GOSPEL FIGURES IN ART

Following the basic sequence of events in the New Testament, from the Immaculate Conception to the Resurrection, this valuable handbook offers a plethora of illustrations and, uniquely, diagrams of biblical art, with detailed identifications of even obscure figures and explanations of particular symbols. Mary's loose and long hair demonstrates her virginity, even at the end of her life. Reeds, loosely tied in cross shape, held innocently by toddler Christ, hint at the sorrow to come. Zuffi (Art in Venice) does not hesitate to illustrate the human side of the gospel figures, frequently interpreting body postures and facial expressions. In one 1330 painting, Mary leans slightly backward while nursing the infant Christ, a pose that "derive[s], not from some fixed and unchangeable stereotype, but from a direct vision of reality." The reproductions are often set within the artist's own landscape, with biblical cities such as Jerusalem or Bethlehem resembling an Italian hill town or snowy Dutch village, and sometimes even the artist himself (or the wealthy patron of his work) appears. Terrifically executed, this is a unique book that will enrich viewers' experiences of the art. (Sept.)