Art

The Christian church's earliest vestments were hardly distinguishable from the everyday dress of ordinary people in ancient Rome, but in time, ecclesiastical dress acquired its own distinguishing characteristics. This comprehensive reference by noted English costume authority Herbert Norris traces the evolution of clerical attire through the centuries until the end of the 1400s.
The meticulously researched text is enhanced by more than 270 of the author's own illustrations, including 8 in full color, adapted from originals but specially redrawn to accentuate essential features of the garments. The vestments are treated in the approximate order of their appearance in liturgical ritual, beginning with the simple alb and including the pallium, chasuble, cassock, surplice, mitre, and many other items. Footwear, crosses, headgear, rings, gloves, and other accessories are also depicted and described in detail. Replete with fascinating historical facts and lore, this volume is an indispensable reference for students, scholars, and anyone interested in the history of ecclesiastical attire.

Small enough to fit in a pocket yet serious enough to provide real answers, this primer is a must-have for architecture and history buffs, tourists, and churchgoers interested in decoding the styles and symbols of religious buildings. Every building contains clues embedded in its design that identify not only its architectural style but also who designed it, what kind of congregation it was built for, and why. This practical yet charming handbook is the key to decoding the style, history, evolution, and social significance of religious buildings. Not strictly limited to churches, it also covers abbeys, chapels, and monasteries, among other structures. Organized according to architectural element (windows, domes, arches, etc.), each element is presented in chronological order. Additional chapters explore the architectural influence of geography, history, and various creeds, along with an illustrated timeline showing how, where, and in many cases why certain church features evolved through the centuries. There is also a useful introduction to naming each component of a church, from vaults to buttresses and transepts to apses. All entries are illustrated with period engravings and line drawings. This book will be invaluable for architecture buffs and anyone who has ever wondered why classic New England churches are white with little ornament, why Quaker meetinghouses have no altars, or why Episcopalians traditionally favored the Gothic style.

This lavishly illustrated guide to iconography explains through words and pictures the history, meaning, and purpose of Christian icons as well as the traditional methods that religious painters use to create these luminous, spiritually enlivened works of art.

Solrunn Nes, one of Europe's most admired iconographers, illuminates the world of Christian icons, explaining the motifs, gestures, and colors common to these profound symbols of faith. Nes explores in depth a number of famous icons, including those of the Greater Feasts, the Mother of God, and a number of the better-known saints, enriching her discussion with references to Scripture, early Christian writings, and liturgy. She also leads readers through the process and techniques of icon painting, showing each step with photographs, and includes more than fifty of her own original works of art.

Deeply inspiring and utterly unique, The Mystical Language of Icons will inform both those who are familiar with the rich tradition of religious art and those who are not. It also serves as a powerful devotional resource in its own right, one that Christians everywhere can turn to again and again.

There are plenty of guides to the saints, but this is the only one that will help you identify the saint that you are looking at.

Taking the 140 most popular and widely represented saints (from the earliest -- the apostles, up to Padre Pio and others from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries) the authors provide brief accounts of the saint's achievements (or legend) and details of their conventional attributes -- usually tools of their trade or the instruments of their martyrdom. Then they provide a clear and unambiguous color representation of the saint, taken from sources the world over, often from popular imagery such as playing cards, inn signs, or advertisements, as well as from high and low art.

Usefully, there is a comprehensive reference index identifing saints by things associated with them -- from anchors (St. Clement) to wounds (St. Roch if in the leg, St. Rita if in the brow). Practical, attractive, and well-informed this little book will be invaluable for students and lovers of art of all ages.