El pintor de iconos

9th Century AD. The borders of the Byzantine Empire are under attack from the rising Abbasid Caliphate, which is vying to wrest hegemony in the eastern Mediterranean from Constantinople. The prohibition of the veneration of religious images, which Emperor Theophilus has taken to extremes, should win them victory, according to iconoclast theologians, but not everyone agrees. In the Monastery of Saint Anastasius, an elderly monk continues his work as a painter in secret, despite official persecution. His masterpiece must be secretly delivered to a lady of the court, and for this he will need the help of two young brothers with very different temperaments. The elder, Alexios, is drawn to the military and an adventurous life that will allow him to become a knight. His adventures will take him to the battlefield and unwittingly draw him into the intricacies of high imperial politics. Meanwhile, the younger brother, Bartholomew, who plans to continue his master's monastic and artistic work, will suffer exile and live a second life in Baghdad. There, he will undergo unexpected experiences that will lead him to reconsider the meaning of his life. The alleyways of Constantinople and the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, the ornate churches of Cappadocia, and the rugged landscapes where Byzantines and Muslims battle or exchange prisoners are the settings for two lives in which adventure and spiritual quest intertwine.