2 comments about Byzantine Art (Oxford History of Art).

1. I was in search of an affordable book that featured color plates of the greatest art of the Byzantine world, running the gamut from late Roman times through the fall of Constantinople and Robin Cormack's excellent work more than fit the bill. Indeed, this may be the perfect introductory work on Byzantine art. Magnificently produced, the book is positively littered with high-resolution color and black-and-white photos which show amazing amounts of detail. Particularly stunning are the reproductions of the various mosaics from inside the great church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and from San Vitale in Ravenna.
   
   The text of the book is descriptive and analytical. Though somewhat scholarly in content, the writing is clear and the style is brisk. Enough historical background is provided to make the book suitable for a reader with little or no knowledge of Byzantine history. The devotional aspects of Byzantine Art were handled dispassionately with no trace of secular conceit--not always a given these days--and the Iconoclastic controversy was well covered in commendable detail. My only minor quibble was that the endnotes were buried amidst the back-matter and were somewhat difficult to find.
   
   Over all, Cormack's book will make an excellent textbook for courses in Christian and Medieval Art, and a perfect supplemental text for general Byzantine Studies courses. The lovely cover art and stunning interior photos will also make it the kind of book that will be picked up and perused by friends and family if left around the house.



2. Having had the chance to listen to Robin Cormack speak, and always having had an interest in Byzantine art, I look forward to reading this. I was not disappointed in the least. As Cormack rightly points out both in his introduction and his bibliographic essay, the art of Byzantium is presented either in an homongenous manner, linking all stylistic periods and developments into a monolithic, unchanging facade, or as a realm only the specialist would be willing to engage in. Cormack deftly navigates through the subject in such a manner that is both introductary as well as substantial enough for those already familiar with the subject. Where controverserial arguments are needed, Cormack enthusiastically dives in; where basic explanation is necessary, Cormack elucidates without dumbing-down; where a style of writing is called for to atmospherically render the majesty of the art, Cormack's writing never fails.

   For those of us teaching art history classes, finding a textbook devoted to Byzantine art is especially difficult. We now have the classic that will be more than sufficient for years to come.

3 comments about Art of Tibet (World of Art).

1. The beautiful and complex art of Tibet accepts many stylistic influences from other countries, including India (Pala, and later even the Mughal Empire), Nepal, Kashmir, and of course, China. Iconographically, it draws on the incredibly complicated Tibetan (Vajrayana) Buddhist pantheon, in which innumerable gods, originally from Hindu India, are first recycled through the esoteric doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism, then redoubled to add their Tibet-specific divine consorts and guardians, and finally redoubled again to add all the monks, lamas, arhats, founders, and followers of each of four major monastic (teaching) orders and their many sub-lineages.

   Fortunately, we have Fisher's book to help guide us and start to make sense of it all. The author begins with an overview of the Tibetan pantheon - Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Protectors, revered humans - and goes on to review the major forms of expression in architecture, painting, and sculpture. These are followed by a chronological survey of the art of Tibet, from the 11th to the 19th centuries. The book contains 180 illustrations, half of which are in color. Many of the black-and-white photographs depict wonderful objects which, sadly, have not survived into the present day.

   Because there is so much detail in Tibetan painting, the small format of the illustrations (page size 6" x 8") can be a disadvantage. Another caution is that a book this size (200 pages) can't possibly answer all the questions that even a beginner might have. Within its size limitations, however, the author has done a good job of illustrating and discussing the essentials of this art; the book is a real bargain at the price. I used it as a quick "refresher" before seeing the "Himalayas" exhibit (2003, Sackler Gallery, Washington, DC), and in general I think the book would be helpful and enjoyable to just about anyone who is looking for an introduction or review of the art of Tibet.




2. This book abounds with solid, logically presented information, free of art-speak and subjective judgments. Every place referenced in the text is shown on the comprehensive map which is undistorted by page joinery, lying flat when the book is opened. Discussions of materials and techniques are understandable. Every artistic expression of the Tibetan culture available to collections is covered. Tibetan history is integrated easily into the text as is Buddhist thought. Buddhism is placed historically and culturally in relation to indigenous influences and neighboring cultures, past and present. Traditions and schools are presented clearly and thoughtfully. For an introduction to Tibetan art, this is THE book. It is a supporting text, a springboard to better understanding the exhibition books.



