Gospel Figures In Art

In viewing the great works of sacred Western art, many people find difficulty in understanding the stories and identifying the figures portrayed in them. This informative guide decodes these often-mysterious scenes and reveals a vibrant world of images from the Christian tradition for museum visitors, students, and art enthusiasts alike. Gospel Figures in Art examines depictions of stories and figures from both the New Testament's canonical gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and the apocryphal gospels (early Christian writings excluded from the New Testament because of their unsubstantiated authorship), which served as rich sources of inspiration for medieval and Renaissance artists. Illustrated with masterpieces from many of the world's premier museums, the art works provided as visual references are carefully analyzed. Sections are devoted to the principal figures in the life of Jesus Christ-his family and the evangelists-and to the major biographical turning points: his birth and baptism, his public life, the miracles and good deeds he performed, his crucifixion, resurrection, and the events that followed. This indispensable resource makes the icons and narratives of sacred art come to life.

Vincent van Gogh believed that one had to learn to read, just as one had to learn to see and learn to live. Van Gogh conveyed a message in his work about the path that he himself followed that was "more true to life," the path that human beings walk in their turbulent existence, the pilgrimage along the various stages of the road of life. He does not speak about the meaning of life but about the true art of living. It is fascinating to see and read the moving way in which he wrestled with the deep human questions of the whence, why, and whither of life. He did not see himself doing this on his own but acknowledged kindred spirits and allies in preachers, preacher-poets, painters, writers, and other artists who also attempted to find their own way through life in a similar fashion. Van Gogh was aware, like no other, of his duty and task in life: his vocation as human being and artist. That means that he was well acquainted with loneliness, fear, and despair, including suicidal tendencies. Nevertheless, he understood himself as cut out for faith, rather than resignation. Human beings follow their life's path, through storms and dangers, on land and on sea, where the "star of the sea" (the Virgin Mary) helps them and provides light. Van Gogh rejected the unhealthy, sickly forms of religion, electing instead to embrace authentic forms of piety.

An examination of the relationship between art and the Holy Scriptures.

Formerly known by its subtitle "Internationale Zeitschriftenschau für Bibelwissenschaft und Grenzgebiete", the International Review of Biblical Studies has served the scholarly community ever since its inception in the early 1950's. Each annual volume includes approximately 2,000 abstracts and summaries of articles and books that deal with the Bible and related literature, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pseudepigrapha, Non-canonical gospels, and ancient Near Eastern writings. The abstracts - which may be in English, German, or French - are arranged thematically under headings such as e.g. "Genesis", "Matthew", "Greek language", "text and textual criticism", "exegetical methods and approaches", "biblical theology", "social and religious institutions", "biblical personalities", "history of Israel and early Judaism", and so on. The articles and books that are abstracted and reviewed are collected annually by an international team of collaborators from over 300 of the most important periodicals and book series in the fields covered.

With fresh insight into what the great works meant when they were created and why they appeal to us now, here is a vivid tour of painting, sculpture, and architecture, past and present. "Illuminating . . . a notable accomplishment".--The New York Times. Illustrated.

"From Agatha to Zeno, this book presents the images and attributes of more than one hundred saints, those most frequently encountered in sacred art, history and legend, tradition and devotional literature. Lavishly illustrated, this book introduces the saints with their identifying attributes, notes on their lives and martyrdoms, and visual references that make it easy to identify their characters and legends and the forms of worship for each."--BOOK JACKET.

This sumptuously illustrated volume analyzes artists' representations of angels and demons and heaven and hell from the Judeo-Christian tradition and describes how these artistic portrayals evolved over time. As with other books in the Guide to Imagery series, the goal of this volume is to help contemporary art enthusiasts decode the symbolic meanings in the great masterworks of Western Art. The first chapter traces the development of images of the Creation and the Afterworld from descriptions of them in the Scriptures through their evolution in later literary and philosophical works. The following two chapters examine artists' depictions of the two paths that humans may take, the path of evil or the path of salvation, and the punishments or rewards found on each. A chapter on the Judgment Day and the end of the world explores portrayals of the mysterious worlds between life and death and in the afterlife. Finally, the author looks at images of angelic and demonic beings themselves and how they came to be portrayed with the physical attributes--wings, halos, horns, and cloven hooves--with which we are now so familiar. Thoroughly researched by and expert in the field of iconography, Angels and Demons in Art will delight readers with an interest in art or religious symbolism.

