3 comments about I'll Be Home for Christmas (Lighted Path Collection®).

1. I have purchased Thomas Kinkade books numerous times and I am very pleased everytime I do. I usually give the books as gifts and I always receive compliments. Thomas Kinkade is a favorite painter of mine. His paintings and inspirational sayings always help to calm a person when having a stressfull day.



2. The book has beautiful illustrations and very touching and inspirational messages, quotes, etc. on each page. It was given to me as a gift and I love it! It will be something I treasure through my life.



3. Anyone not aware of Thomas Kinkade's artwork hasn't been paying attention in stores for the last five years or so. With his old-fashioned images of a romantic yesteryear that probably never existed, Kinkade has become America's most-published artist. In "I'll Be Home for Christmas," he specializes in snowy landscapes, glowing cottages with smoke coming from rock chimneys and horse-drawn sleighs bringing visitors for Yule festivities. Text for the book comes from seasonal writings by Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, Washington Irving, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Kenneth Grahame, Isaac Watts and, of course, the Gospel of Luke. The artwork is the most notable feature: Large scenes are mixed with close-up details that reveal Kinkade's brushstrokes. People familiar with Kinkade's work know that he hides little letter 'N's throughout his paintings (the number that appears under his signature indicates how many are in that particular painting) in honor of his wife, Nanette. The printing in "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is so good that they are visible on almost every page. This isn't a thick book, nor heavy Christmas reading, but it certainly sheds some beautiful light on the spirit of the season.

1 comments about Art and Faith in Mexico: The Nineteenth-Century Retablo Tradition.

1. I have been searching for a book such as this for years! Scholars and novices alike will not be dissapointed with this comprehensive text by Elizabeth Zarur and Charles Lovell. This exceptional publication documents an exhibit of mexican retablos and ex votos held at the New Mexico State University Art Gallery (holders of THE largest collection of retablos in the USA). The catolog raisonne provides a wealth of information on the topic, that will become an invaluable reference source. The publication however goes far beyond documenting the exhibit. Undoubtably this text will become the "bible" for chronicling and deciphering these treasures. The two editors have brought together prominent scholars on the subject who comment on the works from an interdisciplinary ( art history, anthropological, folk art, and religioious) point of view. The iconography within the retablos is clearly deciphered throughout the text in a manner that will enlighten the reader who is new to these works, and will serve as an invaluable resource to the learned hagiographer. Additional topics in the text will provide the reader with information that has not been covered in other texts on the subject, such as: insights into religious orders who influenced the visual qualities and symbolism in the artworks, conservation and care of retablos in general. Of particular interest is editor Zarur's commentary on the impact of Spanish missionization upon the indigenous people of Mexico. She presents profound insights into how the fusing of these cultures impacted and altered visual representations of the saints and cult imagery. The visual reproductions of the works are exceptional! One can feel as though they are viewing the works in person. Brushstrokes, tin surfaces, and age of the artworks are evident in the photographs. Many of the works are complemented with close up photos. If you purchase one book on Mexican religious artworks this is it. You will not be disappointed with this one!

2 comments about A Journey into Christian Art.

1. The entries have very good brief historical and religious background. It just failed to show the gradual deterioration of art, in general, and of painting in particular from the time of the Rennaisance to modern times. The entries for modern art were very charitable; the attempt to be sacramental in the descriptions was futile because there was nothing sacramental in most modern art. But the attempt was well-intentioned and acceptable to most reader but it would be disappointing to the theologian.(But the book was not meant for theologians but for artists.) In which case the artist should give it 4 and a half-stars.



2. As the book itself states, 'A Journey into Christian Art' is lavishly illustrated - Helen de Borchgrave's text is accompanied by over a hundred full-colour-process, large-size reproductions of major paintings, as well as stunning photographs of frescos, mosaics, statues and other works of art. Hardly is there a two-page spread throughout the book that does not have a primary image dominant - art is not merely something to be talked about, but something to be experienced, and in a useful way, this book helps the reader accomplish this goal.
   
   This is no simple survey of art, however; it concentrates primarily on the art of Christendom, which is the major portion of the post-Roman Empire artistic tradition of the West until the Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment artistic streams headed in additional directions not directly tied to Christianity. de Borchgrave's purpose here is to do an historical survey simultaneously developing the idea of art with the idea of the spirituality of the artists involved - we as the readers do not simply see the paintings, etc. and admire the handiwork, but are drawn into discussion about the inspiration of the artists, and the hope of the artists in what they mean for their art to inspire.
   
