How to write about images from the medieval world: André Grabar and his Byzantium—the case of L’Empereur dans l’art byzantin (1936)

Abstract This article investigates how one of the most eminent Byzantinists of the twentieth century, André Grabar (1896–1990), constructed his own methodology in a balanced dialogue between texts and images. At the very core of this study is his monograph L’empereur dans l’art byzantin (1936), which can be seen as emblematic of Grabar’s approach. However, this article investigates not only Grabar’s methodology but also his personal cultural background. I believe that this approach is necessary in the context of the epistemology of art history, since, as has been proven in other important studies, the interplay between history, social situations, and scholarship is crucial.