Visions of Christmas: A Renaissance Nativity

Doors and gilded panels open and angel wings unfold to reveal gorgeous panel paintings from the Renaissance, all of which illustrate an aspect of the Nativity in this stylish presentation of the familiar Christmas story.

Grade 2 Up. An elegant book that combines excerpts from the King James Version of the Bible and Renaissance paintings. Full-color reproductions appear throughout; many of them are triptychs, the outer panels of which fold out from the page to give readers a three-dimensional view of the art. Each of the eight selections (one on the cover and seven inside) represent a different scene in the Christmas story?the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, etc.?done by such masters as Hieronymus Bosch, Gerard David, and Hugo Van der Goes. The formal prose is well suited to the classical art that accompanies it. This title will hold greater appeal for adults than for children, although family sharing is certainly a good way to introduce it.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.