Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections

Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections
Exhibition Dates: April 9–August 25, 2014

Byzantine artists drew from pagan and early Christian foundations to fashion the opulent and deeply spiritual world of Byzantium (AD 330-1453). The establishment of Christianity as the state religion inspired the creation of luminous icons, textiles, architectural sculptures, frescoes, and mosaics to adorn basilicas throughout the empire. Prosperous monasteries illuminated sacred manuscripts and preserved monuments of Greek literature, while private patronage fostered the embellishments of daily life.

This exhibition is organized by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Athens, with the collaboration of the Benaki Museum, Athens, in association with the J. Paul Getty Museum and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, with support from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

The U.S. tour was made possible by major funding from OPAP SA. Financial support 

For more information, please read the Los Angeles Times news article about the exhibition here.

This Exhibition is at the Villa Getty, Malibu, CA

The Getty Villa is modeled after a first-century Roman country house, the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, Italy. The building was constructed in the early 1970s by architects who worked closely with J. Paul Getty to develop the interior and exterior details. Buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79, much of the Villa dei Papiri remains unexcavated. Therefore, architects based many of the Museum's architectural and landscaping details on elements from other ancient Roman houses in the towns of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae. Gardens are integral to the setting of the Getty Villa, as they were in the ancient Roman home, and include herbs and shrubs inspired by those grown in ancient Roman homes for food and ceremony.

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