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Unknown artist, Mosaic icon of Saint Stephen, c. 1108–1113.
Unknown artist, Mosaic icon of Saint Stephen, c. 1108–1113. Tesserae on stucco, 218 x 118 x 7 cm. National Conservation Area St. Sophia of Kiev

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Evening lectures

The Heavenly Liturgy: Byzantine Psalmody to 1453
SOLD OUT
Friday 7 November
Dr Alexander Lingas, City University, surveys the development of liturgical music in Byzantium from its origins in the congregational psalmody of Late Antiquity to the ecstatic compositions of St John Koukouzeles and Manuel Chrysaphes in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. A small ensemble of accomplished Byzantine cantors musically illustrate the presentation.
Supported by the London Centre for Arts and Cultural Enterprise.
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Women, Men and Eunuchs: The Three Sexes in Byzantium
SOLD OUT
Friday 21 November
Professor Liz James, University of Sussex, explores the different roles and lifestyles allocated to the three sexes who made up Byzantine society: men, the most important; women, the least significant; and eunuchs, neither one nor the other.
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Byzantium Rediscovered
SOLD OUT
Friday 28 November
Professor J. B. Bullen, University of Reading, explores how and why Byzantine art and architecture enjoyed a resurgence of interest towards the end of the nineteenth century spreading from Continental Europe into England. He focuses on a number of buildings, including London’s Westminster Cathedral.
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A Sinai Illuminated Manuscript of the Heavenly Ladder: Spiritual Ascents through Art
SOLD OUT
Friday 13 February
Father Justin, Librarian of the Monastery of Saint Catherine, Sinai, discusses how the illuminated manuscript of The Ladder of Divine Ascent provides insights into the spirituality of Sinai and the theology of art in the Orthodox Church.
Supported by The Hellenic Foundation.
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Icons and Iconoclasm: Religious Imagery in Christianity, Judaism and Islam
SOLD OUT
Tuesday 17 March
In contrast to the polytheistic religions and their exuberant depictions of their many gods, Christianity, Judaism and Islam have distinct reservations about displaying images of their God. This panel discussion explores iconoclasm and why, when and how it happens. Panellists Professor Judith Herrin, King’s College London; Dr Sabiha Al Khemir, Museum of Islamic Art, Doha; Professor Philip Alexander, University of Manchester Centre for Jewish Studies; and historian and broadcaster Bettany Hughes explore iconoclasm and why, when and how it happens.
Supported by the London Centre for Arts and Cultural Enterprise.
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Focus day

Constantinople to St Petersburg: Russian and Byzantine Luxuries
Saturday 21 February
Accompanying Byzantium 330–1453 and the V&A’s exhibition Magnificence of the Tsars, this event explores the artistic and cultural riches of the Russian and Byzantine empires. Speakers examine Byzantine painting, Orthodox icons, illuminated manuscripts, Imperial court dress, jewellery, and the celebrated Fabergé eggs.
In association with the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Booking information

Free lunchtime lectures

Byzantium: Looking at a Mirage
Monday 3 November
Professor Robin Cormack, exhibition co-curator
Reynolds Room; 1-2 pm; collect entry tokens from 12.15 pm, doors open 12.30 pm

St John, the Island of Patmos and his Monastery
Monday 1 December
Maria Vassilaki, exhibition co-curator, University of Thessaly and Benaki Museum. Supported by The Hellenic Foundation.
Reynolds Room; 1-2 pm; collect entry tokens from 12.15 pm, doors open 12.30 pm

Christians and Muslims on the Frontiers of Byzantium
Monday 16 February
Dr Antony Eastmond, Courtauld Institute of Art
Reynolds Room; 1-2 pm; collect entry tokens from 12.15 pm, doors open 12.30 pm

The Making of Byzantium 330-1453
Monday 23 February
Dr Adrian Locke, exhibition co-curator
Reynolds Room; 1-2 pm; collect entry tokens from 12.15 pm, doors open 12.30 pm

Three-session course

The Art of Mosaic
SOLD OUT
Mondays 19 January, 26 January and 2 February
Artist Emily Fuller leads this three-session course in which participants learn all aspects of the art of mosaic. Using vitreous glass and ceramic mosaics, students design, cut, fabricate and grout a mosaic to take home.

Free gallery talks

Public Gallery Talks
45-minute introductory talks; free with an exhibition ticket
2.30 pm Wednesdays, 7 pm Fridays

Spotlight Talks
10-minute talks on individual works; free with an exhibition ticket
3 pm Thursdays

Schools programme

FREE self-guided visits are available for all full-time educational groups of 10 or more students. Free guided gallery tours and practical workshops can also be booked. Educational resources, including an Education guide for secondary-school students and teachers and an illustrated Junior guide for younger students, are available free from the Education Desk with an exhibition ticket and teacher or student ID. Please call 020 7300 5995 for further details. Alternatively, the PDFs can be downloaded here:

Download the 'Byzantium 330–1453' Education guide here (3.3 MB)
Download the 'Byzantium 330–1453' Junior guide here (2.3 MB)

Access programme

The RA offers access to visually impaired people with one-to-one guided tours. Please contact the Access Officer to book. Audio guides with loops and additional stops for visually impaired people, transcripts and large-print gallery guides are available. Pre-book disabled parking and wheelchairs on 020 7300 8028. Contact the Access Officer on tel/text 020 7300 5732, fax 020 7300 8013 or email access@royalacademy.org.uk

BSL and Lipspeaking tours

Fridays 14 November, 16 January and 13 February
A guided tour of the exhibition with BSL and lipspeaking interpretation.
Main Galleries; 6-7 pm, please arrive by 5.45 pm; £3, please book tickets through the Access Officer

For information or to book, please contact the Access Officer:
Tel/text 020 7300 5732
Email access@royalacademy.org.uk
Fax booking form to 020 7300 8013
Post booking form to:
Access Events, Royal Academy of Arts
Burlington House, Piccadilly
London W1J 0BD

Download an events booking form (39 KB)
Download an events booking form in Word format (43 KB)

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