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The Art Gallery of Alberta respectfully acknowledges that we are located in Treaty 6 Territory and Region 4 of the Metis Nation of Alberta. We respect this as the traditional and contemporary  land of diverse Indigenous Peoples including the Plains Cree, Woodland Cree, Beaver Cree, Nitsitapi/Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Anishinaabe/Saulteaux/Ojibwe and Dene Peoples. We also acknowledge the many Indigenous, Inuit and Métis people who make Alberta their home today.

Byzantine Icons: Origins, Controversy and Theology

Location
Theatre

19th Century, Nativity. Tempera, gold leaf, 64 x 43.1 x 5.5 cm. Gift of Dr. John Foreman, 2007. Malcove Collection M2002.017. Courtesy Art Museum University of Toronto.

In Golden Light features a selection of painted religious icons dating back as far as the 17th century, but the icon tradition is much more ancient, dating back to Byzantium. These representations of Christ, the Saints and incidents from the Gospels are supposed to originate with eye-witnesses, and even be based on autopsy. The veneration in which these images were held sparked a controversy about the propriety – or even possibility – of representing the Divine, and about the place of art in the Church. This controversy rocked the Byzantine Empire for over a century, and its conclusion was an achievement of intellectual and social consensus which established the revered position of icons in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, not only as works of art, but also as vehicles for conveying the teaching of the Church.

In an illustrated lecture, MacEwan University professor Dr. Benjamin Garstad will outline these developments, providing the fascinating historical background to the icons featured in In Golden Light. 

 

Speaker

GARSTADB

Dr. Benjamin Garstad studied Classics and Early Christian Literature at the University of Calgary and the University of St Andrews, where he earned his Ph.D. in 2000. He subsequently taught at the University of Calgary and Brooklyn College and was a visiting scholar at Columbia University. In 2006 he joined the faculty of Grant MacEwan College, now MacEwan University, where he is Professor of Classics. His research is chiefly concerned with early Byzantine literature and the Byzantine chronicle tradition.

Dates and Tickets

$10/AGA Members free
$10/AGA Members free
No upcoming dates.
Show past dates
Audience: Adult

Hours

Monday: closed
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday: 11am-5pm
Thursday: 11am-7pm
Friday: 11am-5pm
Saturday: 11am-5pm
Sunday: 11am-5pm

Admission

* Restrictions apply. Please see our Hours and Admissions page.

AGA members
$Free
Youth 0-17
$Free
Alberta students 18+
$Free
Out-of-province students
$10
General admission
$14
Seniors 65+
$10

Location

2 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T5J 2C1

780.422.6223
info@youraga.ca

Directions

The Art Gallery of Alberta respectfully acknowledges that we are located in Treaty 6 Territory and Region 4 of the Metis Nation of Alberta. We respect this as the traditional and contemporary  land of diverse Indigenous Peoples including the Plains Cree, Woodland Cree, Beaver Cree, Nitsitapi/Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Anishinaabe/Saulteaux/Ojibwe and Dene Peoples. We also acknowledge the many Indigenous, Inuit and Métis people who make Alberta their home today.