The Madonna of Humility: Development, Dissemination and Reception, c.1340-1400 (Bristol Studies in Medieval Cultures, 1) (Volume 1)

Williamson, Professor Beth

ISBN 10: 1843834197 / ISBN 13: 9781843834199

Published by Boydell Press, 2009

About this Item

A bright unopened copy. With illustrations including 9 color plates. Jacket looking nearly new, with little tear at back corner. Benefits the Friends of the Albany, Ca library.

Seller Inventory # 045454

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Madonna of Humility: Development, Dissemination and Reception, c.1340-1400 (Bristol Studies in Medieval Cultures, 1) (Volume 1)
• Publisher: Boydell Press
• Publication Date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1843834197
• ISBN 13: 9781843834199
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Spirit East & West
  • Friends of the Albany Library

About this title

Synopsis

Detailed analysis of an iconographic motif of huge significance in European art.

The image of the `Madonna of Humility', the Virgin and Child seated on the ground, is widespread in European art, yet it remains mysterious. This book provides a detailed and accessible investigation and explication of the theme'smultiple significances, and of other associated images (including the Virgin suckling the Child, the Woman of the Apocalypse and the Virgin Annunciate). It takes issue with the orthodox view of the origins of the image lying in the work of Simone Martini at Avignon, suggesting a longer process of development, with a key role for manuscript illumination in Metz. Subsequent chapters pursue the assimilation, appropriation, and adjustment of the image in a number of regions across Europe, challenging the simplistic idea of unequivocal iconographic meaning determined solely by the context of the image's genesis. The book argues for an essential fluidity and negotiability of meaning inthe visual arts, challenging the very idea of unitary and unequivocal iconographic readings; and its examination of the multi-layered functions of the image in different contexts and different regions provides not just an iconographical case-study, but a cultural history of a devotional resource with Europe-wide implications

Dr BETH WILLIAMSON teaches in the Department of Art History, University of Bristol.

About the Author

Beth Williamson is Professor of Medieval Culture at the University of Bristol. She works on the religious culture of western Europe Christianity, with a focus on the forms and functions of religious imagery, and on religious belief and behaviour.