Buy new:
-36% $19.27
FREE delivery Saturday, May 18 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon
Sold by: _Ladybirds_
$19.27 with 36 percent savings
List Price: $29.95

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, May 18 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$19.27 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$19.27
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Sold by
_Ladybirds_
Sold by
_Ladybirds_
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$8.12
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
This item shows wear including moderate wear to edges and cover. This item shows wear including moderate wear to edges and cover. See less
FREE delivery Thursday, May 16 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$19.27 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$19.27
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

David Talbot Rice
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Art of the Byzantine Era (World of Art) Paperback – February 17, 1985

by David Talbot Rice (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 34 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$19.27","priceAmount":19.27,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"19","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"27","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ODqhm3uWdXpDLoQVP31jTGr2v%2FUKzdTwpimrB4Ikol20V2Rve3F4FivFyKIofXdWQDd%2BEneJtTXmgCNr9UbTMr1U6NNJDO4%2BjOjGYcj%2B3BM4aCZd0OsP9vPZltG1WSEKRJ1CwV0gs2mOAV8%2Bid7cEUyEmftVJsav%2FPSE87qFZShaAQc1bJrdaCWlsx2pbfp7","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$8.12","priceAmount":8.12,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"8","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"12","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ODqhm3uWdXpDLoQVP31jTGr2v%2FUKzdTw1bQH%2BXalNVcSQRNwncRPfgg6bjgUIQe6WosBPKKH6vsZtwV%2Fkb%2BVEnZIP0yrjiDnZ%2FhiNvYjETOCOjpBm5VLq7BN7uFkzFJl6x%2Fg5GSZmTNzB3Et8GRUq3nSaJj3GxACS3LGCZXPoi90fozXUxLlF7fBg1z1KLbD","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

"Useful ... convenient ... authoritative."―The Times Educational Supplement

For the people of Byzantium, their architectural works, frescoes, mosaics, ivories, chalices, bejeweled gospel covers and many other opulent works of art were the material proof of their greatness and power over the Mediterranean states.

The vast range of these riches is illustrated in this complete account of Byzantine art from the reign of Justinian to the fall of Constantinople.

David Talbot Rice, one of the greatest authorities on Byzantine art, traveled as far afield as the rock churches of Cappadocia and Cilicia, the tufa monuments of Armenia and Georgia, and the thirteenth-century ceramic factories of Bulgaria, now buried in the alluvial mud of the Danube. His book is a masterly survey of an art of magnificence and power that belonged to a great and sophisticated society. 247 illustrations, 64 in color
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Thames & Hudson
  4. Publication date
    February 17, 1985
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0500200041
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0500200049
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Frequently bought together

Art of the Byzantine Era (World of Art)
$19.27
Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 22
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by _Ladybirds_ and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
Byzantine Art (Oxford History of Art)
$26.56
Available to ship in 1-2 days
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
One of these items ships sooner than the other.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Talbot Rice was Lecturer on Byzantine and Near-Eastern Art at the Courtauld Institute, London, and then Watson-Gordon Professor of Fine Art at Edinburgh University. His books included Islamic Art (1965, rev 1975), published in the World of Art, The Art of Byzantium (1959) and The Byzantines (1962).

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thames & Hudson; Reprint edition (February 17, 1985)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0500200041
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0500200049
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 34 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
David Talbot Rice

David Talbot Rice

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
34 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

shelley jean
5.0 out of 5 stars gorgeous book
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2013
Verified Purchase
Beautiful art work. The Byzantine era so influenced our art. It is not familiar to everyone, but it really is a fascinating time.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kirialax
5.0 out of 5 stars Good survey of art in the Byzantine "commonwealth"
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2011
While this book discusses Byzantine art, it also describes art in what Dmitri Obolensky described as  The Byzantine Commonwealth.  As such, this book is on a lot more than just the art produced in and for the elites in Constantinople. Instead Talbot Rice describes the influence of Byzantine art surrounding regions, such as Armenia, Norman Sicily, the Slavonic lands, and Georgia. The cover of the book amply demonstrates this fact, given that the mosaic depicted is not one produced in the Byzantine Empire, but rather the crowning of Roger II of Sicily. Looking at regions outside of Constantinople's temportal power but still under the influence of Byzantine art is what this book does. In this survey, Talbot Rice examines an enormous variety of artistic source material: mosaics, manuscripts, textiles, objects of art, churches, sculpture, ivories, and enamels. While this is an incredible selection of material spanning an vast geographical area, he manages to synthesize it cogently. The result is this good little book on Byzantine art. For a Thames and Hudson publication, I was a little disappointed in the number of colour plates, given that their books often include a disproportionate quantity of colour plates in relation to their price compared to many other art books. Nonetheless, there are still sixty-some colour images in this book, and given the price one can hardly complain. This is a great little book, but if you're looking for a great big art book on the roughly the same subject (albeit somewhat more confined chronologically) where everything is in colour, check out the shockingly affordable  Glory of Byzantium: Arts and Culture of the Middle Byzantine Era, A.D. 843-1261
19 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Ruth Farrell
4.0 out of 5 stars Christmas Gift
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2013
Verified Purchase
This was a Christmas gift, My sister in law, Said it was what she was looking for and can't wait to go through it.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Chris Martin
4.0 out of 5 stars Byzantium to explore
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2013
In most histories of western art, the Byzantine style sat someone incongruously to the side, as treatment was usually limited to frescoes in Ravenna and Constantinople. Yet its unusual style had a wider geographical spread and more universal appeal as David Talbot-Rice explores here in the Pelican edition of the Style and Civilisation series. Originally published by Oxford University Press in 1935 with its limited circulation, Penguin approached the erudite Talbot-Rice to update his work for a wider, but still discerning audience. This 570 page reader is still daunting for the novice to art history however, but its handy 5" x 8" size makes it worthwhile. This older edition now looks as though it has been overtaken, updated and reissued by Thames and Hudson with more colour plates.

