Editing Italian art (section)

=== Italo-Byzantine art ===

{{Main|Italo-Byzantine}}

Following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire—later known as the [[Byzantine Empire]]—continued to thrive for nearly a thousand years, with its capital at [[Constantinople]].<ref>[http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/byzantium/index.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110817013945/http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/byzantium/index.html|date=17 August 2011}} Byzantium. ''Fordham University.'' Accessed 6 October 2011.</ref> Byzantine artisans were frequently employed on major artistic projects throughout Italy, and the influence of Byzantine aesthetics led to the development of the [[Italo-Byzantine]] style, which persisted in various forms into the 14th century.

The Italo-Byzantine style typically refers to religious paintings that imitate standard Byzantine [[icon]]ography but were executed by Italian artists without formal training in Byzantine techniques. These works often feature subjects such as the [[Madonna and Child]], rendered on [[gold ground]] panels. They introduced the format of small, portable framed paintings to Western Europe and played a central role in the devotional practices of the period.

This style dominated Italian painting until the late 13th century, when artists like [[Cimabue]] and [[Giotto]] began to forge a more naturalistic and emotionally expressive approach, particularly in Florence. Nevertheless, Italo-Byzantine painting continued to be produced in some regions and religious contexts well into the 15th century and beyond.<ref>Drandaki, Anastasia, "A Maniera Greca: content, context and transformation of a term," ''Studies in Iconography'', vol. 35, 2014, pp. 39–41, 48–51.</ref>