Painting the Word: Christian Pictures and Their Meanings - Softcover

Drury, The Very Reverend John; Drury, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300092946 ISBN 13: 9780300092943

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2002

Synopsis

Christianity is another country, says John Drury, and we need to familiarize ourselves with it in order to understand the universal meaning of its art. In this beautifully written book, Drury, an Anglican priest and theologian, looks at religious paintings through the ages and presents them to us in a fresh way—as works filled with passion, stories, and meaning. They become the poetry of such eternal human concerns as birth, death, sacrifice, love, and moral goodness and failure.

Drury points out the religious meanings in paintings that range from works by Piero della Francesca to those by Velazquez. In each case he views the whole picture—its composition, color, drawing, figures, and even architecture—and shows how it creates a religious image that addresses the spectator as a spiritual human being. Drury also provides a historical context for the works, comparing our perception with the perceptions of, for example, the medieval monarch or the Renaissance merchant who first commissioned the work. He examines how these pictures are able to speak to audiences across time and space, and in the process he allows us to respond to them at a more imaginative, empathetic level.

About this title

About the Author

John Drury is Dean of Christ Church, Oxford.

From the Back Cover

"A superb book: never has the art of looking been more clearly and pervasively not explained, but demonstrated." Sister Wendy Beckett "Painting the Word is a treat in every way, from the marvelous pictures to the beautiful and penetrating writing, with insight and hard looking compressed into every paragraph. I found it constantly fresh and illuminating, forcing me to look again at pictures I thought I knew. The book is a tour de force, gracefully and wittily written." Eamon Duffy, author of Stripping the Altars (Yale University Press) "An informative, inspiring book, the reading of which will make your next visit to your local museum of fine arts a more rewarding experience visually, emotionally and spiritually." Franco Mormando, America "Renaissance art aficionados will want [this book] as their gallery companion." Publishers Weekly "A must for any fan of this genre, or those wishing to take their art appreciation further." Karen Mortimore, Antiques Magazine "An ambitious book that is magnificently successful. In its lavishly illustrated pages, Drury . . . combines commentary that is both artistic criticism and devotional appreciation, and both of a high order. . . . A companion to keep and return to again and again." First Things "Drury offers a guidebook . . . to help the contemporary reader decipher the messages conveyed in Christian art . . . This well-written art history and art appreciation is a delight to read." Library Journal (starred review) "With a highly descriptive approach rich in history and iconography, the author, a thoughtful and enthusiastic scholar, treats whole paintings, not just symbols, and employs a prose that always remains subsidiary to the pictures themselves. A well-written, informative, and beautifully illustrated work that should be part of every collection." Choice "Drury offers a guidebook . . . to help the contemporary reader decipher the messages conveyed in Christian art. . . . This well-written art history and art appreciation is a delight to read." Library Journal (starred review)

Edition details

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0300092946
• ISBN 13: 9780300092943
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 220