When Matisse thus expressed his admiration for icons, upon a visit to Russia in 1911, he echoed the sentiments of viewers down the centuries. These painted panels made for Byzantine and Orthodox churches and as aids to prayers at home are perhaps the most effective and enduring form of religious art ever developed, and also perhaps one of the most mysterious. The peaceful, clear imagery found within them can be appreciated on both a religious and a secular level. This engaging book looks at icons in the context of the history of Christianity, examining all aspects of the production and power of this distinctive art form. Through numerous colour illustrations, it investigates their subject matter, showing how scenes can be identified, how the iconography developed over the centuries, and the role of portraiture. The ways in which icons were made, framed and displayed are also explored, based on an analysis of examples from the British Museum that have been carefully studied by restorers. The Museums entire collection of around 100 icons, unmatched in Britain, is illustrated here in colour.
| ||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £3.58
Trade in Icons for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £3.58, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Learn more
|
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Review
"'They are really great art. I am in love with their moving simplicity which, to me, is closer and dearer than Fra Angelico. In these icons the soul of the artist who painted them opens out like a mystical flower. And from them we ought to learn how to understand art.' Henri Matisse"
About the Author
Robin Cormack has been a faculty member of the University of London since 1966, and has taught courses in Classical art, Byzantine art and Russian art. He retired from the Courtauld in September 2004, and became Leverhulme Emeritus Research Fellow at the Courtauld. He is currently finishing a book on Classicism and World Art for Reaktion books and is an editor for the Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Studies. His numerous publications include Byzantine Art (OUP).
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If Icons are your thing whether for art or religious study. This book is great. Looks of history and excellent explanation of the use of icons in prayer. A good starting point after a holiday that involved many visits to old churches and cathedrals
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Alexandra
Format:Hardcover
I bought this book as a present and I think it was a good decision. The book presents the collection of icons from the British Museum.
2 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By revquackers
Format:Hardcover
Not as clear or informative as some other similar books but one I like having "on the shelp" to look at occasionally.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 6 reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