The various chapters cover architecture, mosaics, manuscript illustrations, panel paintings , sculpture , enamels , ceramics and glasswork. My 1968 edition in paperback is still useful to read , but modern readers would more likely prefer more colour plates than is found here. Many cathedral photographs are accompanied by useful plans of buildings. This noted author does a brilliant job in commentary. Highly recommended.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Eric T.
4.0 out of 5 stars A Durable Survey
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2005
Rice's introduction to Byzantine art is particularly useful in that it does not limit itself to the arts of Constantinople only. It focuses first on the Late Antique period (primarily in Egypt), and then goes on to provide worthwhile overviews of artistic developments in Constantinople, Byzantine Italy and the Balkans. And, although he provides little more than a cursory explanation of the complex causes of change in the Byzantine aesthetic, the author's enthusiasm for his subject is evident in his clear, jargon-free descriptions of individual works. Despite being originally published almost 40 years ago, this study still effectively conveys the breadth of Byzantium's artistic influence better than most.
13 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Jose Arturo Palacios Uribe
1.0 out of 5 stars Imágenes en blanco y negro y muy mala calidad
Reviewed in Mexico on June 13, 2022
Verified Purchase
Imágenes en blanco y negro y muy mala calidad
Report
Arjen van der Wal
5.0 out of 5 stars Civilization and Art
Reviewed in Canada on May 23, 2021
Verified Purchase
A fantastic book. (Short review!)

Both for the quality of the writing and the art work. Both are on a high level (writing and art – a perfect match for each other). Very valuable to see how the style of Byzantine art, and Byzantine influenced art (from areas under the cultural influence of Byzantium) originated in the East and spread from Constantinople through the eastern Christian world. It deserves its reputation as a classic in the field, and despite its age, still holds up very well.

Even though the black and white images may seem limited in their ability convey the entire spirit of the art, the combination of text and images allows Talbot Rice to evoke this remarkable and complex religious society to which civilization owes so much.

A tremendous work for both the knowledge it offers and for the imagination that it inspires, the desire to know more about that world. An appreciation for the aspects of civilization and art which occurred around what may now seem to be the edges of civilization, but were its center for many centuries. There was a tremendous richness that is still worthy of study and appreciation, and this is what Talbot Rice excels at bringing out. He is a brilliant expositor who helps the reader to appreciate the brilliance of the Byzantine era, and the cultures of those that it influenced.

Really, it could hardly be better.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Bengt Erik Eriksson
1.0 out of 5 stars Can't recommend!
Reviewed in Sweden on June 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
The actual reproductions of art in this art book are so poor that the publishers should be ashamed to
put this publication out for sale.
Report
Kayus Wadia
5.0 out of 5 stars So amazing
Reviewed in India on February 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
A wonderful book that you will return to again and again. Get the previous editions too - well worth it
Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Quality introduction
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2014
Verified Purchase
The Byzantine era is not very favourite with writers. Luckily, David Talbot Rice is a writer who not alone knows very well the Byzantine era, but is also a very entertaining writer. His insight and passion in this period transcend throughout the book.

We learn about how the Eastern Christian World and the east of the Western Christian world (Venice, Sicily) change during the difficult centuries after the fall of the Roman empire. The author shows us the richness of their icons (not surprising for a man as Talbot Rice), frescoes, mosaic, architecture and other pieces of art.

An important number of pictures make it a pleasure to read. For anyone wanting to know more on this fascinating era, this book is a must.
One person found this helpful
 Report