The images of children that abound in Western art do not simply mirror reality; they are imaginative constructs, representing childhood as a special stage of human life, or emblematic of the human condition itself. In a compelling book ranging widely across time, national boundaries, and genres from ancient Egyptian amulets to Picasso's Guernica, Erika Langmuir demonstrates that no historic period has a monopoly on the 'discovery of childhood'. Famous pictures by great artists, as well as barely known anonymous artefacts, illustrate not only Western society's perennially ambivalent attitudes to children, but also the many and varied functions that works of art have played throughout its history.
This original Pocket Guide examines the presence and surprisingly complicated history of angels in Christian art. Erika Langmuir points out that angels need not be winged; they can wear antique dress, contemporary church vestments, secular fashions, armor, or nothing at all; their gender and age are uncertain; they may not even have bodies but appear only as winged heads; and they are not always good (Satan, of course, is a fallen angel). Langmuir explores these intriguing characteristics of angels by looking at some of the best-known and most engaging religious paintings in the Western tradition.
Virtually everybody knows what kinds of things are represented in still life, but has difficulty explaining precisely what still life is. We are familiar enough with the subject matter - flowers, fruit, vegetables, pots and pans, tableware, books and musical instruments. Sometimes they are beautiful, ornate and desirable objects in themselves; very often they are commonplace household items. It is their representation in paint that makes them seem remarkable, and a source of special enjoyment." "In this Pocket Guide Erika Langmuir examines the special fascination of still life, and what distinguishes it from other categories of painting. She discusses its evolution from the trompe l'oeil wall paintings of ancient Rome, through its revival in the age of Caravaggio and Velazquez, and again in the works of Cezanne and Picasso. The subject is more complex than it seems, going to the very heart of the relationship between art and reality, perception and representation, and touching on how artists view their role in society."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This Pocket Guide explains, through the National Gallery's collection of religious images, the significance of saints and their role in the history of European painting. Erika Langmuir describes how saints became part of the institutions of the Christian church, the different types of saints, and the increasing importance of saintly relics in the Middle Ages." "The book also explains the way in which saints were created - the process of canonisation and the promotion of candidates by religious orders. And it provides an introduction to a wide variety of personalities, from the ambiguous penitent Mary Magdalen and the obscure martyrs venerated only by the cities of which they were protectors, to internationally celebrated figures whose sermons and deeds are well documented, such as Saint Jerome or Saint Francis of Assisi." "Saints may be familiar figures in religious paintings, even to non-Christians, but this Pocket Guide explains the many ways in which they once played a part in religious practice and in the lives of individuals and communities."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This reference work deals with all aspects of Western art from 1300 to the present day. It provides information on painters, sculptors, and graphic artists, technical processes, terminology, theory, schools, movements, patrons and collecting, and much more.
Covering the period 1300-1800, this covers all the major Western artists and works of the period, as well as explanations of technical terms, schools, styles, genres, movements and groups. Each entry is arranged alphabetically with cross referencing. It also explains technical terms, schools, movements and styles and will be followed aby volume II covering 1800-present day. Erika Langmuir is head of education at the National Gallery in London.
This unique introduction to the techniques and history of painting takes the young reader through more than 15,000 years of art, from cave painters to Picasso.
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