Louis Bréhier
Encyclopedia
Louis René Bréhier was a French historian
who specialized in Byzantine studies
. He was a native of Brest
, and was brother to philosopher Emile Bréhier
(1876–1952).
He studied history and literature in Paris
, where one of his instructors was historian Charles Diehl
(1859–1944). Afterwards he taught classes in Reims
, and in 1899 received his doctorate at the Sorbonne
with the dissertation- Le schisms oriental au Xie siècle (The Eastern Schism in the 11th Century). From 1899 to 1938 he was professor of ancient
and medieval history in Clermont-Ferrand
.
Bréhier's best known work was the three-volume Le Monde byzantin (The Byzantine World). He was a specialist of Byzantine iconography
, and in 1924 published an influential treatise on Byzantine art
titled L'Art Byzantin. He was a member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
, and in 1937 was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Athens.
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
who specialized in Byzantine studies
Byzantine studies
Byzantine studies is an interdisciplinary branch of the humanities that addresses the history, culture, costumes, religion, art, such as literature and music, science, economy, and politics of the Byzantine Empire. The discipline's founder in Germany is considered to be the philologist Hieronymus...
. He was a native of Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, and was brother to philosopher Emile Bréhier
Émile Bréhier
Émile Bréhier was a French philosopher. His interest was in classical philosophy, and the history of philosophy. He wrote a Histoire de la Philosophie, translated into English in seven volumes....
(1876–1952).
He studied history and literature in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where one of his instructors was historian Charles Diehl
Charles Diehl
Charles Diehl was a French historian who was a native of Strasbourg. He was a leading authority on Byzantine art and history....
(1859–1944). Afterwards he taught classes in Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
, and in 1899 received his doctorate at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
with the dissertation- Le schisms oriental au Xie siècle (The Eastern Schism in the 11th Century). From 1899 to 1938 he was professor of ancient
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
and medieval history in Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
.
Bréhier's best known work was the three-volume Le Monde byzantin (The Byzantine World). He was a specialist of Byzantine iconography
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
, and in 1924 published an influential treatise on Byzantine art
Byzantine art
Byzantine art is the term commonly used to describe the artistic products of the Byzantine Empire from about the 5th century until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453....
titled L'Art Byzantin. He was a member of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
The Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres is a French learned society devoted to the humanities, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the Institut de France.-History:...
, and in 1937 was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Athens.
Selected publications
- La Cathédrale de Reims. Une œuvre francaise, Paris 1916
- L'Art Byzantin, Paris 1924
- Histoire anonyme de la première croisade, éditee et traduite par Louis Bréhier, (Anonymous history of the First CrusadeFirst CrusadeThe First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
, edited and translated into French by Louis Bréhier), Paris 1924 - Le Monde byzantin, Paris 1947-50 (3 Volumes)
- ----Volume 1: Vie et mort de Byzance
- ----Volume 2: Les Institutions de l'Empire byzantin
- ----Volume 3: La civilisation byzantine
- De Graecorum judiciorum origine (1899)
- Le Schisme oriental du 11e siècle (1899),
- La Querelle des images (1904)
- L'Église et l'Orient au Moyen Âge : les croisades.
- Le travail historique (1908)
- L'Auvergne (1912)
- L'art chrétien, son développement iconographique des origines à nos jours (1918)
- Les églises romanes
- L'homme dans la sculpture romane
- Études archéologiques : Le sarcophage des Carmes-Déchaux ; Les anciens inventaires de la cathédrale : Le Bible historiée de Clermont
- Les survivances du rite impérial romain: à propos des rites shintoïstes (1920)