The vibrant culture of Byzantium influenced the artistic traditions of neighbouring cultures in Western Europe and the Islamic East well into the modern era. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2004 exhibition catalogue "Byzantium: Faith and Power, 1261-1557" was among the first to focus on the art of the empire's final two centuries and its exceptional heritage. This collection of essays by international scholars continues to expand on this area of study, exploring critical issues of politics, trade, religion, and culture that helped shape the last centuries of the empire as well as the rise of the early modern age. By taking different and innovative approaches to the period, the authors arrive at a more complete portrait of Byzantium and its artistic legacy. Included are essays by Hans Belting, Professor Emeritus of Art History and Media Studies, Staatliche Hochschule fur Gestaltung Karlsruhe, and Honorary Professor, University of Heidelberg, and Thomas F. Mathews, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University.