The Nika Riots Drawing

What unites the crowds that flood the streets of Constantinople (the capital of the ascending Byzantine empire) on January 13, 532 AD? They all shout ‘Nika!’ (‘Victory!’) as they storm the palace complex annexed to the Hippodrome where the yearly horse race had become an occasion for civil revolts. The Green and the Blues, the two factions that usually vied for the first place, join forces into one indistinguishable mob opposing the new laws Emperor Justinian had tried to impose upon them. After days of devastating riots, the imperial army will eventually extinguish them and rebuild damaged buildings on the grandest self-imposing scale. Seilern’s depiction of a besieged Constantinople gives a sense of order because that is what ultimately frames chaos and swallows it. Hagia Sophia dominates the top right of the work in the form Justinian reconstructed the church in the following months - because its unshakeable structure rose out of the turmoil of the Nika riots.

Drawing:Pencil on Wood

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:36.3 W x 24 H x 1.6 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.