. 600)· Saint Catherine's Monastery
Photograph by Pvasiliadis (2007). Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (faithful reproduction of a 12th-century icon, which is itself in the public domain).
The Three Hebrews in the Fiery FurnaceOT Typology

The Three Hebrews in the Fiery Furnace

c. 1550· Levantine icon (Lebanese / Syrian provenance)
Photograph by Michel Bakni (2020) via the Wikimedians of the Levant 'One Hundred Icon Project.' Wikimedia Commons. The underlying 16th-century icon is in the public domain.
Christ Enthroned with AngelsPantocrator

Christ Enthroned with Angels

Early 6th century (c. 504, edited c. 561)· Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo
Photo by José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro (2016). Wikimedia Commons. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). The underlying 6th-century mosaic is in the public domain.
The Cloud of WitnessesSaints

The Cloud of Witnesses

c. 380–410 (Theodosian conversion of the Galerian rotunda; mosaics among the earliest surviving Christian dome programs)· Rotunda of Hagios Georgios
Photograph by Wikimedia Commons user Ymblanter (2021). Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). The underlying late-4th / early-5th-century mosaic is in the public domain.
Christ and Saint Menas (the Bawit Icon)Saints

Christ and Saint Menas (the Bawit Icon)

c. 6th–8th century (early Byzantine / Coptic; one of the oldest surviving Christian panel icons; recovered from the Apa Apollo Monastery at Bawit, Middle Egypt, by Jean Clédat's 1900–1903 excavations)· Musée du Louvre
Photograph: Musée du Louvre, Paris (Acc. E 11565). Wikimedia Commons. The underlying c. 6th–8th-century Coptic panel icon is in the public domain. Photographic reproduction in the public domain (CC0 / structured-data convention).
Saints Sergius and BacchusSaints

Saints Sergius and Bacchus

6th–7th century· Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts
Photographic reproduction in the public domain (Wikimedia Commons, photographed by user Shakko, 2008). The underlying 6th–7th-century encaustic icon is in the public domain.
Saint DemetriosSaints

Saint Demetrios

Late 6th–7th century (program; saint's death c. 306 AD)· Basilica of Hagios Demetrios
Photo by Holger Uwe Schmitt (2022). Wikimedia Commons. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). The underlying 6th–7th century mosaic is in the public domain.
The Forty Martyrs of SebasteSaints

The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste

10th century (martyrdom event AD 320)· Museum of Byzantine Art (Bode Museum)
Photo by Anagoria (2013). Wikimedia Commons. Dual-licensed under GFDL 1.2+ and CC BY 3.0. The underlying 10th-century ivory plaque is in the public domain.
Saint NicholasSaints

Saint Nicholas

c. 950· Walters Art Museum
Image courtesy of the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (accession 48.2086.1). Released under Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0. The underlying 10th-century ceramic tile is in the public domain.
The Martyrdom of Ignatius of AntiochSaints

The Martyrdom of Ignatius of Antioch

c. 985 (manuscript dated to the late reign of Emperor Basil II; 430 surviving illuminations covering the saints' calendar from September through February)· Vatican Apostolic Library
Photographic reproduction in the public domain (Wikimedia Commons; faithful reproduction of a 10th-century manuscript folio). The underlying Menologion of Basil II is in the public domain.
Saint PanteleimonSaints

Saint Panteleimon

11th century (Middle Byzantine; small steatite relief plaque worn on the chest or used to decorate larger icon frames)· Walters Art Museum
Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (Acc. 41.227). Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 (CC BY-SA 3.0) per the Walters' 2012 mass-release. The underlying 11th-century steatite is in the public domain.
The Saint Sophia Ohrid Fresco ProgramSaints

The Saint Sophia Ohrid Fresco Program

c. 1037–1056 (the cathedral's foundation period under Archbishop Leo of Ohrid; one of the largest 11th-century fresco ensembles in Eastern Europe; the corpus's 153rd-tagged / 150th actual entry — milestone closure)· Saint Sophia Cathedral
Photograph by Raso mk (2004). Wikimedia Commons. Public domain in North Macedonia and the United States. The underlying 11th-century frescoes are in the public domain.
Saint NicholasSaints

