Category: Religious

Categories
Europe Medieval Religious Renaissance

Gothic 1200-1500 by Uta Hasekamp

Gothic is a frequently misunderstood term and unless you are well versed with the period history, it is easy to pigeon-hole the term into one or the other simplistic categories. We have a special recommendation for you this month. For the readers who would like to develop a better understanding of Gothic art and architecture, and its connection to religion, economic growth, war, disease and other discontinuities of the period will surely enjoy this wonderful book by Uta Hasekamp. Read on…

Painting from 1200 to 1500 is a mirror of its time, marked by deep religiousness as well as progressive tendencies, by economic prosperity as well as devastating wars and epidemics. A religious perspective is joined by secular themes and efforts to achieve a realistic way of representation. These developments take place in book illumination, which is accessible to rather few people, as well as in the public medium of frescoes and, since 1300, also in panel paintings. With nearly 500 works, Gothic 1200-1500 gives an overview of the visual art of the time.

From the book description

This book offers unique insights into the society and culture of the period 1200 to 1500, and it is really hard to categorize such a brilliant work into a particular category. This book is not widely available, and you may like to check with your local book store in advance.

Categories
Culture India Religious

In the Shadow of the Devi KUMAON: Of A Land, A People, A Craft by Manju Kak

This month we bring to you an excellent book about one of the most revered places for Hindus. While we have no authority or intention to write about religious topics, what we would like to share is that this book is an excellent work of art to pull together so many aspects of culture. Read on…

A one-of-a-kind book which examines in great detail all aspects of life in Kumaon – from ethnography to the environment, and the history, crafts and architecture that characterize the area

Richly illustrated, this book features photographs by renowned Kumaoni photographer Anup Sah, among others; it also includes illustrations & sketches

Meticulously researched over an extended period of time, this book is both informative and accessible, to laypeople interested in the region as well as academics.

The untamed beauty of the Himalayas immediately captures our collective imagination with visions of serenity, natural splendor and mysticism. But these mountains also dictate the lives of those who live by its laws – the resilient hill dwellers, or paharis, whose work and lives are shaped by their surroundings.

In the Shadow of the Devi: Kumaon details the legacy of a land, a people and a craft deeply intertwined with its environment. Manju Kak looks at this enigmatic land of Kumaon through the prism of woodcraft, unique in its aesthetic in this part of India, documenting the styles, influences and techniques used by the craftsmen of Uttarakhand, as well as Kumaoni artisans’ worldview and beliefs. In addition, this book is an important document of the life of paharis, as it also discusses communities, forest policy and the status of women, analyzing and unraveling facets of hill life that made Kumaon’s claim for statehood so unique.

The book is beautifully complemented with photographs by award-winning Kumaoni photographer Anup Sah, among others. It is also a visual delight for those who have an interest in the region. It adds to the existing knowledge on Uttarakhand, emblematic of other Indian hill states, though its focus is on Kumaon, the land that lies in the shadow of the majestic mountain Nanda Devi.

This is quite an informative book, full of images and bearing almost a transportational quality to it. Readers who like to learn about different cultures through images will certainly appreciate this book. Available at select stores now.

Categories
Frescoes Masterpieces Medieval Religious

Illuminating Women in the Medieval World by Christine Sciacca

Women have been subjects of wonderful art through the entire human history, and this month we bring a fascinating collection to you from the medieval times. This great work features a huge variety of art including paintings, frescoes etc. from primarily medieval Europe but also other places like Egypt. Read on..

When one thinks of women in the Middle Ages, the images that often come to mind are those of damsels in distress, mystics in convents, female laborers in the field, and even women of ill repute. In reality, however, medieval conceptions of womanhood were multifaceted, and women’s roles were varied and nuanced. Female stereotypes existed in the medieval world, but so too did women of power and influence. The pages of illuminated manuscripts reveal to us the many facets of medieval womanhood and slices of medieval life—from preoccupations with biblical heroines and saints to courtship, childbirth, and motherhood. While men dominated artistic production, this volume demonstrates the ways in which female artists, authors, and patrons were instrumental in the creation of illuminated manuscripts.

