Literature, Arts, and Architecture
Macedonian art was a period in Byzantine art which began with the reign of the Emperor Basil I of the Macedonian Dynasty in 867. In the ninth and tenth centuries, the Empire's military situation improved, and art and architecture revived. New churches were again commissioned, and the Byzantine church mosaic style became standardized. There was a revival of interest in classical themes and more sophisticated techniques were used to depict human figures.
The 11th-century monastery of Hosios Lukas in Greece is representative of the Byzantine art during the rule of the Macedonian Dynasty. Although monumental sculpture is extremely rare in Byzantine art, the Macedonian period saw the flourishing of the art of ivory sculpture. Many ornate ivory triptychs and dyptichs survive, with the central panel often representing either deesis or the Theotokos. On the other hand, ivory caskets often feature secular motifs true to the Hellenistic tradition, thus testifying to an undercurrent of classical taste in Byzantine art.
The 11th-century monastery of Hosios Lukas in Greece is representative of the Byzantine art during the rule of the Macedonian Dynasty. Although monumental sculpture is extremely rare in Byzantine art, the Macedonian period saw the flourishing of the art of ivory sculpture. Many ornate ivory triptychs and dyptichs survive, with the central panel often representing either deesis or the Theotokos. On the other hand, ivory caskets often feature secular motifs true to the Hellenistic tradition, thus testifying to an undercurrent of classical taste in Byzantine art.