Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art

Author: James Hall
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429962509
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 410

Book Description
The understanding and enjoyment of a work of art depends as much on the story it depicts as on the artist's execution of it. But what were once biblical or classical commonplaces are not so readily recognizable today. This book relates in a succinct and readable way the themes, sacred and secular, on which the repertoire of Western art is based. Combined here in a single volume are religious, classical, and historical themes, figures of moral allegory, and characters from romantic poetry that appeared throughout paintings and sculpture in Western art before and after the Renaissance. More than just a dictionary, this text places these subjects in their narrative, historical, or mythological context and uses extensive cross-referencing to enhance and clarify the meanings of these themes for the reader. The definitive work by which others are compared, this volume has become an indispensable handbook for students and general appreciators alike. This wholly redesigned second edition includes a new insert of images chosen by the author, as well as a new preface and index to highlight the ideas, beliefs, and social and religious customs that form the background of much of this subject matter.

Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art

Author: James Hall
Publisher: Harper & Row Barnes & Noble Import Division
ISBN:
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 392

Book Description
Comprehensible to interested laymen. Entries are succinct and absorbing.

Illustrated Dictionary Of Symbols In Eastern And Western Art

Author: James Hall
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429979568
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 930

Book Description
"A Companion volume to James Hall’s perennial seller Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art. which deals with the subject matter of Christian and Western art, the present volume includes the art of Egypt, the ancient Near East, Christian and classical Europe, India and the Far East. Flail explores the language of symbols in art showing how paintings, drawings and sculpture express man shades of meaning from simple, everyday hopes and fears to the profoundest philosophical and religious aspirations. The book explains and interprets symbols from many cultures, and over 600 illustrations clarify and complement the text. There are numbered references throughout the text to the sacred Iitcra-1 ture, myths and legends in which the symbols had their origins. Details of English translations of the works are in the bibliography. The book includes an appendix of the transcription of Chinese, notes and references, bibliography, chronological tables and index."

Symbols and Allegories in Art

Author: Matilde Battistini
Publisher: Getty Publications
ISBN: 9780892368181
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 384

Book Description
From antiquity, when the gods and goddesses were commonly featured in works of art, through to the twentieth century, when Surrealists drew on archetypes from the unconscious, artists have embedded symbols in their works. As with previous volumes in the Guide to Imagery series, the goal of this book is to provide contemporary readers and museum visitors with the tools to read the hidden meanings in works of art. This latest volume is divided thematically into four sections featuring symbols related to time, man, space (earth and sky), and allegories or moral lessons. Readers will learn, for instance, that night, the primordial mother of the cosmos, was often portrayed in ancient art as a woman wrapped in a black veil, whereas day or noon was often represented in Renaissance art as a strong, virile man evoking the full manifestation of the sun's energy. Each entry in the book contains a main reference image in which details of the symbol or allegory being analyzed are called out for discussion. In the margin, for quick access by the reader, is a summary of the essential characteristics of the symbol in question, the derivation of its name, and the religious tradition from which it springs.

Dictionary Of Subjects And Symbols In Art

Author: James Hall
Publisher: Westview Press
ISBN: 9780064301008
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 384

Book Description
Comprehensible to interested laymen. Entries are succinct and absorbing.

Nature and Its Symbols

Author: Lucia Impelluso
Publisher: Getty Publications
ISBN: 9780892367726
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 370

Book Description
"The Guide to Imagery series introduces readers to important visual vocabulary of Western art."--Back cover.

Dictionary of Symbols in Western Art

Author: Sarah Carr-Gomm
Publisher: Checkmark Books
ISBN: 9780816033263
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 240

Book Description
A practical guide to the understanding and appreciation of Western Art. A delight to read and highly informative, the fascinating A-to-Z entries explore religious themes that have dominated Western painting and sculpture from its beginnings.

Angels and Demons in Art

Author: Rosa Giorgi
Publisher: Getty Publications
ISBN: 9780892368303
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 384

Book Description
This sumptuously illustrated volume analyzes artists' representations of angels and demons and heaven and hell from the Judeo-Christian tradition and describes how these artistic portrayals evolved over time. As with other books in the Guide to Imagery series, the goal of this volume is to help contemporary art enthusiasts decode the symbolic meanings in the great masterworks of Western Art. The first chapter traces the development of images of the Creation and the Afterworld from descriptions of them in the Scriptures through their evolution in later literary and philosophical works. The following two chapters examine artists' depictions of the two paths that humans may take, the path of evil or the path of salvation, and the punishments or rewards found on each. A chapter on the Judgment Day and the end of the world explores portrayals of the mysterious worlds between life and death and in the afterlife. Finally, the author looks at images of angelic and demonic beings themselves and how they came to be portrayed with the physical attributes--wings, halos, horns, and cloven hooves--with which we are now so familiar. Thoroughly researched by and expert in the field of iconography, Angels and Demons in Art will delight readers with an interest in art or religious symbolism.

Dictionary of Christian Art

Author: Diane Apostolos-Cappadona
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780718829322
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 376

Book Description
This imaginative work is more than a dictionary: it is a true introduction to European art of the past. It should prove of great service to all who lecture, write, or simply want to know more about the relationship between belief, liturgy and art.

Dictionary of Chinese Symbols

Author: Wolfram Eberhard
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134988648
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
This unique and authoritative guide describes more than 400 important Chinese symbols, explaining their esoteric meanings and connections. Their use and development in Chinese literature and in Chinese customs and attitudes to life are traced lucidly and precisely. `An ideal reference book to help one learn and explore further, while simultaneously giving greater insight into many other aspects of Chinese life ... the most authoritative guide to Chinese symbolism available to the general reader today ... a well-researched, informative and entertaining guide to the treasure trove of Chinese symbols.' - South China Morning Post