The UK has a strong tradition in the study of Byzantine art and culture and it is one of the leading countries in this research field. However, culture from the late period (13th to 15th centuries), art from the period after the fall of Constantinople in 1453 (known as post-Byzantine art) and the complex interactions between Byzantine cultural heritage and Western Europe through these timeframes, receive less extensive attention. Of primary importance to this research are the artistic and cultural activities on the island of Crete – a Venetian colony from 1211 to 1669 – where significant aspects of post-Byzantine art arose. The Cretan artist Domenikos Theotokopoulos – better know as El Greco – started his career painting icons there in the second half of the 16th century.
The main objectives of the Research Group are to promote the study of Byzantine art and culture and to contribute to the expansion of its research and understanding, with particular attention to the late and post-Byzantine periods. Issues and impact of cultural interaction, hybridity, colonialism, postcolonialism, international travel and trade are of foremost importance to contemporary society. It is therefore important to develop research strands which look at the period when many of these enterprises began. Furthermore, research into the relationship between Byzantine cultural heritage and the Renaissance through this timeframe can make a significant contribution to our understanding of the nuanced and complex nature of this important period in Western cultural development.
