Lecture — Orthodoxy and the Triumph of Byzantium: Visual Theology and the Eloquence of Spirituality in Byzantine Ecclesiastical Art

When	November 13, 2012 - Starts at 6:00 pm
Where	(National Hellenic Museum) 333 S Halsted St., Chicago, Illinois 60661
Transit	Walking distance from the CTA Blue Line at UIC-Halsted, and CTA Bus Route 8 – Halsted.
Parking	Privately managed parking lots are available within walking distance of the Museum.
Cost	Free with Museum Admission.

“Orthodoxy and the Triumph of Byzantium:  Visual Theology and the Eloquence of Spirituality in Byzantine Ecclesiastical Art” will be presented by Professor Dimitri Liakos at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at the National Hellenic Museum located at 333 S. Halsted Street.  The event is free with Museum admission. Now through November 14th admission is half price ($5 adults, seniors and students $4) and admission for member is always free. Wine and cheese reception with Professor Liakos to follow the lecture.

“Orthodoxy and the Triumph of Byzantium:  Visual Theology and the Eloquence of Spirituality”

In the lecture, Professor Dimitri Liakos  will examine and interpret Byzantine achievements in the visual arts. Professor Liakos will also explore several questions in regard to Byzantine art, such as “What do we mean by the word Byzantine?”  This lecture will clarify and  interpret the  symbolism, metaphor, meaning and message, to the faithful and all beholders, as well as how the beholder and beheld interact, approach and come nearer to one another in Byzantine art.

This lecture is in conjuction with the the unveiling of the Jaharis Galleries at the Art Institute of Chicago and the opening of their special exhibition, Late Roman and Early Byzantine Treasures from The British Museum  on Sunday, November 11, 2012, through August 25,2013.  The exhibit features more than 50 incomparable works of late Roman and early Byzantine art lent by the British Museum and is comprised of luxurious yet portable items such as silver vessels, carved ivories, and gem-encrusted jewelry, these artworks reflect the splendor of  wealthy households and important ecclesiastical sites between 350 and 650 A.D.

 

About the Speaker

Professor Liakos was born and educated in Athens, Greece, in the Plaka, under the shadow of the Acropolis and the timeless Parthenon.  The playground of his childhood was the Athenian Agora, the Theater of Dionysos and the Temple of Zeus, which inspired and motivated his life’s work.  In 1965, he was invited by Northern Illinois University to teach art history and archaeology at the School of Art and to structure a program for the study of ancient and Byzantine art.  He introduced  11 courses dealing with ancient and Byzantine art.

He served as chair of the Department of Art History, re-elected by his faculty for 25 consecutive years.  Liakos is a charter member of the Classical Art Society of the Art Institute of Chicago, serving twice as its president.  He is the founder of ALPHA:  Friends of Antiquity, an organization at NIU which promotes the study of ancient Mediterranean civilizations through travel and lectures, with special emphasis on the civilization of Greece.  A member of the Archaeological Institute of America, he has lectured numerous times throughout the US, Europe, Africa and Asia.  He is also a proud member/donor of the National Hellenic Museum.