Rosa Giorgi Book order

This generously illustrated volume on the work of Diego Velazquez makes the world's greatest art accessible to readers of every level of appreciation.

In this richly illustrated volume Rosa Giorgi argues that because much of Western art depicts key events, leaders, and practices in the history of the Christian Church, knowledge of that history is critical to an appreciation of many of our great masterpieces.  Giorgi begins by analyzing artistic representations of liturgical objects, including altars, crosses, and censers, and follows with an examination of the duties and vestments of the variety of clerics, ranging from minor clerks to the pope. Both the rituals of the monastic life and worshippers’ devotional practices are well documented in paintings depicting prayer, communal meals, funeral rites, religious processions, and cult practices. The author next turns to artworks that capture important episodes from the Church’s history, including crusades and pilgrimages, the Inquisition and the Reformation, and power struggles between popes and secular rulers. Giorgi ends with an analysis of the lives and portraits of the notable leaders who contributed to this fascinating history, from Peter and Paul to Thomas More to Pope Paul VI .

A guide to identifying Christian saints as they are portrayed in art. From Agatha to Zeno, it presents the characteristic features of over 100 saints, with notes on their lives and martyrdom and visual references to help readers recognize them. The resource features a collection of masterpieces.

This richly illustrated text portrays more than 375 Catholic saints, arranged by the days of the year on which each beatified figure is honoured. Up to three saints have been chosen for each day of the year, with a brief accompanying description of each.

Analyzing artists' representations of angels and demons and heaven and hell from the Judeo-Christian tradition, this volume describes how they evolved over time. Divided into chapters, it looks at these images, and how they came to be portrayed with the physical attributes - wings, halos, horns, and cloven hooves.