Throughout history, artists have often taken their inspiration from religious sources, stories, and imagery, especially from episodes centered on the miracles or martyrdom of Christian saints. In our present age, works of art have never been more carefully preserved and enhanced; museum exhibitions and visits to view artwork in churches and cathedrals have never been more popular. Yet the meanings behind these masterpieces and their tremendous artistic heritage, in contrast, have never been so neglected.
The Lives of the Saints through 100 Masterpieces has been designed to look beyond the unquestioned artistic merit of these paintings -- often quite well known to us as visual images -- to deepen our appreciation of the meanings behind such masterpieces. Jacques Duquesne's descriptions of each piece recount the stories they represent and explain, further, the religious, historical, and cultural traditions surrounding them.
Jacques Duquesne is a journalist and author. He is the cofounder and director of Le Point, a French magazine, and he contributes to La Croix and other publications. He is the author of numerous pieces on the themes of Jesus and Mary, including Jesus: An Unconventional Biography and Salve Regina: The Story of Mary, both originally published in French.
François Lebrette is the editorial director of the collection Art et connaissances and the coauthor, together with Jacques Duquesne, of The History of the Church through 100 Masterpieces.
M. Cristina Borges (translator) is a member of the American Translators Association who works with French, Portuguese, and Spanish texts. She has contributed to Catholic New World, The Wanderer, and La Nef in France.