ABSTRACT
Byzantine aesthetics and art criticism did not produce any classical theoretical texts comparable to works that authors find in other traditions. In the fifth century, for example, Liu Hsieh wrote The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, a critical examination of literary theories with significant implications for aesthetic perception. On this basis, it has been argued that the Byzantines were unsophisticated consumers of religious art who easily attributed life-like qualities to images with an obvious lack of naturalism. When authors consider continuity and originality in the Byzantine response to the living image, they should be careful not to exaggerate their difference. The view of the Christian image as a locus of encounter with holy persons and realities, and an affirmation of their continuing presence in the life of the faithful, is standard in most ekphraseis and epigrams. The speaking image that has a life of its own is a recurrent theme in Byzantine aesthetic experience.