Saint Nicholas

11th-century underlayer, overpainted 1259 (both layers visible in the surviving palimpsest)· Boyana Church (Sofia
Photograph by Ann Wuyts. Wikimedia Commons. Released under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0). The underlying frescoes (11th c. and 1259) are in the public domain.
Saint GeorgeSaints

Saint George

c. 1250· British Museum
Photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen (2012). Wikimedia Commons. Released under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic (CC BY 2.5). The underlying 13th-century icon is in the public domain. Held by the British Museum, London (accession 1984.0601.1).
The Three HierarchsSaints

The Three Hierarchs

14th century· National Historical Museum
Photo by Sailko (2015). Wikimedia Commons. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). The underlying 14th-century icon is in the public domain.
Saints Boris and GlebSaints

Saints Boris and Gleb

c. 1340–1370 (Old Russian iconography; commemorating the 1015 martyrdom of Vladimir's princely sons)· State Russian Museum (Государственный Русский музей)
Google Art Project / Wikimedia Commons. The underlying mid-14th-century icon at the State Russian Museum is in the public domain. Photographic reproduction released under CC0/PD; structured metadata under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Saint Anastasia of SirmiumSaints

Saint Anastasia of Sirmium

c. 1370–1400 (late Palaiologan; tempera on wood, 99 × 66 cm; previously in the Russky Archeological Institute in Constantinople)· State Hermitage Museum
Wikimedia Commons. Faithful photographic reproduction of a late-14th-century icon at the Hermitage. The underlying icon is in the public domain.
Saint BarbaraSaints

Saint Barbara

15th century (Coptic-Egyptian iconographic tradition; Mamluk-period Egypt)· Coptic Museum
Photograph by أحمد ناجي / Ahmed Naji (2024). Wikimedia Commons. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). The underlying 15th-century icon at the Coptic Museum, Cairo, is in the public domain.
Saints Theodore Stratelates and Theodore TyronSaints

Saints Theodore Stratelates and Theodore Tyron

15th century· State Hermitage Museum
Photo by Netelo (2020). Wikimedia Commons. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). The underlying 15th-century icon is in the public domain.
Saints Constantine and Helena with the True CrossSaints

Saints Constantine and Helena with the True Cross

c. 1500–1700 (post-Byzantine icon type rendering the iconographic tradition of Emperor Constantine the Great and his mother Helena flanking the True Cross)· Byzantine and Christian Museum
Wikimedia Commons. Faithful photographic reproduction of a post-Byzantine icon at the Byzantine and Christian Museum, Athens. The underlying icon is in the public domain.
Saint Anthony of the DesertSaints

Saint Anthony of the Desert

c. 1550–1600· Byzantine and Christian Museum
Photo by Francesco Bini / Sailko (2023). Wikimedia Commons. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). The underlying 16th-century icon by Michael Damaskenos is in the public domain.
Saint Christopher CynocephalusSaints

Saint Christopher Cynocephalus

c. 1650· Byzantine and Christian Museum
Image courtesy of the Byzantine and Christian Museum, Athens (accession ΒΧΜ 01571), via the Wikimedia Commons. Public domain. The underlying 17th-century icon is in the public domain.
Saint Stephen the ProtomartyrSaints

Saint Stephen the Protomartyr

17th century (Byzantine iconographic tradition; saint died c. AD 34)· Museum of Byzantine Culture
Photograph in the public domain (Wikimedia Commons, file: St_Stephen.tif, photographed by user Racconish, 2016). The underlying 17th-century icon is in the public domain.
Spoon with Saint Paul as an AthleteSaints

Spoon with Saint Paul as an Athlete

ApostleSaints

Apostle

Manuscript Leaf Cutting showing an Illuminated Initial R with St. Protasius and St. GervasiusSaints

Manuscript Leaf Cutting showing an Illuminated Initial R with St. Protasius and St. Gervasius

St. MichaelSaints

St. Michael

Saint PeterSaints

Saint Peter

Manuscript Leaf Cutting from a Choir Book with an Illuminated Initial B and the Archangel MichaelSaints

Manuscript Leaf Cutting from a Choir Book with an Illuminated Initial B and the Archangel Michael

