The Secret Language of Art: The Illustrated Decoder of Symbols and Figures in Western Painting

Carr-Gomm, Sarah; Speake, Jennifer

ISBN 10: 1844837106 / ISBN 13: 9781844837106

Published by Duncan Baird Publishers, 1999

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 1844837106-4-35973388

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Secret Language of Art: The Illustrated Decoder of Symbols and Figures in Western Painting
• Publisher: Duncan Baird Publishers
• Publication Date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1844837106
• ISBN 13: 9781844837106
• Binding: paperback
• Condition: Fair
• Weight: 13 ounces

About this title

Synopsis

A work of art can be rich in symbolism, complex in meaning. How can we fully understand what its creator wanted to say?especially when we’re so distant in time from a painter’s era? This fascinating guide helps, by looking at and decoding the key figures, themes, events, and symbols that form the subject matter of major Western paintings. Strikingly illustrated with 75 masterpieces, it’s the ideal companion for art lovers, gallery goers, and students.
Authoritative, informative, comprehensively cross-referenced, and easy to use, The Secret Language of Art covers five major areas: Classical Myth and Legend; The Bible and the Life of Christ; Saints and their Miracles; History, Literature, and the Arts; and Symbols and Allegories. Each chapter includes a portfolio of images, followed by a thematic directory of figures and symbols. The works analyzed include Boticelli’s Venus and Mars; Caravaggio’s The Young Bacchus; Bruegel’s The Fall of the Rebel Angels; da Vinci’s Virgin and Child with Saint Anne; Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson; and Picasso’s seminal anti-war work, Guernica.

About the Author

Sarah Carr-Gomm studied History of Art at the University of East Anglia and took an MA in the Renaissance at Birbeck College, University of London. She was head of Art History at Mander Portman Woodward college, one of London's leading tutorial colleges, from 1976-1988 and in 1983 she founded Art History Abroad, a company which organises courses in Europe.