   Beginning with largely anonymous works from late antiquity, de Borchgrave quickly advances into the period where we have names associated with the works (as it is difficult, although not impossible, to get deeply into the spiritual biographies of the anonymous). She explores the images of Christ in different settings during the first thousand years, and sees a division between East and West in different ways - she quotes Chesterton, who said 'the East was the land of the cross and the West was the land of the crucifix.' The issue of symbolism versus realism was one early parting of different artistic streams, which would often flow back across each others' paths.
   
   Key artists such a Giotto, Fra Angelico, Piero, Bosch, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and van Gogh are included among lesser-known figures (or persons whose names are less famous perhaps than their works). Workers in media other than painting are included - Durer's etchings and Henry Moore's sculptures, for example.
   
   'Art, as the eastern church discovered through icon painting, can be a force that takes us beyond knowledge and into prayer,' de Borchgrave writes. This idea is woven throughout the text - she writes about the modern painter Roger Wagner as someone who sat in the same spot where Fra Angelico, centuries before, 'had prayed his frescoes into life'.
   
   This is a truly beautiful book, not just in appearance, the 'look and feel' of it, but also in its text and the message, that art and the spirit are deeply connected, and that the artistic sensibility is both heightened by and heightens in turn the spiritual/religious aspects of Christian experience. The crucifixion and resurrection can be drawn in many different ways, yet always remain the same. The image of Christ takes on many varying characteristics, both realistic and symbolic, and yet always remains a powerful guide to the faithful, leading them to new insights and discoveries of something already familiar.
   
   Helen de Borchgrave is herself an art restorer and a leader of art tours throughout Europe. This book is a good tour for those who are more of the arm-chair traveler variety. It is a great gift for others, and a great treat for oneself.

2 comments about Angels.

1. This book is one in a series of lovely books illustrated by Sulamith Wulfing. It measures just 4'X6" and contains 25 illustrations with accompanying quotes from famous writers such as Shakespeare, William Blake, John Milton, Robert Herrick, and the Bible. The excerpts don't always seem to go with the illustrations but the text is not the reason you would buy this book anyway. Sulamith Wulfing's intricate and delicate work in this book features many enchanting angels. Each one is unique and filled with a serene and peaceful quality. I feel that the price that is being asked for these books is a bit steep considering the small size of the books, the limited amount of text and the rather poor way the pictures were printed on the page. Most of them have uneven sized white showing at the top and bottom of the picture. However, the artwork is the purpose of the book and it does not disappoint in any way. It is divine and if you love Wulfing's work I suggest that you will truly love this little book of angels.



2. Wulfing, Gibran, Rilke; these are names of individuals who have danced in the garden of the lord.These are the names of people who have gazed at the reflections in the eyes of the Gods. These three artists are people who have the ability to lift us out of our lives and place us in the worlds next to our heart. Sulamuth wulfing has been a part of my Life since the sixties. Her work has never failed to brighten my life, raise my spirit and show me the joy that there is in living. This work is an inspiration. It brings life and love and truth into a visual form which can be shared by all. It allows hope into the heart of madness and it encourages love and spirtuality to flourish in the everyday world. I would encourage anyone , interested in the works of such people as Rumi, Gibran and Rilke to take this book and hold it cloise to their heart.

3 comments about Anselm Kiefer: Heaven And Earth.

1. Anselm's artwork is amazing. This book tells all about the artist, his artwork, and the storys behind them. It has amazing photos and details.



2. This is a fantastic book. Anselm Keifer is one of my favorite artists of today. His work is so powerful that it is difficult to imagine it translated into a printed form, but this book does a great job of an almost impossible task. Keifer's work must be seen in person to be fully felt, but short of that, this book still manages to impress.