3. My main disappointment with this book is that "Art of Tibet" really turns out to mean "Buddhist Art of Tibet". Perhaps one page is spent addressing the art and culture of Tibet prior to the introduction of Buddhism. This is a very brief survey book good to have as a reference for the most well-known pieces but not able to stand alone if you need more detail. I would recommend it as an introductory book, and advise seeking others if the topic interests you.

5 comments about Holy Image, Hallowed Ground (Getty Trust Publications: J. Paul Getty Museum).

1. This is a good book no doubt, but...In this holy monastery there is much more valuable holy icons and should be presented in much more numbers.Maybe I`m asking to much, but with this treasure unpublished at all, it`s kinda sad to said. Quality of paper and photos are great and text with it. Good choice for meeting with this holy spot on the earth.



2. The reproductions in this book are beautiful, the discussion intelligent and thorough. I bought and read it prior to visiting the exhibit, and thought that it provided 95% of the experience of actually being there.
   
   The Getty, which has had an uneven history in its prior exhibits, really did a superb job on this one. The Getty website retains an excellent interactive description of the exhibition.
   
   I had the impression that St. Catherine's was an isolated outpost at the base of Mt. Sinai. It is at the base of Mt. Sinai, but about an hour's drive from Sharm-El-Sheikh, a popular Egyptian resort town. Apparently tour buses make daily runs between the two places.



3. Great book full of pictures and explanatory text. The purchase was prompted by a visit to the Getty Museum to view the exhibit. I was familiar with the monastary beforehand from a VHS tape and the exhibit provided a sense of being there and walking its holy and hallowed grounds. A time capsule of religious art and activity. The detail was very intricate and I marveled at the detail in the icons for those using crude and self-made art supplies. These icons are indeed a labor of love. They go back some 1400 years and have a span of 600.
   
   The book serves to recollect my feelings at the exhibit, the next best thing to being at the monastary itself.



4. This volume is the companion to the recent Getty exhibition of original icons from the St. Catherine Monastery in the Sinai Desert, the presumed site of the Old Testament burning bush. The book provides the scholarly background on the ancient images, some going back to the 6th century and showing stylistic features common to Roman portraiture. The color illustrations are especially well done and true to the tones of the originals that I saw in Los Angeles. The book can be enjoyed simply for the aesthetics for the mesmerizing pictures, or for religious meditation, but also for insight into the historical development of early Christian practices. Given the lavish color printing in a large format, the price is quite reasonable.



5. Wonderful book on good heavy paper. . . .photo quality excellent. . .very very informative. . .

1 comments about The Art of Saint John's Bible: A Reader's Guide to Pentateuch, Psalms, Gospels and Acts.

1. Featuring rich color photography, The Art of Saint John's Bible: A Readers Guide to Pentateuch, Psalms, Gospels and Acts is a beautiful tour of illuminated Biblical text in the first three published volumes of "The Saint John's Bible": Pentateuch, Psalms, and Gospels and Acts. The text examines specific illuminations with all the fine attention to detail, history, and context worthy of museum pieces, while the copious color pictures reveal the wondrous detail of visual elements and textual treatments. Highly recommended for church libraries as an aide to more deeply experiencing and understanding illuminated biblical text.

5 comments about The Dalai Lama's Secret Temple: Tantric Wall Paintings from Tibet.

1. This book is a valuable asset to anyone desiring an illustrated view of tantic Buddhism. With gorgeous pictures of the walls of the Lukhang Palace, and plenty of supporting documentation, the reader can truly appreciate the spiritual value of this book.



2. a beautifully detailed book with amazing reproductions of these important paintings. highly recommended to anyone one interested in tibetan buddhism, art, tantra, or history.



3. A really beautiful book: pictures are magnificents, thanks to the anonymous ancient painter and to the modern photographer, with many pictures of the details of the paintings. But the book is worthy not only to see. The first chapter tells a short but interesting history of the temple and of the Dalai Lamas, and at the beginning of each of the three main sections (as there are three walls painted in the temple, corresponding to the three pillars of Dzogchen teaching: base, path and fruit) a short but careful explanation of the principles of Dzogchen, in connection with the painted teachings of the secret temple. I do loved this book, and reccomend it to anyone interested in Dzogchen and Tibetan culture and Buddhism.



4. In addition to being a meticulously executed illustrated art book, The Dalai Lama's Secret Temple: Tantric Wall Paintings from Tibet by Ian A. Baker, et al. guides the reader through some lesser known biographical details of Tibet's greatest Dalai Lamas and of the history of Tibetan Buddhist culture as a whole. The amazing drawings, many of which painted in an almost feverish surrealistic style, are accompanied by insights into the lore of the Dalai Lamas, with thoughtful excerpts from their writings. I am also much obliged as a book shopper to show my appreciation to the book's publisher, Thames & Hudson, for the excellent printing quality and overall layout and binding of this book, details which for me always work to enhance the message of a book and to demonstrate the seriousness and loving care with which the authors themselves have treated their creation.



5. The Dala Lama's Secret Temple is a wonderful and insightful look into one of the most spectacular temples in Lhasa. Having just visited the Lukhang, I had the pleasure to personally view the murals. Many of which are unique to Tibetan paintings. And still very preserved. Better than I could have photographed myself, this book presents each of the walls paintings in the highest quality plates. Descriptions of the historical significance of the temple mirror the detail works of the painting. A nice addition to a library of Tibetan Art and Buddhism.

1 comments about Amelia Earhart: Image and Icon.

1. "Amelia Earhart: Image and Icon", Editor(s) Kristen Lubben and Erin Barnett, ICP, Steidel, Germany, 2007. ISBN: 978-3-86521-407-2, HC 165 pages includes Biblio. 3 pages and 85 B/W photographs, maps and ephemera. 12 3/8" x 9 1/4".
   
   Willis E. Hartshorn (Director, Intern. Center Photography) has 2 page Foreward to the preceeding AE Exhibition followed by three succinct essays with references by the writers (1) Kristen Lubben (Fame, Flight & the New Woman), 14 pages; (2) Susan Butler (Thirty-Nine Forever), 7 pages; and (3) Susan Ware (It's Hard Work Being a Popular Heroine), 16 pages.
   
   Whether you've read one, two or a dozen books on Amelia Earhart (AE), one cannot fail to conceptualize the dynamic, focused intensity with which AE concentrated her attention -- imprima: Aviation, Social Work, and Women's Equality, such that from this matrix there arose a perfect blend that was to become America's Sweetheart with a legend lasting, undiminished, over three-quarters of a Century.
   
   This book is special: it is dedicated to nuturing the understanding of societal perceptions that photo-journalism exhalts onto contemporary cultures by shaping the development, substance and subsistence of remembrances - in this case, the creation and adulation of recognizable contributions by one of its own citizens whose ingredients were close to perfect, importantly possession of humility and tireless devotion to the matters at hand. Each of the essayists focuses on a unique trait of AE: - symbolism, individuality, and true grit.
   
   There are 85 photo-engravures, each exactingly reproduced, some printed in full-page format, and each carefully selected to capture the essence of Amelia and the peoples and places of her time accompanied by a thoughtfully numbered index with caption and designation of maker when known. The book is a long overdue work of Love, written to capture the creative power of photo-journalism and serving as a memorial embracing her friends, family, husband and, of course, Amelia who is "Forever 39". This is a great book for the coffee table and library.

2 comments about Hindu Altars: A Pop-up Gallery of Traditional Art and Wisdom.

1. It is sometimes very difficult to take all your altar supplies with you while traveling. To some of us, it is extrmely important to have an altar for daily pooja. If we cannot be at home, we must aquire several tiny statues, bowls, cloth, etc. This is a phenomenal invention! Who would have thought? The Siva Nataraja is my personal diety also Lakshmi, and this is so wonderful to have with me in my bookbag at all times.I am able to do mantra without coming home so I can go to the park after yoga class!Great for the worshipper/enthusiast on the go, or lovely artwork for anyone to just enjoy. I highly recommend this and would urge you to get one before they go out of print, as so many of the stand up (Mandala Publishing) altars do. Om Sri Ganshaaya Namah! 1 million stars!-- Review by: Chizzle Mang's wife:
   Shishya Gauri-Pahari Sitaya Das



2. Hindu Altars is a pop-up book that sits flat on any surface and portrays in full colour and action for four different deities. What an interesting concept! I think this item would be perfect for a young child just learning about these deities. Not only would the child learn a little about these individuals but he or she would also have a bit of fun bringing each illustration to life.
   
   Despite the obvious pop-up appeal to children, I think that anyone wanting to create a quick to set up, easy to move altar would also find this book useful. This would be absolutely perfect when traveling or when trying to find a nice quiet place to meditate.
   
   The four deities represented in this altar are Lakshmi (Vaishnava tradition- path of devotion), Shiva Nataraja (Shaivite tradition- paths of meditation and knowledge), Durga (Shakta tradition- path of action), and Ganesha (Smarta tradition- path of knowledge and action. Each page shows the mantra of each deity, including the overall purpose of the phrase and full pronunciation. Each figure is also shown as traditionally represented including associated common elements and mudras.

5 comments about The Language of the Goddess.

1. Professor Gimbutas has provided an excellent, richly detailed and scrupulously referenced overview of prehistoric art. I found it hard to finish however due to her obvious biases. She might have benefited greatly had someone pointed out to her early in her career or perhaps even still in graduate school that Dr. Freud might as easily have quipped that sometimes a triangle is just a triangle.
   
   Dr. Gimbutas somewhat blunts her own arguments by seeing images of the Goddess wherever she looks and seems willing to overlook or even distort obvious variations in the symbols unless she can explain both the original and its variants as more symbols of the Goddess. In this way, she first identifies any triangle as a pubic triangle and then goes on to expand the triangle into nets and checkerboards. The snake is associated with the Goddess and then every wavy line becomes a putative snake and arms without hands are "obviously" snakes. As another example, she describes spirals, wherever they may occur, as symbolic of the developmental, creative aspect of the Goddess. Anyone who has spent even ten minutes with children's art, knows that spirals are a great way to "fill space" and several of the photos provided by Gimbutas appear to be exactly that. She even goes so far as to claim that a bent line or hook is an "incomplete spiral." I kept expecting her to next claim that a straight line is an "incomplete hook!"
   
   She has two whole chapters on what she calls "bi-lines" and "tri-lines" (sets of two or three parallel lines) in which she completely ignores the fact that the few numbers larger than three which cannot be represented by a collection of either "bi-lines" or "tri-lines" can always be represented as a mixture of the two. In another case, she reproduces what she claims is clearly a picture of the Bird Goddess as evidenced by birds' feet in place of both the otherwise anthropomophic figure's feet and hands. Unfortunately, the figure's hands have only three "fingers" (perhaps only two in one case while the feet have four. This figure appears only a couple of chapters after a multi-page argument for three-fingered hands and feet being representative of birds' feet. Children's art again provides a possible clue. When they first begin drawing hands, children may draw them with three, four, five, six or even more fingers, depending largely on the size of the hand desired. Perhaps for this figure, the original artist considered three fingers sufficient to represent the hands and added a fourth digit to the feet only because there seemed to be room for one.
   
   Dr. Giumbutas' book is a good starting point and a valuable reference source for a study of prehistoric art and religion, but the text should be read with the clear understanding that it may be less fact than fantasy (or perhaps "fancy" is a better word.) Things may not always be as she sees and describes them, especially when it comes to the presumed intentions of the original artists. This is, of course, always difficult territory for an archeologist/anthropologist and many have done even worse. I wish there had been more photographs and fewer drawings since the drawings may often emphasize what is barely there.



2. It's been a few years since I read this, but I remember that it sparked a small burst of artistic activity for me. We can argue whether everything in it is factually true, as one reviewer said, we may never really _know_, but Gimbutas' interpretation certainly deserves consideration. It offers a counter-balance to the traditional patriarchal view of prehistory which is just as likely to be biased and wrong. I found Gimbutas' theories on the origin of writing very believable.



3. That someone could rise to such heights in academia in any country really speaks volumes for how much Academia has fallen in the last 20 years. Classical education and a devotion to Science are gone. Instead we have the metaphysical ramblings of someone with an axe to gind. The central assertion that Goddess Cults predominated in society from 6th to the 3rd Millenium has NO Empirical basis whatsoever. It reminds one of the metaphysical Aryan theories of that suffused Europe in the mid-19th Cen, finding their most fantastic expression in Nazi Ideology. Like Aryanism and the Nazi cult it serves to anchor a tenet of dogma in a percieved empirical event. Such may be seen as comforting for those who are not willing to put in the intellectual challenge to come up with better ideas (or be content to admit that we just do not know what happenned in the 6th Millenium B.C.).

   Facts are seletively gleened and selectively interpreted. There are in fact just as many male (phallic) emblems that have been found in Asia Minor than those that could be referred to as Goddess symbols. As a matter of fact cattle images are the major emblems that see in vast profusion all over Europe -- yet no one makes the assertion that the earth was ruled by a cattle cult -- why would we do so for a "Goddess Society."

   The fact truly is this; we know relatively nothing of the times that Gimbutas tells of. Those times are far beyond the pale of history so that making blanket assertions like Gimbutas is fallacy of the first degree. Not even worthy of a 1st year Freshman, much less the chair of an esteemed institution.

   I read the book to gain a better idea of the ideas of contemporary feminism --- I sincerely hope this is not the standard applied. Profoundly dissapointing.




4. This is a truly wonderful book by a now deceased author. Marija Gimbutas was a fine scholar (chair of European Archeology at UCLA), and if she were alive today, would gladly take part in the storm of response that her ideas on prehistoric religion have inspired. All such scholarly theories require work and refinement, and the ideas presented in this book are no exception. There is, however, no other single text on the subject of early human religion that I think is more important. Read it, love it, and give it to all your friends.



5. Gimbutas has unsheathed from history's husk, the weed-seed of modern thorns. She lays bare the dark battle obsessed mind-set that bruised and nearly rooted out 'the adoration of life principle' that drove the path of Europe's ancestors, and eventually entangled it with vengeance. The briars were invasive Indo-European peoples, who razed the united civilization of prehistoric Europe to near oblivion. They were a war-hungry, unrefined, pirating people from the Russian steppes. These people stole metallury technologies from Europe and twisted them from plough-share to sword, literally. Gimbutas is not the first, but the most studious, in piecing together the signature significances within uncovered archeological artifacts that assert such evidence. Many earlier archeologists had already captured the story within old stone, and explained it as Gimbutas does, prior to her revelations-'Man in Prehistory', Prof. Chard, Univ. of Wisc. 1969, and a score of others similarly acclaimed. New dendrochronology and improved carbon-dating techniques using centuries old rare pines have now proven her time-lines; disproving the sequential-inventions concept of her opponents. What truly makes this book incredible, although,is not the historical revision(others pay more to this); it is the incredible vision she gleans of their world-view through symbol-relations she has belaboured over. this book is tribute to Europe's 3500-year fruition of peaceful prosperity, derived from seed of another world-view ( and early humanity's earliest religion concept, the 70,000 years of a God who gives Birth and nurtures!

5 comments about The Ajanta Caves: Ancient Paintings of Buddhist India.

1. If you, like me, have never been to the Ajanta Caves and would like to get a feel for the treasures they hold this is the right book to get. The quality of the prints is great - the artistry is beautiful. Very delicate and sensual in most places and quite bewildering in others. At times I wished the captions offered even more insight on the individual scenes but then I remember that this is not what this book is about. It is a delight to simply sit there, browse through this book and imagine what life must have been like in those faraway days. This book takes you places. If you are into ancient India you will not be disappointed.



2. although many of the old frescos hardly survived,
   their essence and perennial beauty remains intact in the excellent reproductions, taken without any flashlights of this masterly book
   I consider this book the most impressive in my big collection of works on Oriental and Buddhist art,
   the expression of the faces, their compassion and their gestures are so delicate
   and well represented in this book



3. If you are planning a trip to India, you should consider visiting the caves at Ajanta. If you are planning to visit the caves, you should read this book before the trip. You will get a lot more out of the experience of the caves if you know the Jataka stories and understand the Buddhist iconography described in this book.

   Even if you have no plans to travel to Ajanta, the boook contains beautiful photograpghs which will make a nice addition to any collection of art books or, for that matter, to any coffee table.




