Icon of the Triumph of Orthodoxy (Byzantine), c. 1400, tempera and gold on wood, 39 cm x 31 cm (British Museum, London) Speakers: Pippa Couch and Rachel Ropeik. Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.
I'd love to see this great episode about a phenomenal object renewed, in light of both Evan Freeman's great new SmartHistory essay on iconoclasm, and John Haldon and Leslie Brubaker's 2011 groundbreaking book compiling the documentary evidence of Byzantine iconomachy.
This would've been a great video to watch yesterday too, since my character has a British accent. I love hearing these ladies speak, lol. Iconoclasm was unfortunate, but it was nice to learn who was responsible for ending it. I don't think the resolution to that - much less Empress Theodora's specific involvement - has ever been emphasized. I knew Saint Luke was an artist, but didn't know he was responsible for a specific Madonna. That was also interesting to learn. I'm glad we live in a time where people are (more widely) allowed to decide how to worship for themselves.