3. The German artist Kiefer's first project titled "The Heavens" ("Die Himmel") sounded the note for the major theme of his work through the following decades. This first was a book-like project with several leaves completed in 1969. Coming after this were sculpture-like, installation-like works (before this form was widely practiced) using the earthy materials of lead, brick, metal, wood, cloth, and often cast-off materials, as used in "found" art, though with not nearly the effect. Born in 1945, Kiefer could never free himself from the oppressiveness of the German psychoses and atrocities of the Nazi years, especially being a Jew. "[Kiefer] does not assume the existence of a paradise, only the ancient need to imagine one." One sees in the artist's dense, bewitching works usually made of assorted materials this primitive longing for paradise impacted by the carnage and horrors of 20th century's crazed politics and warfare on a huge scale. The touches of brightness in many of Kiefer's works are sometimes overwhelmed by bricks and other materials the color of cinders, ashes, an unmistakable reference to the Holocaust and the "scorched earth" warfare waged by the German war machine. It is the natural materials of the art works such as leaves, ground, and cotton spun into clothing, not religious visions of Heaven, which offer any hope of transformative redemption and immortality there may be. As noted in the "Introduction," Kiefer regarded the earth as a "kind of alchemical fragment" still being forged. "In Kiefer's cosmology, the universe is an immense athanor, or alchemical oven, where spirit and matter are in continued process of creation and destruction." The book succeeds estimably as a retrospective on the span of Kiefer's career. Varying perspectives from distant to close-up on the art works enable one to grasp the complex historical, cultural, and mythical thoughts reflected in the composite, multilayered works and also the undying struggle between hope and memory embodied in them.

5 comments about Darsan, Seeing the Divine Image in India.

1. Not only does this book explain the way Hindus view the iconic (formed) and aniconic (abstract) images of the gods, but also the corollary view and conception of temples and holy personages. The title and key idea in all this is "darsan," which means not only viewing the sacred, but simultaneously being viewed by the gods. The way in which the statues (murtis) are treated with continuous attendance in the form one would typically associate with a human guest--bathing, feeding, clothing, putting to rest, etc.--is made comprehensible via this small book's explanation. The statue, image, or the temple itself is the body of the divine, in which the sacred consents to be present to humans...thus, treating the sacred body with reverence and devotion is deemed appropriate and important.
   
   This book is useful not only to Hindus and those interested in better understanding the Hindu religion, but also any thoughtful person who wishes to consider the relationship of sacred to symbol, and the way in which the divine might be present to us.



2. This is a required text for just about every introductory course on Hinduism. Essential reading for anyone wishing to understand how Hindus worship and see the divine.



3. Diana Eck is a wonderful scholar who has written several great books on Hinduism. Darsan (or "darshan," if you're transliterating it simply for an English-speaking audience) is a wonderfully simple introduction to Hindu iconography and the related ritual experience, a subject that is overwhelmingly broad and often unwieldy.
   
   If you are an undergraduate studying Eastern religions, a graduate student new to Hinduism, a Western devotee wanting better cross-cultural knowledge of how to respectfully relate to your chosen god or goddess as Hindus do, or a curious layperson wanting to know more about the Hindu religious experience and what all the images and rituals are about, this is a great book for you to begin with. This slim volume doesn't go into elaborate depth, but covers a lot of ground and introduces many key terms in a very readable way, and is a useful introductory work.



4. Diana Eck has done an excellent job of sifting through the vast amount of material on Hindu imagery in India and presenting an intelligently distilled interpretation. An excellent read on a very difficult subject.



5. This book was my introduction to Hinduism, given to me by a friend following my first personal experience with darsan and Hindu devotion. It is a stunningly clear and subtle book, offering a careful, complex discussion of the unique nature of the Hindu conception of the divine. I read it then in 3 days and am rereading it now as a student of Hinduism, looking forward to seeing this great book from a new perspective.

No comments about Understanding Early Christian Art.

No comments about Ritual Art of India.

No comments about I Will Wake the Dawn: Illuminated Psalms.

1 comments about Extraordinary Gathering of Angels.

1. Slightly wider than a standard paperback, this hardback book is like a mini-coffee table art book. It contains over 170 color illustrations, including a wide range of "paintings, frescoes, stained glass windows, icons, and sculpture." The book is structured into 13 chapters, each with an introductory essay by Margaret Barker, notes and comments on the paintings, quotes from significant thinkers and scriptures on topic, and interviews with theologians writers from various religious traditions (including Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and LDS). Those familiar with Barker's other works will recognize her distinctive approach emerging in her introductory essays and selection of quotations. Barker has authored 10 significant books of Biblical scholarship, and served a term as the president elect of the Society for Old Testament Study. She is also a Methodist preacher, and writes from a perspective of one involved and committed. Her writing is always vivid, insightful, and relevant. Those interested in angels for themselves, or as a gift book, will find here a delightful treasure of art and insight. Those interested in to Barker's approaches at an introductory level for general readers, either for themselves, or for others, should be well served here. Those familiar with her scholarship will be pleased that one of the art works depicted is the orthodox icon of Wisdom, which she discusses in several essays in The Great High Priest. Highly recommended, as are all her books.