Throughout history, artists have often taken their inspiration from religious sources, stories, and imagery, especially from episodes centered on the miracles or martyrdom of Christian saints. In our present age, works of art have never been more carefully preserved and enhanced; museum exhibitions and visits to view artwork in churches and cathedrals have never been more popular. Yet the meanings behind these masterpieces and their tremendous artistic heritage, in contrast, have never been so neglected.
The Lives of the Saints through 100 Masterpieces has been designed to look beyond the unquestioned artistic merit of these paintings -- often quite well known to us as visual images -- to deepen our appreciation of the meanings behind such masterpieces. Jacques Duquesne's descriptions of each piece recount the stories they represent and explain, further, the religious, historical, and cultural traditions surrounding them.

The Lives of the Saints Through 100 Masterpieces

Duquesne, Jacques

LEBRETTE, François

Biographies & Memoirs

Duquesne

The rich history of the Christian church — with its centuries of dramas, splendors, achievements, and controversies — has long provided a deep source of inspiration for artists. Our own cultural familiarity with the historical aspects of this tradition, however, has waned in recent years. Thus, there exists an odd paradox: works of art have never been more carefully preserved and enhanced; museum exhibitions and visits to view artwork in churches and cathedrals have never been more popular. Yet the historical events and theological ideals depicted in such artistic masterpieces are quite often unknown or misunderstood.The History of the Church through 100 Masterpieces has been designed to give that deeper meaning back to our experience of these paintings by providing insightful descriptions of the stories they purport to tell. Jacques Duquesne and François Lebrette choose a beautiful array of works — some already well known to us as visual images — to discuss, recounting both the historical events and the religious and cultural background surrounding them.

The History of the Church Through 100 Masterpieces

Arts & Photography

History & Criticism

About the Author 
Ancien professeur de lettres classiques spécialisé dans les structures politiques du monde grec, François Lebrette fut rédacteur en chef au Figaro magazine. Féru d'antiquités méditerranéennes, il se passionne depuis nombre d'années pour les représentations que la peinture classique a données de notre patrimoine antique, mythologique, historique et religieux. François Lebrette supervise la collection " Art et connaissances ", qui compte aujourd'hui quatre titres : - L'Ancien Testament à travers 100 chefs-d'oeuvre de la peinture - Le Nouveau Testament à travers 100 chefs-d'oeuvre de la peinture - La mythologie gréco-latine à travers 100 chefs-d'oeuvre de la peinture - L'Histoire ancienne à travers 100 chefs-d'oeuvre de la peinture Il en choisit les sujets et les illustrations, et en rédige les textes et les légendes. Alain Schnapp, né en 1946, est professeur d'archéologie à l'université de Paris I. Il est actuellement directeur général de l'Institut national d'histoire de l'art (INHA). Il a publié plusieurs ouvrages d'iconographie grecque et d'histoire de l'archéologie.

L'histoire ancienne à travers 100 chefs-d'oeuvre de la peinture

Presses de la Renaissance

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