This colourful catalogue features paintings and statements by five leading contemporary Asian artists, Sawai Chinnawong (Thailand), He Qi (China), Nalini Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka), Nyoman Darsane (Bali) and Wisnu Sasongko (Thailand), which highlight the very different ways artists of diverse cultures today perceive Biblical tales. Over 40 new paintings are explored showing how the Judeo-Christian narrative has been adapted for both western and indigenous audiences. Though greatly influenced by regional and cultural traditions, many of these artists have also been exposed to western Judeo-Christian teachings, and it is this mixture of influences which is so striking in their work. The book considers the importance of these works to the development and exportation of Asian Biblical Art to the West and its reception, audience and patronage.

Imaging the Bible examines how 'reading' the Bible visually can help us appreciate the intricacies of the biblical narrative and shows how the stories of the Bible have been interpreted visually within specific traditions. The Bible is seen as not merely a book of doctrine but as the main source of inspiration of the arts in Western Europe. The book introduces the reader to the broad and inclusive range of ways that the Bible has been interpreted in the arts - from the earliest Christian art through the medieval period and the Renaissance and up to the twentieth century. Written for non-specialists and assuming no previous knowledge of art history, this is an ideal introduction to Biblical art for students and for the general reader. The contributors are: Andreas Andreopoulos (Lampeter); Clyde Binfield (Sheffiled); Sarah Boss (Lampeter); Laura Carnavale (Bari, Italy); Nicholas Davey (Dundee); Peter French (Melbourne, Australia); John Harvey (Wales); Heidi Hornik (Baylor, Texas); and, John Morgan-Guy (Lampeter).

Though immediately recognizable in public discourse as a modern state in a political "hot zone," Armenia has a material history and visual culture that reaches back to the Paleolithic era. This book presents a timely and much-needed survey of the arts of Armenia from antiquity to the early eighteenth century C.E. Divided chronologically, it brings into discussion a wide range of media, including architecture, stone sculpture, works in metal, wood, and cloth, manuscript illumination, and ceramic arts. Critically, The Art of Armenia presents this material within historical and archaeological contexts, incorporating the results of specialist literature in various languages. It also positions Armenian art within a range of broader comparative contexts including, but not limited to, the ancient Mediterranean and Near East, Byzantium, the Islamic world, Yuan-dynasty China, and seventeenth-century Europe. The Art of Armenia offers students, scholars, and heritage readers of the Armenian community something long desired but never before available: a complete and authoritative introduction to three thousand years of Armenian art, archaeology, architecture, and design.

"First published as: The Oxford companion to Christian art and architecture in 1996 by Oxford University Press." --T.p. verso.

This handsome compendium presents the complete text of each of Christ?s parables as recorded in the Synoptic Gospels of the King James Version, illustrated by works of art and enhanced by brief commentaries and extended captions with specific scriptural and artistic insights. The development of Western art has been intimately linked with Christianity, and in this volume paintings, prints, and drawings by old masters such as Bosch, Durer, Tintoretto, Rubens, and Rembrandt, as well as nineteenth-century artists such as Daumier and van Gogh, bring the scriptural teachings vividly to life. In addition, mosaics, stained glass, illuminations, and sculpture add to the rich texture of Christian art.An Introduction discusses the form and meaning of parables, their interpretation, and Jesus? deliberate use of them, rooted in everyday concerns, to spread his message. Concluding with an exploration of the history of Western art in relation to Christianity, and specifically, the parables, The Parables of Jesus is a rich gift for Easter, first communions, and all religious occasions.

The religious turmoil of the sixteenth century constituted a turning point in the history of Western Christian art. The essays presented in this volume investigate the ways in which both Protestant and Catholic reform stimulated the production of religious images, drawing on examples from across Europe and beyond. Eight essays by leading scholars in the field Brings art historians and historians into productive dialogue Broad chronology, from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century Broad geographical coverage Richly illustrated

Were there two Josephs and Marys and two children named Jesus born in Bethlehem? Although the Gospels of Matthew and Luke support the tradition that there were two Jesus children, the idea was not adopted by the Church. Something of the idea lingered on in Christian art and symbolism, but the full tradition was preserved only in the literature of such esoteric sects as the Gnostics who did not adopt all the official teachings of institutionalized Christianity. Ovason explores the literature and art in which these symbols have been preserved, in particular, the ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, Coptic and Greek literature discovered in the 20th century at sites near the Dead Sea and in Egypt. The texts confirm the belief in the existence of two Messiahs. Ovason explores many fascinating and "apocryphal" texts containing references to the two children, which were later expunged or glossed over by Church apologists. He speculates on the reasons why the idea of the two children should have become so popular in early 15th century Italian art and studies traces of the theme in the work of such artists as Borgognone, Ferrari, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci.