How to Read Bible Stories and Myths in Art: Decoding the Old Masters from Giotto to Goya

Description

For centuries, Bible stories and ancient Greek and Roman mythology were the main subjects of Western art. Old Masters such at Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, and countless others rendered these stirring, poignant, bloodthirsty, and often erotic tales on panel or canvas, in the process creating a familiar way of visualizing our collective imagination.

In How to Read Bible Stories and Myths in Art: Decoding the Old Masters from Giotta to Goya, Patrick De Rynck examines over two hundred of these works. The result is a book that explores the roots of Western civilization from three different angles: It introduces or re-introduces the reader to the best-known stories from the Bible and mythology; it presents a selection of exquisite masterpieces by some of the world's greatest painters; and it shows the reader how those painters interpreted these famous scenes. De Rynck's journey-and his conclusions-will fundamentally change the way we look at art.

360 pages. 650 full-color illustrations. 6 3/4'' x 9 1/2''. Flexi-cover.

• 360 pages
• 650 full-color illustrations
• 6 3/4'' x 9 1/2''
• Flexi-cover