Featuring over one hundred illuminations depicting medieval women from England to Ethiopia, this book provides a lively and accessible introduction to the lives of women in the medieval world.

From the book description

This incredible collection is sure to delight the readers and those who appreciate art during the medieval period. Not widely available, check at your local book store to see if they can get a copy for you. See you next time!

Categories
Decorative Arts Religious Stained Glass

Chagall: The Stained Glass Windows by Sylvie Forestier

Happy New Year in advance! Hope you has a wonderful Christmas. This month we bring to you, appropriate of this season, an wonderful treat for those who enjoy stained glass designs. This collection is broad in scope and shows a huge variety of stained glass art. Read on more about it under:

Marc Chagall, as other famous artists of the twentieth century, has worked in various genres of the visual arts, but no one has launched the monumental art of stained glass like Chagall. Windows in Metz, Saarburg, Mainz, Reims, Pocantico, Jerusalem, Nice, and Zurich are highlighted here, along with documentation of the enormous preparatory work and the various stages of designing and coloring the windows. This extraordinarily illustrated book, edited by Chagall’s granddaughter Meret Meyer, is a triumph of beauty and technique, showing the many details of windows and all the preparatory drawing to help the reader understand the big picture. It is a book to savor and treasure.

From the book description

Clearly, as the publishers point out, this is a book to savor and treasure and we hope that the readers will thoroughly enjoy exploring this wondrous piece of art. Now widely available.

Categories
Ancient Religious Society

Egypt. People, Gods, Pharaohs Hardcover by Rainer & Rose-Marie Hagen

For most us, Ancient Egypt, marvelous as it is, is still but a chapter in our history books, or a convenient setting for a swashbuckling western hero trying to find meaning in his or her life through a wild adventure into the mystique of objects forgotten and rituals remembered. This collection is breathtaking in scope and intense in focus.

How much do we really know about Ancient Egypt? The pharaohs and pyramids are familiar history fodder, but what about the farmers, the soldiers, the laborers, and the families that made up the vast majority of this much mythologized civilization?

With a thrilling spread of visual references, this TASCHEN adventure attempts to set the record straight by offering a distinctive everyday take on Ancient Egypt. Like a piece of published excavation, the book explores the many layers of this ancient society, digging down from the sacred or grandiose to the daily experiences and ordinary individuals.

The democratic approach bestows this distant era with exciting vitality and relevance for all the family. As we explore everything from family arrangements to leisure activities to labor movements, we not only uncover the different experiences of this ancient land but also parallels and precedents to our own societies. The result is a particularly vivid encounter with an ancient age and with some of our most ingenious and influential forebears.

From the book description

Readers with a keen interest in the history of civilizations will greatly appreciate this nice collection with detailed descriptions and tireless commentary on an ancient civilization that continues to feed our imagination and endless possibilities. Available at very limited number of book stores. You will need to call ahead to check availability.

Categories
History Religious Renaissance Uncategorized

Painted Glories: The Brancacci Chapel in Renaissance Florence by Nicholas A. Eckstein

Hello readers, our selection of this month delves right into the heart of Renaissance with this uplifting work from Nicolas A. Eckstein.

In 1440, on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Florence unexpectedly defeated Milanese forces near the town of Anghiari in eastern Tuscany. Nicholas A. Eckstein reveals the impact of this celebrated victory on Florentine public life and how it could have triggered the custodians of the Brancacci Chapel, the Carmelite friars, to seek the completion of frescoes by Masolino (c.1383–c.1436) and Masaccio (1401–c.1428). Today, tens of thousands of people visit the Brancacci Chapel annually to gaze at the brilliant frescoes of Saint Peter’s life. Universally recognized as a canonical masterpiece of the Florentine Renaissance, these glowing murals span the interior in long panels. The first serious examination to position the frescoes at the heart of Tuscan society and culture, Painted Glories teems with fascinating characters and intrigue. In swiftly paced prose, Eckstein explores the chapel’s history, medieval culture, and art patronage, progressively peeling back the story’s layers amid the tumultuous politics of the 15th-century Florentine state.

From the book description

This is an amazing visual exploration of the era and the masterpieces. The book is now available at all leading bookstores. Hope you will enjoy it.

Until next month, good bye!

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