4. The Ajanta caves can be considered among the wonders of the ancient world, both in terms of their artistic and their spiritual value, and this book captures the beauty and detail of the remarkable murals. If I were to make one criticism, it would be that it emphasizes the murals at the expense of largely neglecting the sculptures, which are magnificent in their own right. The book might better be titled, "Murals of the Ajanta Caves." I ordered it without seeing it first, and I was a little disappointed to see how few photographs were included of the sculptures. Nevertheless, the beautiful and clear photographs of the murals alone are worth the price of the book, and I'd certainly recommend it to anyone interested in the Ajanta caves, or in ancient Indian or Buddhist art.



5. This book offers the best color photographs of the Ajanta caves that I have seen. The text offers an excellent explication of the history and iconography of the images. Having been to the caves, I can honestly say that you see the paintings more clearly in this book than at the caves themselves. (This is due to crowded conditions and poor lighting at the caves.) This book is an important adjunct to any study of Buddhist art and inconography. If you're planning to travel to Ajanta, buy this book first.

1 comments about The Uncreated Light: An Iconographiocal Study of the Transfiguration In the Eastern Church.

1. Solrunn Nes's own iconographic work is strikingly her own, yet it is well within the Church's tradition. Her icons are bright, spare, free of busyness and visual "noise," and immediate to the beholder. Perhaps it is the provenance of her work, painted in her homeland of Norway, that inspires something of its luminosity and vibrancy of color.
   
   The highest compliment I can pay her work, though, is that it induces one to pray and to conceive a desire for the True Beauty objectively reflected there. (One can view her work, though reproductions cannot do full justice to it, on the Internet at [...], as well as in her beautiful and informative earlier book, The Mystical Language of Icons, an expanded version of which has been reissued this year.)
   
   "The Uncreated Light" is centered on the Gospel accounts of the Transfiguration, as rendered and interpreted in four representative portrayals spanning the sixth through the fifteenth centuries (and supplemented by four other works).
   
   With this as its focus, it is nevertheless a statement about the human person in his relation to God. One can find the key to Nes's thesis in this: "Theosis [the deification of the believer] does not imply that the difference between the divine and the human is erased. On the contrary, greater likeness with God will make man more human since the deified man has developed his God-given potential. . . . Iron which is heated by fire is still iron, but is different from cold iron in that it can be formed" (emphasis mine). The point is that the human person is not lost, or disintegrated, or broken down, or made to vanish in his encounter with God. Nothing of the truly human, including personal identity, is "left behind," but is taken up, made infinite and more fully itself in communion with the deifying Christ--human iron infused with divine fire.
   
   In the book, Nes does what most art historians do. She gives us insightful descriptions of two sixth-century apse mosaics, an eleventh-century manuscript illumination, and a fifteenth-century Russian icon of the Transfiguration. But the book is richly theological in a way that art history books generally are not. She "exegetes" the art through two theological controversies that stand as historical bookends for the centuries she covers: eighth-century Iconoclasm (the attempted eradication of iconography) at one end, and the fourteenth-century Hesychasm (dealing with matters of mystical prayer) at the other. Without this grasp of the relevant theology, we soon realize, one could miss so very much that is vital to the iconography itself.
   
   The three-part structure of the book--"Ascent," "Vision," and "Descent"--assumes the shape of the Transfiguration accounts and, by extension, the eastern-patristic path of the mystical journey. Nes shows just how multivalent the Transfiguration of Christ is: In other words, she shows how the various depictions themselves elucidate such perennial truths as the Incarnation, the glory of the Cross, eschatology, and human deification.
   
   She reminds us that, in this event, we find delineated that combination of fear and worship that does not threaten to destroy our fragility or extinguish our identity. Our God descended to lift human nature into the uncreated light, and the human person, united to him, is transfigured in a love beyond comprehension. Out of the fear and worship of the holy mountain comes a reassuring word of comfort.
   
   This volume includes an extensive appendix of scriptural and patristic citations and 15 pages of color plates. It belongs alongside other important works exploring the art of the Church, and its theological weight is especially to be appreciated.
   
   
   Addison H. Hart is a Roman Catholic priest, assigned to Christ the Teacher University Parish and the Newman Catholic Center for Northern Illinois University. He is a contributing editor for Touchstone, in which a version of this review first appeared.