
Mani Peninsula (Greece), Kastania, St Peter Church, 12th century, main apse, sunlight filtered by the window screen, photo by Flavia Vanni
Join the School of History of Art for the next talk in the Research Seminar Series - 'Sculpting Light in Byzantine Greece, 9th–15th Century: Workshops, Climate and Devotion' by Dr Flavia Vanni. This seminar will be chaired by Dr Megan McNamee.
This talk addresses and problematises the manipulation of natural light in some Byzantine churches in rural Greece. Instead of wide, glazed windows, these churches are screened by highly carved marble plaques with small openings. Such screenings were not used in the capital and lead us to wonder if this was purely an aesthetic choice, if the small openings answered to harsh climate conditions, or if the liturgy in the rural areas required a more controlled lighting.
This talk will be hybrid. Please book your ticket for attendance in person or online. Further details on how to access the seminar will be sent to you following booking. The seminar will be followed by a drinks reception in the John Higgitt Gallery.
About the speaker
Flavia Vanni is a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at Newcastle University. Previously, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Koç University in Istanbul, the University of Salerno, and the British School in Athens. She is interested in the manipulation of natural light and in the collaboration of artisans, patrons and the liturgy in shaping the sacred space. She also studies stucco decorations, both from the artistic point of view, and as a material which offers an insight into economic history, as well as the history of guilds and workshops.
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Event details