Corbel with AngelsSaints

Corbel with Angels

Saint Mary MagdaleneSaints

Saint Mary Magdalene

Saint George Slaying the DragonSaints

Saint George Slaying the Dragon

Saint PaulSaints

Saint Paul

ReliquarySaints

Reliquary

Six Apostles from RetableSaints

Six Apostles from Retable

St. James the GreatSaints

St. James the Great

Bowl Base with Christ Giving Martyrs’ Crowns to Saints Peter and PaulSaints

Bowl Base with Christ Giving Martyrs’ Crowns to Saints Peter and Paul

Manuscript Illumination with All Saints in an Initial V, from an AntiphonarySaints

Manuscript Illumination with All Saints in an Initial V, from an Antiphonary

Saint John, Apostle and EvangelistSaints

Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist

Saint John the EvangelistSaints

Saint John the Evangelist

Saint ThomasSaints

Saint Thomas

Glass Panel of Saint NicholasSaints

Glass Panel of Saint Nicholas

Saint MarkSaints

Saint Mark

Saint JohnSaints

Saint John

Shrine, Saint ManchanSaints

Shrine, Saint Manchan

Saint John the BaptistSaints

Saint John the Baptist

The Patriarch Enoch (Theophanes the Greek, Novgorod)Saints

The Patriarch Enoch (Theophanes the Greek, Novgorod)

St. MargaretSaints

St. Margaret

Reliquary of Mary MagdaleneSaints

Reliquary of Mary Magdalene

Saint RochSaints

Saint Roch

Monastic SaintSaints

Monastic Saint

Miniature Relief of Saint Mark at His Writing TableSaints

Miniature Relief of Saint Mark at His Writing Table

Miniature Relief of a Saint Luke at His Writing TableSaints

Miniature Relief of a Saint Luke at His Writing Table

St. James the LessSaints

St. James the Less

Leaf from a Lectionary with St. LukeSaints

Leaf from a Lectionary with St. Luke

Archangel IvorySaints

Archangel Ivory

Pilgrim's Medallion with Saint Symeon the YoungerSaints

Pilgrim's Medallion with Saint Symeon the Younger

The Archangel Michael (Coptic Icon)Saints

The Archangel Michael (Coptic Icon)

Bowl Base with Saints Peter and Paul Flanking a Column with the Christogram of ChristSaints

Bowl Base with Saints Peter and Paul Flanking a Column with the Christogram of Christ

Medallion with Saint Luke from an Icon FrameSaints

Medallion with Saint Luke from an Icon Frame

Medallion with Saint Peter from an Icon FrameSaints

Medallion with Saint Peter from an Icon Frame

St. Augustine (or St. Ambrose) and St. JeromeSaints

St. Augustine (or St. Ambrose) and St. Jerome

Medallion with Saint George from an Icon FrameSaints

Medallion with Saint George from an Icon Frame

The Miracle of Saint George and the Dragon (Novgorod)Saints

The Miracle of Saint George and the Dragon (Novgorod)

Pilgrim's Flask with Saint MenasSaints

Pilgrim's Flask with Saint Menas

Medallion with Saint Matthew from an Icon FrameSaints

Medallion with Saint Matthew from an Icon Frame

Medallion with Saint Paul from an Icon FrameSaints

Medallion with Saint Paul from an Icon Frame

Saint James the LesserSaints

Saint James the Lesser

Saint Sergius on Horseback (Sinai)Saints

Saint Sergius on Horseback (Sinai)

Leaf from a Lectionary with St. MatthewSaints

Leaf from a Lectionary with St. Matthew

Saint Mary MagdaleneSaints

Saint Mary Magdalene

Pilgrim's Medallion with Saint Symeon the YoungerSaints

Pilgrim's Medallion with Saint Symeon the Younger

Pilgrim's Flask with Saint MenasSaints

Pilgrim's Flask with Saint Menas

The Last JudgmentSecond Coming

The Last Judgment

Early 18th century· Vatopedi Monastery (Katholikon
Photo by Aroche (2011). Wikimedia Commons. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0). The underlying 18th-century fresco is in the public domain.

Photographs sourced primarily from Wikimedia Commons and museum open-access programs (Met CC0, Walters PD/CC BY-SA, British Museum CC BY 2.5, Cleveland Museum of Art CC0, Smithsonian Open Access, Dumbarton Oaks CC0). Originals are public domain by age; photographs carry the licenses noted on each artwork. Click any card for full credit, license, and a link back to the source.

THE SCRIPTORIUM — BE OBEDIENT & BE BOLD