Mosaics of Ravenna

Image and meaning

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Image coming soon

Extent: 320, 320 pages

Publisher: Schnell & Steiner

Subjects: Art & Art History, Mediterranean Archaeology, Religious Studies

Language: English

Hardback (Forthcoming)

(September 2026)

ISBN: 9783795491604

9.45 x 12.8 inches

Price: $96.50

On back order

Immerse yourself in the splendour and diversity of these mosaics, of which new colour photographs have been taken. They show the mosaics up close and offer visual experiences that are not possible when viewing them in person.


The mosaics of Ravenna are rated among the world’s most important art works. Their quality and blaze of colour have intrigued believers and visitors since their making between the fifth and the seventh century. This book investigates the issue of the meaning of this imagery, its peculiarities, and the messages conveyed to the viewers through the centuries. It explores the function of the mosaics in the different buildings, and their interpretations in the relevant liturgical context by people living in late Antiquity. Several comparative examples integrate the mosaics in the frame of late Roman art. Written fluently on the basis of current state of research, the volume thus provides valuable new insight in one of the most fascinating sets of images of early Christian times. The mosaics were last subject to extensive investigation 40 years ago. Delve into the magnificence and variety of these mosaics, the colour photographs of which were made expressly for this book. They show the mosaics at close range and allow visual experiences that are impossible on site.

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